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Not only has the game of golf changed through the years, but so a has the business behind it - and one example of this evolution is the pro shop.
Traditionally owned and run by the course professional, the pro shop once was the primary retail outlet for golf equipment. The pro stocked a wide variety of drivers, putters and sets of clubs and earned additional money from their sales. Consumers could shop at their local course, buy a set of clubs off the rack and be on the first tee in a matter of minutes.
Today, there are more than 150 golf courses with pro shops in the northern half of Ohio, not to mention 20 Dick's Sporting Goods stores, four Golf Galaxy stores and too many computers with Internet access to count.
The pro shop isn't the only stop for customers anymore, and it's no longer a given the pro owns the shop. Golf - and the equipment that goes with it - has become big business.
According to the Ohio Golf Economy 2006 report prepared for the Ohio Golf Alliance, the sport's direct impact on the state's economy in 2006 was $2.3 billion, which factors in facility operations, course construction and capital investment, supplies (manufactured exports and retail), major tournaments and associations, real estate, hospitality and tourism.
Ohio retailers' net revenues on consumer purchases of golf supplies...