An interactive golf retailer – Golf Galaxy – gets into the swing of things with its grand opening Nov. 14 at The Landing.
The store is the first Golf Galaxy in Washington state.
Golf Galaxy, a golf superstore, is known for its wide selection of apparel and golf equipment for golfers of all experience levels and ages, plus it offers specialized expert services for avid golfers.
“We don’t just cater to the avid or male golfer,” said Ron Hornbaker, senior vice president of sales and operations. It’s a store, he said, for the “whole family.”
Golf Galaxy has wanted to enter the Seattle market for several years, according to Hornbaker. He said Golf Galaxy committed to leasing at The Landing about two years ago.
The Landing location, he said, “hit our sweet spot.” The store has “great visibility” and is right off Interstate 405, he said.
The Seattle area has a higher percentage of golfers, about 15 percent, than the rest of the nation, about 12 percent, he said.
The Golf Galaxy at The Landing is about 16,000 square feet and all that space is used for sales – and to help golfers improve their game.
That interactivity includes:
• The store’s in-house PGA pro, Steve Creekmore, and others will use two cameras to video a golfer in action to analyze and improve his or her golf swing. It’s similar to the type of analysis, with its stop action and slow motion, that TV viewers will see on the Golf Channel, Hornbaker said.
The setup also allows local golfers to be put side-by-side with golfing great Tiger Woods, Hornbaker said.
• Launch monitors will custom-fit a golfer to a driver, the same way that’s done for the pros. This gives the golfer the ability to compare one driver to the next, he said.
• FlightScope allows the staff at Golf Galaxy to compare one club to the next in terms of how far a golfer hits a ball, accuracy and launch angle, among others, Hornbaker said.
“By knowing all that data, we can know that any golf club you pick is the one that will maximize your swing,” Hornbaker said.
The store also will custom-build a set of clubs for a golfer, he said. And, of course, there are repair services.
Employees who fit and repair equipment are certified, he said.
For those avid golfers who don’t
belong to a private golf club, which is a vast majority of golfers, Golf Galaxy can help maintain a handicap, Hornbaker. In essence, Golf Galaxy becomes their golf club.
Steve Creekmore, the store’s PGA pro and head teacher, played professionally for 14 years. He has had extensive experience teaching golf and was the teaching professional at The Plateau Club in Sammamish.
Golf Galaxy Inc. is based in Eden Prairie, Minn. and currently operates 89 stores in 31 states and an e-commerce Web site.
Golf Galaxy
The Seattle Golf Galaxy store is located at 721 N. Landing Way in Renton. Store hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The grand opening is Nov. 14, with special events planned for the first three days. The store will employ about 25 people, depending on the season.
