Pro Shop magazine first spoke to Sarah Landry back in 2019 when she was a second-year pro at Club de golf Laval-sur-le-Lac in Laval, Quebec. Her career since then has been somewhat meteoric as she is now in her second year as the head professional at Rivermead Golf Club in Gatineau, Que. Like most other shops, Rivermead had a great year for sales in 2022, and even as Landry works to get the shop up to the service level she wants, she’s excited about what’s ahead. And she has a plan to get there.
“When I started here, the shop had less stock and not as much service. I’m trying to stock the shop according to product cycles. Other than wedges and putters, club stock will be limited.”
That’s not to say that members can’t purchase the clubs they want. Landry has taken care of that with fittings every Sunday and that good old-fashioned service axiom — listen to their needs. She’s a certified fitter and offers fittings year-round. She ran a 20-week league to get a sense of member preferences through draw prizes, and an end-of-year survey last year helped her understand the overall impression and satisfaction with the shop.
Even with three off-course retailers in her area, pro shop sales continue to follow the 2022 trend. She’s a Titleist staffer, so their clubs and balls are a favourite among members. TaylorMade balls are also a big seller. On the apparel end, Foot Joy, J. Lindeberg, GOLFINO, and Rohnisch are popular brands. Landry has also been “blown away” by the sales of Swannies Golf’s men’s collection, which includes hats, t-shirts polos and hoodies.
Landry is doing her best to find new and exciting stock, to not play brand favourites, and to establish a good relationship with all suppliers. “A pro shop isn’t only about sales. It’s about relationships with members, suppliers and staff.”
