Landmark Opening For Golf Town

Golf Town is opening its 50^th store on Thursday in Toronto with a Leaside location at 147 Laird Drive.

“The new Laird store in Leaside is a landmark opening, not just because it is our 50th location, but because it is a neighbourhood store that is within walking distance for many of our customers,” said Golf Town president and chief executive officer Stephen Bebis.

To help open the 17,000-square-foot store, former NHL goalie Curtis Joseph, will make an appearance on Saturday from 3-5 p.m.

Golf Town Launches National Series

The Golf Town National Amateur Series has been officially launched in conjunction with the Great Lakes Tour.

The new tour will include 18 events that will be held at public and private courses across Canada this summer.

“The new national amateur Series will help drive golfers to courses nationwide and allows us to offer our customers the opportunity to experience the excitement, camaraderie and friendly competition of tournament golf throughout Canada,”  said Stephen Bebis, president and chief executive officer for Golf Town.

The series will also be presented by WestJet RBC MasterCard in conjunction with Callaway Golf.

For $150, Canadian golfers of all skill levels and ages who hole an official Royal Canadian Golf Association will be eligible to participate in the one-day tournaments that include prizing such as golf equipment and travel vouchers.

The new series offers various competitive flights with national winners from the Weir and Kane flights (men’s and women’s open) gaining exemption into the 2011 Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships.

Regional winners will earn a round-trip flight to Toronto to compete for the Golf Town National Amateur Series championship, a 36-hole event being held Sept. 18-19 at Angus Glen in Markham, Ont.

The following is the list of 2010 events:

• June 1     Fire Rock Golf Club, London, Ont.
• June 5     Le Royal Bromont Golf Club, Montreal,
• June 12   Cataraqui Golf & Country Club, Kingston, Ont.
• June 14   The Marshes Golf Club, Ottawa
• June 21   Club de Golf Royal Charbourg, Quebec City
• July 3      Glen Arbour Golf Course, Dartmouth, N.S.
• July 6      Brantford Golf & Country Club, Brantford, Ont.
• July 10    Bear Mountain Resort, Victoria
• July 12    University Golf Club, Vancouver
• July 14    Tower Ranch Golf Club, Kelowna, B.C.
• July 21    Rattlesnake Point Golf Club, Milton, Ont.
• July 29    Valley Ridge Golf Club, Calgary
• Aug. 1    RedTail Landing Golf Course, Edmonton
• Aug. 7    Ambassador Golf Club, Windsor, Ont.
• Aug. 14  Moonlake Golf & Country Club, Saskatoon
• Aug.16   Eagle’s Nest Golf Course, Toronto
• Aug. 21  The Links at Quarry Oaks, Winnipeg
• Aug. 24  Val des Lacs Club de Golf, Montreal
• Sept.18-19   National Amateur Championship,Angus Glen Golf Club, Markham, Ont.

Golf Town To Sponsor National Amateur Series

Golf Town has created a national amateur series and will be a presenting sponsor for the Great Lakes Tour in 2010.

The Golf Town National Amateur Series will be a nationwide tour in which amateurs will compete for a chance to represent their respective regions in the Golf Town National Club Championship.

The Golf Town series will begin in 2010 as an 18-event series with one day tournaments in Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.

Developed in partnership with the Great Lakes Tour, it is open to golfers of all playing levels who maintain an official handicap with the Royal Canadian Golf Association. The series is expected to expand to 50 tour stops by 2012.

Entry fees for each event will range in price from $125 to $150 and tournaments will feature several flights, according to skill levels, as well as seniors, ladies and juniors divisions.

Winners and a percentage of each flight will qualify for the Golf Town National Championship, a two-day, 36-hole competition.

“The new national amateur series will help drive golfers to courses nationwide and allows us to offer our customers the opportunity to experience the excitement, camaraderie and friendly competition of tournament golf,” said Stephen Bebis, president and chief executive officer for Golf Town.

The Great Lakes Tour will organize all on-site facets of the events.

“For several years, we’ve offered professionals a premier playing experience, and we’re proud to introduce the excitement and competition of a national tour to amateurs,” said Dennis Hendershot, co-founder and co-operator of the Great Lakes Tour.

“As part of our partnership, Golf Town has also agreed to become the presenting sponsor of the Great Lakes Professional Tour next season, lending further equity and credibility to what is already the pre-eminent circuit in Canada,” he added.

Marketing: There’s Method To This Madness

Nike Golf says it is responding to curiosity about a putter used to win two major championships this year by offering the Method putter to consumers in limited quantities through Golf Town, beginning at 12:01 EST on Monday.

With the official launch of the Method not taking place until Feb. 1, consumers can register on www.golftown.com to receive a customized and personalized version early.

Consumers are also being offered the opportunity to win one Method putter in a contest being offered on www.nikegolf.ca. The contest runs from Nov. 2-16.

Meanwhile, the opportunity to order early through Golf Town continues from Nov. 2-30, or while limited quantities are in stock.

The contest winner and consumers whose orders qualify will receive a Method putter – used by Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink to win the U.S. Open and British Open, respectively – made according to their individual specifications, including lie angle and putter length.

The putters will be built at The Oven, Nike Golf’s research and development facility in Fort Worth, Tx., where clubs are made for all Nike Golf athletes on tour.

Other extras are included as part of the promotion:

• Each putter will be carved with two initials or numerals provided by the consumer.
• Each putter will be made to the desired specifications of the consumer, including
  lie angle and putter length.
• The consumer will get special one-on-one attention from Nike’s concierge, including
  regular communication with a status report on development of their putter.
• The custom-made Method putter will be shipped in a special box within three-weeks.
• The consumer will also receive a certificate signed by Tom Stites, Nike Golf’s
  director of club creation and the actual club builder who build the putter to specifications at the Oven.

Speaking Easy With The Big Easy

Ernie Els was at the Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., on Monday along with fellow Callaway staff player J.J. Henry to take part in the third annual Golf Town Invitational, with all proceeds going to the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine.

Els was fresh off his tie for second at The Barclays, the first tournament in the FedEx Cup playoffs which turned out to be Els’ best finish of the season, although he has had six top-10s so far in 2009.

It put him that much closer to his first win since the Honda Classic last March, a long wait for a guy once ranked No. 1 in the world, so Els was in fine form as talked about his game, the FedEx Cup and the way he deals with his son Ben’s autism.

Here are a few excerpts from his discussion yesterday with the media:

Read more

Els, Henry To Play Golf Town Event

Ernie Els and J.J. Henry will headline the third annual Golf Town Invitational charity tournament at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., on Monday, Aug. 31.

The event will benefit the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine and its research towards the treatment and cure of diabetes.

The event is limited to 20 foursomes. For more information, see the website, www.golftown.com/gti.

“Over the past two years the Golf Town Invitational has become one of the highest profile annual golf events in Canada, and as Golf Town celebrates its 10th anniversary, we’re proud to continue our practice of charitable giving,” said Stephen Bebis, President and chief executive officer of Golf Town.

“This event not only supports tremendously worthy causes like the McEwen Centre, but also brings some of the game’s top players to the country and offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for passionate golfers to share an intimate day with them,” added Bebis.

Sponsored in part by U.S. Gold and Callaway Golf Canada, the event will include photos with the Callaway staff players, a clinic conducted by Els and Henry, a nine-hole exhibition match and an 18-hole tournament in which participants will hit a shot with one of the PGA Tour players.

“We are very excited to help Golf Town continue its tradition of bringing top level tour professionals to Canada for great charitable causes,” commented Callaway Golf Canada Managing Director Scott Reid. “Both Ernie and JJ are not just elite-level golfers, but elite-level people as well,” said Scott Reid, managing director for Callaway Golf Canada.

“Ernie’s work with autistic youth has been well-documented, while JJ’s Henry House Foundation provides healthcare and well-being for families in Texas and southern New England,” added Reid.

Golf Town Associates Pros With Products

Golf Town has added a “Shop by Pro” section to its company website at www.golftown.com.

Through the website’s “What’s Hot” section, the platform showcases driver, woods, irons, putters, golf balls and gloves used by marquee tour players such as Tiger Woods, Camilo Villegas, Anthony Kim, Paula Creamer, Mike Weir, Natalie Gulbis and Gary Player, among others.

“The equipment choices of top players have a huge influence on purchasing decisions throughout the golf industry,” said Stephen Bebis, president and chief executive officer for Golf Town.

“Making this information so easy for people to find highlights our commitment to providing customers with the very best in service. Combining that with out vast selection from all the top manufacturers ensures a wide range of options to suit everyone’s needs,” he added.

Golf Town has also announced that Villegas will appear at its Mississauga location on Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Villegas is in town for next week’s RBC Canadian Open.

Golf Town Names New VP

Ryan Brown, 33, has been named vice president of marketing for Golf Town.

The native of Mississauga, Ont., will develop and implement programs that are designed to grow market share. He will partner with key company stakeholders to ensure that new business opportunities and trends are identified and incorporated into the company’s annual objectives.

“Ryan is an expert in driving customers to stores through brand positioning and engaging them at the point of sale,” said Golf Town president and chief executive officer Stephen Bebis.

“He brings tremendous energy and proven, high-level success managing traditional marketing initiatives, as well as leading-edge CRM programs.”

Prior to joining Golf Town, Brown served as vice president of marketing for Second Cup Coffee, with more than 360 outlets in Canada and 55 internationally, where he was responsible for the company’s strategic marketing and communications programs.

Brown holds a Bachelor of Commerce and MBA from the University of Windsor. His professional career has also included several positions with Black’s Photos, Northern Group Retail, The Loyalty Group, Thomson Terminals LTD and Growmark Inc.

“It’s a great time to be joining Golf Town as the company celebrates its 10th anniversary and continues to set industry standards for service, selection and value,” said Brown.

“I’m eager to work with our talented staff and world class vendors to generate excitement among existing customers, while attracting scores of new brand loyalists.”

Golf Town to Sell Open Tickets

Golf Town has partnered with the Royal Canadian Golf Association and will sell tickets to this year’s RBC Canadian Open, which will be played July 23-26 at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont.

Ticket options include weekly badges at $110 or any day passes at $55 and will be available at 12 Golf Town locations in the Toronto area including Aurora, Kitchener, downtown Toronto, Etobicoke, Hamilton, Markham, Markham East, Mississauga, Mississauga Heartland, Scarborough, Whitby and Woodbridge.

Golf Town Opening is Seventh This Year

Golf Town is at it again.

The off-course retail giant is opening another store on Thursday in Markham, Ont.

The new store will be located at 7655 Markham Road in RBC Plaza, next to Home Depot.

The opening of the Markham store is the seventh new location this year for Golf Town, which is currently in its 10th year of operation.

Golf Town Scores Marketing Award

Golf Town has been recognized by the Retail Council of Canada with the Retail Marketing/Advertising Award for a mid-sized chain.

The award was presented at the annual Excellence in Retailing Awards Dinner and recognized Golf Town for an integrated campaign it launched around the Leaderboard Membership Privileges Program.

Utilizing e-newsletters, in-store activities and advertising, Golf Town directly communicated its latest products and promotions to nearly half a million people.

“Throughout its 10-year history, Golf Town has dedicated valuable resources to developing integrated marketing campaigns that successfully reach our core customers,” says Stephen Bebis, Golf Town’s president and chief executive officer.

“The LeaderBoard program both upholds and enhances our brand image as a leading golf retailer and reinforces the superior service, selection and prices we provide.”

Leaderboard membership is free, with registration taking place at Golf Town stores or online at www.golftown.com/LeaderBoard/.

Additional benefits to members include entry into monthly $500 gift card drawings and members-only special offers on equipment, accessories and golf lessons.

Here They Grow Again

Golf Town is opening yet another store, this time an 18,000-square-foot outlet in Laval, Que.

The store, the second in Laval, is located at 920 Boulevard Le Corbusier and will open on Thursday at 8 a.m.

Another Golf Town Opening

Golf Town is opening yet another superstore, this time a 17,000-square-foot outlet in Gatineau, Que., on Thursday.

The store is located at 91 Boulevard de la Gappe, Unit B4. The store opening takes place at 8 a.m.

Golf Town Continues Store Openings

After recent openings in Quebec and Manitoba, Golf Town continues its growth with another store opening on Thursday in Aurora, Ont.

The new 18,500-square-foot store is located at 52 First Commerce Drive at the corner of Hwy. 404 and Wellington Road.

Golf Town To Open Two More

Golf Town continues its growth across Canada with the opening of two stores in Quebec and Manitoba on Thursday.

A 16,000-square-foot stores will open in Candiac, Que., tomorrow at 8 a.m. at 30 Rue Strasbourg in the Power Centre.

A second Golf Town location in Winnipeg will also open with 19,000 square feet tomorrow. The new store is located at 2355 McGillivray Blvd. in Kenaston Common.

Golf Town Continues Growth

Golf Town will open an 18,000-square-foot store in Kelowna on Thursday at 2507 Enterprise Way.

Founded in 1999, Golf Town has grown from one location in Scarborough, Ont., to 41 stores across Canada.

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