Bob Snyder’s two Pro Golf stores, in Okemos and Delta Township, are what avid golfers think of when they picture the first stop on the way to Paradise (Paradise itself being, of course, a perfectly manicured course and an impressive hole-in-one).

The stores are jam-packed with anything and everything a golfer could possibly need or want—clubs, balls, shoes, clothes, carts, travel cases, golf accessories and even golf-centric cookie jars, lamps and art abound.

Originally a franchise of the national Pro Golf family of stores, its affiliation has changed to Golf Headquarters, but the name has stayed the same. Owner and president Bob Snyder says, “We’ve been dual-branded for several years and we’re in the process of changing our signs and other materials to reflect that.”

Snyder started his career in Detroit working as a buyer and in various management positions for Crowley’s. When the store began downsizing (it has since gone out of business), Snyder and his wife, Kathleen, started exploring other options. As a golfer himself, Snyder looked at various franchise opportunities with Pro Golf, a business which had started in the ’60s and was a proven success.

With available franchises in Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Flint, Chicago and Lansing, it seemed to the Snyders that the Lansing option was the best. In 1981, the original store in Delta Township was opened. Two years later, another location, this time on the south side of Lansing, joined the family. In 1987, the south Lansing store moved to its current Okemos location. Snyder says, “Around the same time, we also opened a store in Richmond, Virginia. With an 11-month golf season in that part of the country, it seemed to make sense. In 1994, we sold that store and have concentrated on our Lansing-area locations since then.”

The Lansing store has about 5,000 square feet, and the Okemos store measures 3,500 square feet. Snyder says, “We had plans to expand the Okemos store in 2001, but after 9/11, it didn’t seem like the best time, and the subsequent downturn in the economy made us decide to postpone the expansion.”

About the current financial picture, Snyder has this to say: “Of course, the economy here in Michigan and throughout the country has affected almost all businesses, but I think we’re starting to see that turn around. Consumer confidence is coming back. And, even in hard times, people don’t give up their hobbies.”

Some of the staff at both of Snyder’s stores has been trained and authorized by vendors to fit clubs to the golfer. With a full-swing simulator and other state-of-the-art techniques, the Golf Pro pros can make sure that the clubs the golfer uses are the best for his or her particular game. Snyder says, “Some people know just what they’re looking for when they come in, and we can help others make the best decisions as to what they need.

“We do a lot of upgrade sales here, especially in the winter months as golfers get ready for their trips south. In the summer, we sell mostly to new golfers. And our prices range all the way from under $200 for a beginners box set all the way to clubs that sell for up to $2,000. We also sell to booster clubs at the various high schools that have golf programs for their athletes.”

According to Snyder, “You have to be careful about buying on the Internet. Online stores will sometimes offer one thing but ship something else. It’s often the case that you don’t get what you paid for. There are counterfeit products out there that look good online but aren’t so good when delivered to your house.”

Pro Golf also offers a full-service repair shop and league discounts, and will work with customers on trade-ins. The store employs five full-time workers as well as a number of college students who work part time for much of the year but are often taken on full time in the summer months. They do some traditional advertising but rely on word of mouth and referrals to bring in customers.

Snyder and his team are committed to bringing to their customers not only the best products but also the best service, both before and after the sale. Golf may be “just a game,” but Bob Snyder and his staff make sure players have the best tools to guarantee each round is the best one possible.