Golf Town Takes Aim at the Watertown Market

Prominent town business leaders and officials mingled alongside local Boston sports broadcasters and golf pros at the Arsenal Mall on Wednesday night, as the Canadian-based golfing equipment chain Golf Town celebrated its move into the American market this week with a VIP event at its new Watertown megastore.

One hundred and twenty five attended the preview of the new 31,000 square foot store before it opened to the public on Thursday morning. The crowd sampled hors d’oeuvres and beverages, shopping from full shelves and seeking golfing advice from Golf Town staff, some of who had come in from stores in Montreal and Toronto to oversee the company’s first entry into the American market. Guests included Ch. 5 sports anchor Mike Lynch, and WEEI morning host John Dennis.

Stephen Bebis, President and CEO of Golf Town, emphasized his enthusiasm about the new Watertown location. He said that the company examined demographics, income, golf courses per capita and the convenience of the location to customers before deciding to open at the Arsenal Mall.

“Everybody knows the Arsenal. If you’re working at the Prudential Center, you can get here in eight minutes. I’ve timed it,” Bebis said.

Golf Town was founded in Toronto in 1998 by Bebis, a golfing enthusiast who said he plays off a 16 handicap. Today the company operates 52 stores across Canada.

The new Watertown store, now the largest golfing equipment store in Massachusetts, has employed more than 30 new workers, said Victoria Ross of Schneider Associates, public relations representatives for Golf Town. It is one of five new Golf Town stores that opened simultaneously across the Bay State on Thursday morning.

Steve Magoon, Watertown’s Community Development and Planning Director, said that Golf Town represents a great economic opportunity for the area.

“It is a facility that will bring people in from the wider region, enticing golfers from a ways away to come and take advantage of a specialty store and make use of surrounding stores and restaurants,” Magoon said.

The Watertown Golf Town store stocks everything from drivers, and golf shoes, through to golfing apparel, club covers adorned with fluffy animals, and golfing instruction books.

“It is a win, win. I think it has everything I’m looking for in a golf shop,” said Bill Hurley, 48, a contractor from Bellingham and avid golfer, who was an invited guest.

As he walked the aisles of the store and took in the festivities at the event, Montreal-based Golf Town manager John Simons, a temporary visitor to Boston to help with the expansion, was confident of a successful launch in Watertown.

“When people walk in that front door and see that mound of clubs, they’ll love it,” Simons said.