Merchandisers of the Year
Established 1988
The Merchandiser of the Year Awards recognize those PGA professionals who have demonstrated superior skills as merchandisers in the promotion of golf. The award is given for excellence in golf shop operations in three categories: Private, Resort and Public/Municipal/Military/Semi-Private. The following criteria are applied to all awards: PGA Member in good standing, credit rating with the industry, overall credit rating and community involvement. The candidates are judged in the following areas: merchandising ability and techniques, inventory levels and turn rate, shop display and attention to detail.
2010 Winners
Public - Mark Nance - Coffin Golf Course
The merchandising and sales success of Mark Nance is due to his philosophy to match his clients’
apparel and equipment desires with their budgets. Working with reps from top
companies to carry merchandise from lines that are being discontinued allows
him to still earn a significant profit while providing affordable prices to his
customers.
Private - Nick Marucci - Tippecanoe Lake Country Club
A sharp focus on the needs, preferences and
buying habits of his membership has led to the success of Nick Marucci's golf shop. He and his staff monitor and record each purchase made,
to be sure to carry the appropriate products and sizes for his members the
following season. Additionally, he follows up with thank you notes and
one-on-one interaction to assure the members’ satisfaction. Creative displays with
a lake or beach theme take advantage of the course’s location on a popular lake
in Northern Indiana, and unique holiday displays rotated into the mix keep the
golf shop fresh and inviting. Despite losing members due to the economic
situation, Marucci was successful in increasing his profit margin in the golf shop
by reducing his cost of goods sold. Resort - Pat Bayley - Swan Lake Golf Resort
Quality and value define the philosophy of Pat Bayley towards selling clothing and apparel. Special
attention and effort is given towards selling to women, who account for over
40% of sales in his shop. To succeed at selling clubs and equipment, he focuses
on educating his staff to provide the customer with a proper fitting using the
newest technology available.
Past Winners
| Year | Private | Public | Resort |
| 1988 | Jack Barber | Don Essig III | None |
| 1989 | Larry Bianco | Paul Kemps | None |
| 1990 | Jack Barber | Jack Sudac | None |
| 1991 | Ed Knych | Paul Kemps | Mike Griggs |
| 1992 | Eric Scheider | Paul Kemps | Mike Griggs |
| 1993 | Jim Ferriell, Jr. | Greg Bishop | Mike Griggs |
| 1994 | Jack Barber | Greg Bishop | Dave Harner |
| 1995 | Eric Schneider | Don Dicken | Mike Griggs |
| 1996 | Eric Schneider | Greg Bishop | Mike Griggs |
| 1997 | Bob Kruse | Lenny Hartlage | Rollie Schroeder |
| 1998 | Tom Thome | Dave Huffman | Rollie Schroeder |
| 1999 | Tom Harris | Dean Prange / Brian Nicholoff | Rollie Schroeder |
| 2000 | Jon Hoover | Paul Kemps | Rollie Schroeder |
| 2001 | Lyle Palmer | Craig Heibert | Scott Larson |
| 2002 | Bob Jacobs / David Hannon | Brian Godfrey | Rollie Schroeder |
| 2003 | Jack Sudac | Rick Ried | Jim Newton |
| 2004 | Tim Frazier | Brian Nicholoff | Dave Harner |
| 2005 | Jon Hoover | Mike Caskey | Jeff Schroeder |
| 2006 | Mike Reynolds | Bo Wright | Pat Bayley |
| 2007 | Dave Carich | Chad Cockerham | Jon Chapple |
| 2008 2009 | George Arvanitis Kedric Perkins | Bo Wright Jan Tellstrom | Jeff Schroeder Dave Harner |
