PINEHURST, NORTH CAROLINA | If you have ever walked into an Apple Store, you understand the feeling. Cutting edge. Modern. Cool.
Now, step inside the new Titleist Shop at Padgett Center at Pinehurst Resort.
Substitute Scottie Cameron putters and T-Series irons for iPhones and MacBook computers and you have landed at the intersection of two of the game’s most admired brands, situated at the heart of one of the USGA’s anchor sites.
“This is the Times Square for golfers. We’re steps from the 18th green at No. 2. We’re facing Thistle Dhu and The Cradle. You have this activation zone where golfers are buzzing around this hub and there is this ability to connect with the golfer on their journey,” said Eric Kuester, executive vice president of sales and marketing at the resort.
The one-of-a-kind collaboration is situated in a building adjoining the Pinehurst practice tee, one of the longest-operating ranges in the country, known to many as Maniac Hill. The building, named for Don Padgett Sr., who was instrumental in bringing professional golf back to Pinehurst, was functional but lacked a real purpose.
Now, it’s like nothing else.
“We were able to explore a host of new endeavors and the opportunity to learn with the team at Pinehurst was too good to pass up,” said Jeremy Stone, senior vice president of golf ball marketing and U.S. sales for Titleist.
The Titleist center, with its gray and white design elements, is part showroom, part laboratory and part toy land for golfers.
“This is golf’s national park, on any given day we want golfers to come here and leave having more insights to their game, why they should be playing a [Pro V1x] Left Dash ball or the [Vokey] K Grind wedge. Hopefully, it’s a memorable touch point for the person who comes into the building,” Kuester said.
Interested in a through-the-bag club fitting? It’s available in the new facility and takes a little more than two hours.
Want to know which GT Series driver best fits you? Walk-in appointments are available.
The same goes for Titleist’s new line of T-Series irons. Ditto for Vokey wedges and Cameron putters.
And if you’re looking for something no one else in your regular golf group has, there are limited-edition Cameron putter covers available to anyone who purchases a putter on site.
“It all starts with our ability to improve a golfer’s performance, with a committed professional staff ready to provide detailed custom fitting through the bag and showcase this performance on the practice tee steps from the shop,” Stone said.
“This is complemented with a host of bespoke offerings available only at Pinehurst providing golfers with a true custom experience from the club fitting through to the personalized golf balls designed and printed on site.”
Ryan Shpak, head professional at the Titleist shop, said interest has been high since the facility opened in September.
“The demand has exceeded anything we could have thought of,” Shpak said.
“People come in here and go, ‘Wow. How do I schedule a fitting?’ There are the golf balls and the bags you can get through here. They’re like, ‘What do I do now?’”
Among the most popular features of the new venture is the ability to purchase personalized golf balls on site. Pick your number. Pick your logo. Pick your personalization.
In a matter of minutes, golfers can have a dozen personalized golf balls in their hands, thanks to one of two machines (the other is in Korea) capable of producing the products on site.
The Titleist Shop is the result of a long-standing relationship between the equipment company and the resort stretching over decades. Finding the right spot was critical for both sides.
The building sits beside the new check-in area for golfers at the five courses near the main clubhouse and is convenient for visitors who may be playing The Cradle short course or the Thistle Dhu putting course.
“You can connect with the soul of the game at Pinehurst and now you can connect with the innovation of the game with Titleist at the same location.” — Eric Kuester
“You have this target audience all around you,” Kuester said.
“[Titleist] said if we do retail, if we do bricks and mortar, this is one of one. This is one of a kind.”
Stone called the initial customer response “extraordinarily positive” and did not rule out the possibility of similar ventures elsewhere.
“This is a one-of-one learning opportunity. We will use this experience to better understand what golfers are looking for at a property like Pinehurst,” Stone said.
At a place that honors the past, present and future of the game, the Titleist Shop at Padgett Center feels like a natural collaboration.
“You can connect with the soul of the game at Pinehurst and now you can connect with the innovation of the game with Titleist at the same location,” Kuester said.
“What better way to do that than here?”