2nd Swing Golf Expands Columbia Store By 60%, Adds Jobs

COLUMBIA, MD — 2nd Swing Golf will be expanding its Columbia store by nearly 9,000 square feet, increasing the location’s footprint by about 60% and paving the way for more club-fitting space and additional employees.

The golf retailer has leased an additional 8,802 square feet at its 8909 McGaw Court location, bringing the store's size up to 23,351 square feet.

The expanded area is expected to be operational by the end of October. The company plans to add 10 employees, bringing the Columbia staff total to about 55 people.

The additional space at the Columbia store will be used to add six Tour Van Fitting Bays. The fitting system uses TrackMan technology to evaluate a golfer’s current equipment and provide recommendations for driver heads, shafts, irons and grips.

“Our main goal was to improve the customer experience and, with these additional fitting and club demo bays, we can accommodate additional people and enable them to access the latest club fitting technology,” Dan Marshall, general manager of the Columbia store, said. “The building layout works perfectly for us, the adjacent expansion space was immediate available and Howard County is home to an extremely passionate golfing audience. Our loyal customers know where to find us after seven years in that location, so remaining there was an easy decision.”

The expansion comes as participation in golf continues to grow nationally. Growth in indoor golf simulators also has helped expand people's access to the sport.

“The game of golf is experiencing a surge in popularity, with young people and women accounting for a significant part of the growth,” Marshall said. “Our retail model, which offers preowned golf clubs and accessories at reduced prices, resonates with consumers and is fueling our national growth and expansion of certain locations.”

2nd Swing Golf opened its Columbia location seven years ago and remains the company’s only Maryland store. The retailer operates seven stores in five states and sells new and used golf clubs from major manufacturers including PING, Titleist, TaylorMade and Callaway. The company maintains an inventory of more than 100,000 items and offers trade-ins, club fittings and a 30-day return policy.

“2nd Swing Golf is performing exceptionally well in this strategically-located space and the high demand for gently-used golf equipment and golf instruction necessitated the owners’ decision to expand its footprint,” said Kate Jordan of Lee & Associates, a commercial real estate brokerage, management and appraisal services firm that handled the deal.

Jordan represented the landlord in the business arrangement.

“As the concept’s sole Maryland location and only the second facility in the Mid-Atlantic area, this location draws customers from an extremely wide radius and serves an active golf community in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. corridor. The open building’s open space layout and high ceiling perfectly address their real estate needs," Jordan said.

2nd Swing Golf also operates stores in the Minneapolis, Dallas, Scottsdale, Philadelphia and Baltimore-Washington markets. A West Palm Beach, Florida, location is expected to open by the end of the year.