Is there a need for more disc golf stores? What would be an ideal store?

[Mike@garciatree]

I'm looking into buying 5 acres of property with the thought of opening a disc golf center. I'm curious what would make one visit a store vs. buying online.

Driving ranges to test discs? Putting practice area? 9 hole course on site? Lessons from local pro? Buy/sell used discs? Kids area? Lights for night golfing? Large selection of discs from manufacturers in addition to Innova? General areas for local disc golfer's to get together.

Are DG stores even profitable enough to invest in some of these things? I would need a second product for winter time unless heated driving ranges would generate enough interest to stay open.

 

[scarpfish]

My short answer would be to tell you to save your money. There are very few stand alone brick and mortar DG stores out there.

 

[Jay Dub]

I'm looking into buying 5 acres of property with the thought of opening a disc golf center. I'm curious what would make one visit a store vs. buying online.

Driving ranges to test discs? Putting practice area? 9 hole course on site? Lessons from local pro? Buy/sell used discs? Kids area? Lights for night golfing? Large selection of discs from manufacturers in addition to Innova? General areas for local disc golfer's to get together.

Are DG stores even profitable enough to invest in some of these things? I would need a second product for winter time unless heated driving ranges would generate enough interest to stay open.

The fact I can see and hold the disc is worth buying in a store vs online. I've never bought a disc online but I'm lucky and live in the Cincinnati area. I have a disc store 300 ft from my front door.

 

[SAxDrc]

Driving ranges to test discs? Putting practice area? 9 hole course on site? Lessons from local pro? Buy/sell used discs? Kids area? Lights for night golfing? Large selection of discs from manufacturers in addition to Innova? General areas for local disc golfer's to get together.

I like all of those ideas, especially the used discs and selection other than Innova.

I would say a very important thing would be to have people work there that actually know something about disc golf. I've tried to buy discs at big sports stores (DDicks, MCs, Dunhams etc) and I'm lucky if the employees even know where the disc section is. It would be great to buy discs from a store with knowledgeable employees, and that would convince me to buy from a store rather than online.

another thing would be location. You probably have already thought this out, but putting a store in an area where there are quite a few courses would be better obviously. Where are you planning? ...I would recommend western MI...

also a large selection of micro-brews would help.

 

[Jay Dub]

Fred Salaz has a set up at Mt Airy that sounds a lot like what you described. Maybe you can contact him for his feed back and advice. Since you're not in this area he won't see you as competition and should be helpful.

http://www.thenatidiscgolf.com/

 

[tstack10]

I would try to incorporate everything related to disc from brews to music. Driving range and practice basket are solid ideas. Maybe a mini course if you have enough rooms.
I would say you probably have to provide diatribution online as well as brick and motor store. Logistics may be more difficult but I think there should always be more options when buying discs.
Here only piranhas any selection and they aren't the best. I'd advertise on the site I hear of called dgcr too. It is alrght but I think people who play disc golf may go to the site

 

[ejsandstrom]

There is a store here that seems to do very well. Its nice to be able to look at the bags and actually see how big they are or touch the disc you want. The guys that work there are VERY knowledgeable. I think that would be key to success. If I walk into a store and they have a HS kid that barely can work the register, Im not going to ask what he thinks about this or that disc. A driving range would be nice, and used disc would be huge (at least for me). They offer private lessons (a plus for me) and seem to sponsor a lot of tournys. As far as price, it seems that the MFGs have price controls. Every where I look (on line, big box sports, small shops) discs are almost the exact same price.

 

[deBebbler]

No offense, but even if you put a 9 holer on the property, there is no way I'm going to New Jersey.

 

[solomon.trenton]

a driving range would be cool (discnation)
putting green (marshall street)
fenced in playground for kids ( ? )
course onsite would be optimal. pay to play adds extra revenue (MS)
many different disc companies would be a must

 

[jrawk]

Even with a brick and mortar shop, it would be wise to have a website as well.

I'd rather buy a brand new i mold i haven't yet thrown from a store, even better if I can test it before purchase. However for molds I already own, i'd rather purchase online. It's easier.

 

[jdggna]

Driving ranges to test discs? I wouldn't think this is necessary...Nice, but not necessary.
Putting practice area? Same as above.
9 hole course on site? It could help bring people in (not as much as a well manicured 18 hole of course) but it is an expensive investment that will only pay off over a long time period.
Lessons from local pro? This would probably help. Just make sure you pick the right person. They don't have to always be on staff, but pay them to do private lessons by the hour or something.
Buy/sell used discs? Of course. Finders fee type of thing for discs with names/numbers (buy for 3, sell back for 4).
Lights for night golfing? Not a bad idea to have if people in your area are interested in that sort of thing.
Large selection of discs from manufacturers in addition to Innova? This is the single best thing to do in my opinion. Carry a large selection and keep it ORGANIZED so that people don't have to dig to find what they want. If there was a store around here with a large selection that was easy to look through they would have all of my business.

See above.

 

[NothinButChing]

a nice little disc display in the back of a bar or wing coop would be great people would always be checking them out n some none players may get interested while intoxicated

 

[NothinButChing]

I would try to incorporate everything related to disc from brews to music.

:hfive:

 

[bcr123psu]

Where in NJ (I'm making an assumption here) would you be opening?

 

[JTacoma03]

1. Location, location, location. You've got to have a place near the courses. If you have knowledgeable staff, it would help to have a pro, and a good selection you'll have the best chance IMO. A basket for putting w/some demo putters wouldn't be a bad idea either.

2. You need to know people. Does the PDGA tour come nearby? Can you get the pros to come by for autograph sessions/meet and greets? Can your shop negotiate with pros to have clinics? etc.

If you have courses and pros linked to your shop people will come, otherwise the internet steals all your business...

 

[hyzerburn]

I'm sure everything I'm going to say has been covered but just in case it hasn't here we go.

I think the key any disc golf store idea is having a store and having an online store. Also dabbling in other sports like Ultimate, Dog, Freestyle or anything else. Kinda like The Wright Life. I think those guys have a good mix of everything and that's why they're successful. The buying and selling used disc is a great idea. This guy here does that in his store which is mainly a bike shop. But he sells all his new discs for the suggested price of the company then buys used discs for $2.50 each and sells them for $5 so both of you make a 2.50 profit. Only problem I have with that is if you go in with a Star, Champion, ESP or Z he will still only give you 2.50. So he only ends up with DX, Pro D, Elite X and Pro plastics which end up not selling all too well.

I also think instead of going all out and having this driving range and 9 hole course you would be better off just starting with a puting area. It would be devastating to have all this stuff that you spent so much money and time on just for it to be a bust. I think if you are successful and you add these things over time you'll get the "I heard (insert store name) just put in a driving a range, we should go check it out." business.

I also think something that most store lack is clothing and random disc golf things. Like bag tags, stools, umbrellas, birdie bags, etc. Just the little stuff that kinda ends up being a drag when you have to order it online.

I've been thinking about doing this for awhile but living in South Dakota and being in the town I'm in I know it wouldn't be worth my time. But within the next year we will be moving to Sioux Falls, the biggest city in the State and in a pretty good location for people passing through and a lot more disc golfers to help the in-store aspect thrive. My friend also builds websites for a job so I have that in my corner.

 

[scarpfish]

Personally, if I wanted to get into the disc selling business, I would forgo the entire concept of a brick and mortar shop unless I could find a spot with cheap rent. What I would do instead is do something akin to opening a portable stand that you can fit the entirety of in a van, then try one of the following.

- See if you could get a permit to sell discs at an existing course.
- If they won't allow that (or its otherwise cost prohibitive), see if you can rent some outdoor space from an existing business (like some parking spaces that they don't often fill, near the course and set up a stand there. A convenience store would work well, as would a business that is closed on weekends.
- Ask at an area tournament if in exchange for sponsorship, you could vend discs at the tournament.

Get some business cards made up, get to know some of the local players, and start handing them out. Start small and build up your inventory as you make sales.

This way you can minimize your overhead, and you can open up the stand at your convenience. If for whatever reason your business tanks, you're not out thousands of dollars in expenses, utilities, or stuck in a long term lease.

 

[SmoothSailor]

If I were you, I would build a convenience store with an entire section for disc golf, right on an 18 hole course. Not only would you get golfers, but you would get people driving by buying from your convenience store and maybe get some new players. Have a used disc section, (if you have a course) have a loaner system - with a deposit of course, have a t-shirt section, hats, bags, water bottles, bag tags, stickers, patches, dvds. Everyone else already said knowledgeable staff and pro lessons, maybe you could have a weekly scheduled clinic with an area pro (there would be a fee, half to you, half to the pro) and if someone wants to play a round with the pro when he's at the course they can work that out.

If there isn't a course near the 5 acres you're looking into, or there isn't the available property near a course, put in the putting green with at least 2 baskets and 40ft of space in a 360 of each one (50ft between baskets). Have a gravel circle from 10' all the way to 30' maybe 35' counting off in 5' intervals.

Also, a driving range would be great. If you did that, you should just lay a long tee pad like 12'x100' or something like that, or get a bunch of the rubber pads. I would do just like a ball golf driving range has, have telephone polls with the mesh screen going up at least 30'. The distance on the driving range is really up to how much room you have and want to maintain. You may also want to assign someone to watch the range to allow players time to retrieve their discs before allowing more discs to be driven. Possibly even a booth with 2-5 discs from different molds and companies so you can find the disc you want to try out and grab a couple of them. Or bring your own discs and work on some distance.

And just like everyone else is saying, have a website. You can get a lot more attention that way than anything else.

I hope this works out for you. Maybe build an apartment in the back of the shop so you aren't paying two different leases.

 

[wolito]

I think that it is difficult to compete with the online stores that really have any disc and weight you can imagine. When I go to a disc store, I might not find the exact disc I am looking for.

 

[tstack10]

I think that it is difficult to compete with the online stores that really have any disc and weight you can imagine. When I go to a disc store, I might not find the exact disc I am looking for.

That's why you combine the two to allow for inventory and turnover