
New CPD for Retail Skills
This December, you’re invited to a first-of-its-kind workshop that will vastly improve your retail skills and take you on the road to a more profitable business. Big promises? Here, we catch up with one half of the delivery team to find out more.
The CPD will be hosted by Advanced PGA Pro, David Fulcher, from Edgbaston Golf Club, along with Mark Hopkins, who has helped hundreds of golf professionals over the last 15 years. Here, David Fulcher talks to Crossover’s Jules Appleby about the workshop that, we hope, will be the first of many.
What was it like, coming into retail as a golf pro?
When I first took over the shop, I had little retail skills or experience. Like most golf pro’s, I'd gone into the business for my love of the sport, and hadn’t thought about the retail side of things. Taking over a shop was a pretty daunting task, and that’s the experience that most of us have.
Like most golf pro’s I have responsibilities everywhere: with the club, coaching and the shop. It's very hard to get the balance right. The shop has the most financial commitment, but it’s also where you can make the most money.
What’s the thinking behind the December retail workshop?
Good retail skills and practice aren't just about buying the right stock at the right price. They're about stock holding and stock turn. At Edgbaston, we’ve learnt not to hold much stock, so our risk is less. For me, focusing on getting that right has meant the pro shop has doubled its profits every year since I’ve been there.

David Fulcher and Retail Manager Joshua Harvey, in the pro shop
After just 3 years, I’m now able to take a step back from the shop. My Assistant, Josh, runs everything, which has freed me up to concentrate on other parts of the business.
There still isn’t enough guidance out there for golf pro’s who might have limited retail skills and we want to help others get it right.
Why is this CPD different to others?
Mark Hopkins from Crossover Technologies has worked with hundreds of golf pro’s running retail businesses. There’s no one who knows more than him about the business. We’ve put the combination of Mark’s experience, and my own, into the content of the course, to ensure it’s full of the best advice for attendees.
We’ll be looking at the business of golf retail in terms of turnover, profit and stock holding. We’ll be digging into just how much our golf pro’s really know about their businesses, and asking them to think about their own numbers.
It’s an interactive 1 day CPD workshop, and the aim is that attendees will come away with vastly improved retail skills and a clear plan of action to improve their shops. So, yes, I’m confident it will help their business become more profitable.
Course Information
Date: 11 December 2018
Venue: PGA National Training Academy, Ping House
Cost: £42
PGA Professionals will be credited with 25 CPD points by The PGA for successful completion of this course. To attend, please contact the Member Education Dept on 01675 407333 or email cpd@pga.org.uk