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AF GOLF STORE

SUITS GOLFERS TO A TEE

Milton Keynes’ newest golf centre, AF Golf Store has built a reputation for coaching golfers and offering sound advice on buying new clubs and putters, as well as professional club fitting. MK Pulse went along to meet the friendly team at their Bletchley store.

Golfers are all driven by one common goal – to get the ball in the hole.

For some individuals it can be a painful, testing journey while others may have that touch of magic.

It helps to have the correct clubs to suit your style which is why a growing number of players are putting their trust in AF Golf Store.

The store in Milton Keynes, an Aladdin’s Cave for golfers from the first timers to those who have turned professional, has a refreshing approach to customer service. Forget buying clubs off-the shelf, AF Golf Store includes a free personal fitting service for golfers looking to buy a new set or just want to replace a well-loved driver or putter.

The store stocks all the well-known brands but marketing and Events Manager, Chris Hattersley, said: “Rather than focussing on brands we take an unbiased view, so each customer finds the right clubs to suit their game.

“Since we started off the aim was to offer something different to customers. We want to listen to customers and find out what is important to their game.”

Each customer will have different needs. One might have a low handicap while another may just be starting to play. They will want different things from their clubs. Along with custom fitting, the company has a Build Centre which offers anything from a repair or replacement of a club shaft or grip to the building of a new set of clubs.

“We know that each golfer has different requirements, and we want to make sure we can listen and deliver what each of them want for their game.

“Sometimes, rather than investing in a complete set of clubs, a customer is encouraged to consider the ones that give regular results across the 18 holes,” said Chris. “There’s little point in carrying lots of

Left to right: Greg Tilbury (Custom Club Fitter), Ryan Walters (Store Manager) and Elliott Appleby (Custom Club Fitter/Golf Professional) clubs that offer the same outcome. What does make sense is to see if it is possible to find clubs that offer performance gains, rather than selecting a favourite.” The committed team who between them have notched up thousands of hours playing the game, are headed up by director Alan Fletcher who set up AF Golf Store in 2019 alongside Retail Director, Ollie Fullerton. The first store was in Cambridge near to where Alan had earned an enviable reputation for his coaching and professional services.

Golf Professional, Elliott Appleby will soon get your game back in swing

The store offers an expert express club build service

He saw an opportunity to offer a bespoke service to each customer rather than simply selling equipment which might look good but fails to bring benefits to the individual’s game.

Another store opened in Peterborough followed by the Milton Keynes enterprise with the promise of more to follow in the coming years. The business is committed to supporting community initiatives. One of the latest was to support a golf day to raise funds for the MK Dons Sport and Education Trust.

Chris said: “It is important to us that customers feel comfortable when shopping in our stores and can work with our team to get the right equipment for the way they want to play the game”

CLUB FITTING: How does it work?

The initial part of the session will give the customer a chance to talk about their game, needs and preferences like changing the flight of a ball. Any injuries that affect how the customer plays can be taken into account when looking at the best club choice.

After a warm-up in the store’s indoor studio, the fitter will start to gain dynamic and impact data using the hi-tech Trackman 4 technology. This will measure for length, lie and angle, grip size and type.

The outcomes can vary from player to player but there are real benefits from getting clubs that meet personal specifications from increased ball speed and distance to better control and performance.

Chris said: “We get really good feedback from customers. Our advice is purely based on performance on products and the golfer in front of us.”

> Visit the team at AF Golf Store, 9 Peverel Drive, Bletchley, MK1 1NL

Clothing not only has to look good it must meet the demands of playing golf.

Not only is there a huge choice in clothing for men with brands such as Nike, Under Armour and Boss, but ‘The Ladies Golf Store’ is one of the largest in the United Kingdom with a wide range of clothing, accessories and shoes.

Footjoy is the latest brand available in-store alongside collections from Ping, Swing Out Sister, Galvin Green, J Lindeberg and Adidas. The store also stocks a wide range of items for women from clubs and bags to gloves and trollies.

Gemma Fletcher is the member of the team dedicated to all the buying and merchandising of the selections which meet the different needs of women wanting to find clothes that suit their style of play.

Gemma said: “We know people might buy clothes online but at the store they can try on different items and find the best fit for them.”