STERLING and FAIRFAX, Va., May 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The nation's largest specialty golf retailer is opening two new DC area locations in Sterling and Fairfax. Golfsmith's experiential stores will provide DC area golfers with an unrivaled golf retail experience with interactive, high tech features not found in most golf stores. The 27,400 square foot Sterling facility and the 20,400 square foot Fairfax store mark Golfsmith's second and third DC area stores and are among the largest specialty golf stores in the state, offering golfers the ability to try out equipment right inside one of its indoor, high-tech hitting simulators or on an indoor putting green.
Last year Golfsmith opened its first DC area store in Tysons Corner in Vienna and this April opened its first store in Maryland, located in the town of Timonium in Baltimore.
Golfsmith's store in Sterling, located at 46301 Potomac Run Plaza #100 near Target, is the company's 87th store and will include four hitting bays and three simulators and feature in-store GolfTEC lessons. The Fairfax location, at Lee Highway and Hwy. 50, marks the 88th location and has four simulators. The grand openings are the seventh and eighth stores to open this year as part of Golfsmith's aggressive expansion announcement of 10 new store openings and four relocations. More than 20 associates will be hired at each location.
Golfsmith's expansion is bucking a major retail trend in the golf industry. In the last decade, almost half of all golf retail stores in America closed, according to the National Golf Foundation. By the end of 2012, Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:GOLF), will serve customers in 89 locations from coast to coast.
$20,000 in prizes and golf gear will be given out to celebrate the arrival of the two new DC area locations. On Friday, May 25 and Saturday, May 26, the first 500 customers who are in line at either new location before the doors open at 8 AM will receive one of the following absolutely free - a $20 Golfsmith card, or a free two-pack of golf balls. Customers can also register all weekend long for a chance to win incredible prizes totaling more than $10,000 at each store including drivers, iron sets, bags, balls, apparel and much more. Winners will be selected by random drawing at close of business on May 27.
Both stores feature the latest custom-fitting technology so Golfsmith certified fitting specialists can identify the right clubs for a golfer's individual abilities. A recently released study of several thousand golfers found a majority of golfers in America play with clubs that do not fit them properly (www.customfityourgame.com). Golfsmith traces its roots to making custom-fit clubs beginning in 1967 and offers free custom fitting services at all stores. In fact, they have fit more than one million golfers over the last 45 years. Every custom fit club is backed by the Golfsmith Custom-fit Play Better Guarantee. If customers do not see improvement in their game after getting custom fit they can bring back their clubs within 30 days for an in-store credit.
"We are very excited to be opening two new stores in the DC area, with more on the horizon. These new locations raise the standard for golf retail in the DC area and will make most customers' jaws drop when they walk in the first time," said Golfsmith CEO Marty Hanaka. "We are a golfer's paradise offering a huge product selection with the best equipment from brands like Titleist, PING, Callaway, TaylorMade, Mizuno and MacGregor. We encourage customers to 'try before they buy,' right in the store. And we offer a 115% Low Price Guarantee on everything we sell with a commitment to exceptional customer service by the best retail professionals in the industry."
DC Area New Golfsmith Store Openings
Golfsmith offers a comprehensive online store at www.golfsmith.com where DC area residents can register for special offers and updates on grand opening details by signing up for "E-mail Offers" on the company's web site. To read the NGF report 'The State of the Industry', please click here: https://www.box.com/s/yc495selsybg0hbvlmq4https://www.box.com/s/yc495selsybg0hbvlmq4">https://www.box.com/s/yc495selsybg0hbvlmq4
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About Golfsmith - Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:GOLF), is a 45-year-old specialty retailer of golf and tennis equipment, apparel and accessories. The company operates as an integrated multi-channel retailer, offering its customers the convenience of shopping in its 85 stores across the United States, through its web site at golfsmith.com and from its assortment of catalogs. Golfsmith offers an extensive product selection that features premier branded merchandise, as well as its proprietary products, clubmaking components and pre-owned clubs. Visit www.Golfsmith.com.
The Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=9492
Cautionary Language - Certain statements made in this news release are forward-looking in nature and, accordingly, are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. Important factors could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Golfsmith ® is a registered trademark of Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc.