Golfsmith
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Fate | Chapter 11 bankruptcy |
| Successor | Dick's Sporting Goods |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Founder | Carl and Barbara Paul |
| Defunct | 2017 |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, USA |
|
Number of locations
|
78 (June 2011) |
| Parent |
Golf Galaxy (2016–present) |
| Website | Archived official website at the Wayback Machine (archive index) |
Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. was an American golf specialty retailer based in Austin, Texas. Each store, along with golfsmith.com, housed a wide selection of golf clubs, shoes, apparel, gadgets and gear from all the major brands as well as proprietary offerings. They also offered custom club fitting, lessons and services for golfers.
Founded by Carl and Barbara Paul in 1967, Golfsmith began as a custom golf club components supplier. As of August 2014, the company had expanded to comprise over 100 retail stores in over 20 states, selling golf clubs, performance apparel, skills improvement products, etc. Golfsmith generated net revenues of over $338 million in fiscal year 2009.
In May 2012, Canadian pension fund OMERS announced plans to take over Golfsmith for $6.10 per share, and the transaction was completed in July 2012. OMERS also owns Golf Town, the largest golf retailer in Canada. The two brands operated as Golfsmith International, the largest golf specialty retailer in the world.
On November 3, 2016, Golfsmith was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy court of Delaware to be acquired by Dick's Sporting Goods after being purchased for 69 million dollars.
In 1967, Carl Paul and his wife Barbara Paul founded Golfsmith in their Edison, N.J. home. Inspired by a custom club maker who had built him a tailor-made set, Carl recognized an unfilled niche in the golf industry: the design and distribution of custom golf clubs and their components, along with instruction about how best to assemble them. Beginning with a typewritten, hand illustrated catalog, Golfsmith first became successful by helping transform club repair shops across the country into custom golf club makers.
In the early 1970s, Carl’s brother Frank joined the family business, and it moved to Austin, Texas. The first Golfsmith storefront was a components showroom housed in 6,000 square feet (560 m2) of unused army barracks. In 1975, the Pauls embarked on their first consumer retail expansion by creating The Golfsmith Store accessory catalog. In 1976, the company first grossed more than $1 million.
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