JUSTIN O’LEARY
Head Professional
Now in his 10th year at Cedar Brae Golf Club in Toronto, Ont., Head Professional Justin O’Leary saw his shop have a banner year 2022. And just as he predicted, that momentum has carried through to this year. “In the last three years we’ve seen record pro shop sales,” O’Leary says. “And for the 2023 year, which started November 1 last year, we’re already ahead of budget. Hard goods sales are through the roof.”
Leading the way are Callaway’s new Paradym woods and hybrids, and TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 woods and rescues. O’Leary attributes some of the sales success to weekly fittings with various manufacturers, and to having three TrackMan simulators onsite, which are available year-round. Eight fittings since January have been a huge springboard for sales this spring.
Not even nagging inflation or recession fears have deterred sales. High-end Vokey wedges and even higher-end Scotty Cameron putters continue to be big sellers. The new lines of Stealth and Srixon irons have been popular, and O’Leary says they sell a huge amount of Srixon balls, particularly the Soft Feel model.
Apparel remains a sales staple, buoyed by Cedar Brae’s 100th anniversary last year. Adidas, Johhny O and Travis Matthew are the most popular brands, and with the addition of ladies Lululemon, Cedar Brae will be one of the first clubs to carry the brand. O’Leary is also excited about adding Michael Kors to the shop.
“We try to create a pro shop atmosphere that has a boutique feel,” O’Leary says. “We want to make it one-stop shopping for everything from golf apparel to blazers and dress shoes.”
Perhaps the best example of how good Cedar Brae’s sales are the leather Dormie driver covers that featured various Toronto themes. Even at $120 a pop, they sold out by the end of February.
