Direct Golf drives ahead with Sports Direct tie-up
YORKSHIRE-based Direct Golf UK has announced a new partnership with global sports retailer Sports Direct to help grow and promote the game in the UK and Europe.
The deal sees Sports Direct take an equity stake and provide funding to fulfil Direct Golf’s ambition to become Europe’s number one golf retail specialist with John Andrew, owner and founder, retaining majority ownership and day-to-day control of the business.
Direct Golf was founded by PGA professional Andrew in 1991 and the new collaboration with Europe’s largest and fastest growing general sporting goods retailer will aid the Huddersfield-based company in its quest to become Europe’s number one golf equipment retailer.
Andrew, a Class AA PGA professional, said: “Teaming up with Sports Direct is a fantastic opportunity for us and will give Direct Golf access to many new and attractive market opportunities.
“This deal gives the company the funding to realise our goal of becoming Europe’s leading golf retail company by expanding our existing store portfolio with the roll-out of a golf superstore concept with eyes on acquisition to accelerate growth.
“This is my 30th year as a PGA professional and it’s our goal to become the retailer of choice for golfers in Europe, and we believe this new collaboration will make that aim possible.
“The opportunities with the Sports Direct group are endless and being close to such a successful retailer fills me with great excitement.”
Andrew says: “Areas of the golf industry have been in decline now for several years in the UK and I see this move as a massive positive for both the industry and Direct Golf.”
Direct Golf UK has enjoyed substantial growth in 23 successful years of trading.
Starting with with one small shop in Huddersfield, it now has 20 retail outlets nationwide and a significant portion of the web and mail-order golf market.
Andrew added: “One of the major comments I hear from people who take up golf is that the game is too hard. They get frustrated and eventually give up because it takes too long to learn. It’s our aim to overcome this by introducing a number of exciting new initiatives.”
