Grand Opening For PGA Tour Superstore Saturday In Fairfax

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — PGA Tour Superstore is set to open its first location in Virginia on Saturday in the Kamp Washington Shopping Mall in the City of Fairfax.

The national golf supplies and accessories retailer is privately owned by Arthur Blank, one the founders of Home Depot. He also owns the Atlanta Falcons and Mercedes Benz Stadium. The Fairfax store will be the company's 48th location, and it expects to add two more this year, according to general manager Jessica Conlan.

While the COVID-19 pandemic hit many retailers hard in 2020, PGA Tour has been able to open new stores, primarily because golf is something that can be played alone or socially distanced.

"People went back to golf," Conlan said. "The biggest issue is almost supply and demand. The suppliers had to shut down during the pandemic and reevaluate how they would have their employees in the store. The product slowed down a little bit and the sales increased greatly."

One of the most popular services the PGA Tour Superstore provides is its repair station, according to Conlan.

"Our biggest thing we do is regripping," she said. "We do thousands of regrips a year. People bring in their clubs. If you have three or less grips, we'll do it on the spot while you wait. If you're doing a set, it's a 24-hour turnaround. If you bring back something that's broken and it's under warranty, we'll ship it out to them."

The store offers a variety of services and features, including golf lessons and custom-fitting for golf clubs. There are also six interactive simulators and two practice bays, where customers can work on their swing or get advice from a professional.

"You can buy a membership for $150, and that means that you can come in as often as you want for an entire year or two-year membership," Conlan said. "You can come seven days a week for a half hour at a time and use the practice space and just practice."

PGA Tour Superstore specializes in selling everything a golfer at any level of experience would need, including clothing, shoes, hats, bags, balls and, of course, clubs.

"Young women is the fastest growing part of the golf industry right now," Conlan said. "We're very excited about that."

Half of the Fairfax store's main floor is dedicated to women's clothing and golfing accessories.

"We have something for everybody, whether you're looking to put together a high-end outfit, or if you're trying to be a little more budget friendly, that's something that we can offer," Conlan said.

One of the things PGA Tour tries to do when it opens a new store is to make connections in the community. The second floor features a clubhouse, which local businesses or community groups, like high school golf teams, can reserve for meetings.

One of there personalized services provided at the store is professional club fitting. Customers can sign up for one of the four interactive simulators, where an expert will work with them to find the best fitting club with the help of the simulator.

"If you're coming in for a fit, it's usually 20 to 30 minutes," Conlan said.

Customers looking for a more personal experience can pay to reserve one of the two simulators, which are dedicated to private fittings. These sessions typically take an hour to an hour and a half, according to Conlan.

"You have one-on-one, undivided attention and a little more privacy," she said. "Sometimes that's what they're looking for."

To celebrate the Fairfax location's grand opening on Saturday, the store will be offering $30,000 in giveaways.

"We'll have a DJ on the putting green doing announcements and throughout the day telling people what we're about and what we do," Conlan said. "There's a lot of specials for the grand opening, special buys and values throughout the store."