Buzz Wilson’s golf career began in a Victoria, B.C., pro shop in 1955.

The shop, recalls Wilson, carried perhaps six sets of clubs. A ladies set was almost unheard of. And a left-handed set for women, well. . . .

“They didn’t exist,” says Wilson, the head professional of Golf Town, a new superstore opening its doors Thursday in the Shawnessy Town Centre shopping area.

“Look around in here,” says Wilson. “You walk in and there are 300 sets of clubs to choose from. A significant number are ladies’.”

David Lazarowych, Business Edge
Stephen Bebis has just opened the first of two Golf Town stores here.

Golf Town’s emergence is the second significant golf facility opening here in the last two months — the Players Grand Golf Centre opened downtown in February.

Established in Canada in 1998, Golf Town built its first three stores in the Toronto area. All three have exceeded expectations, says founder and CEO Stephen Bebis.

Calgary and Edmonton, which also has a store opening Thursday, are the next stages in a five-year plan in which Golf Town expects to put stores in Canada’s 10 biggest markets. Calgary, says Bebis, will likely have at least one more store located in the northwest.

Bright and large — the stores occupy 21,000 sq. ft. to 25,000 sq. ft. — Golf Town is filled with a selection of clubs, bags and accessories to sate the most rabid golfer. A teaching academy, club fitting, full-swing simulators and putting greens are intended to add to a one-stop shopping environment.

“I wanted to build a store I would have a lot of fun to go to and shop, and that my friends would have fun to go to and shop,” says Bebis, an 18-handicapper hit by the golf bug in 1993.

Bebis is the former founder and CEO of Aikenhead’s Home Improvement Warehouse, which later became Home Depot Canada, where he also served as CEO.

He admits Golf Town has become a passion. Backed by Manulife Financial which owns half the privately held company, Bebis says his stores have every wedge, putter, shaft, book or shoe a customer could ever want.

“It’s in stock, you can test any club you want on the simulators, and you don’t have to wait two days for us to order it in,” says Bebis.

Lyle Edwards, the franchisee for all five Nevada Bob’s golf stores in Calgary, is literally looking over his shoulder at Golf Town. (The two stores in Shawnessy are a chip shot away from each other.)

“The customer wins,” says Edwards. “We expect to be competitive on the pricing and have all the core stock they offer. I believe we’ll be able to provide better customer service.”

At the same time, he admits Golf Town will have an impact.

“Everybody else, including ourselves, has to wake up and do a better job,” he says.

Meanwhile, Terry Carter has spent nearly $1 million renovating the old Grand Showcase Theatre.

“We’re the buzz right now, I guess, because we’re new,” says Carter, who owns a similar indoor centre at the Riverside Club in Point McKay.

“I wanted to corner the corporate market and it’s a natural extension of Riverside,” says Carter. “It’s the next generation of indoor facilities. People like the simulators, the realistic turf, the murals.”

The centre is drawing a good lunchtime crowd and its sports bar, simulators, practice facility and golf school have been busy on weekends.

“If we had underground parking, we’d be perfect,” says Carter.

Like Golf Town and Nevada Bob’s, Carter realizes that success comes through attention to every detail. He has installed 100 extra-wide storage lockers (18 inches) to accommodate a full golf bag, and provides free use of Titleist and Cobra clubs for empty-handed customers who might want to take a few swings after lunch.

Located at 604 1st St. S.W., parking’s a concern. To that end, he’s considering valet parking for nights and weekends. He’s also looking at new hours. Operating seven days a week, the centre opens at 10 a.m. weekdays.

“We’re looking at a 6 a.m. startup,” says Carter.

“We’ve had lots of inquiries about golf lessons before work.”