Golfsmith goes ‘Xtreme’ with new Houston store

That old expression about everything being bigger in Texas was given more credence today with the grand opening of a 40,000-sq.-ft. Golfsmith superstore in Houston.

The store, one of 10 planned openings for 2013, is what the company calls its Xtreme format. The new location in the west Houston suburb of Katy gives the company five Houston locations, 13 stores throughout Texas and more than 150 locations nationwide.

The new store offers an experiential model that encourages customers to try clubs before they buy and features four computerized club fitting studios, a five bay indoor driving range and a huge indoor putting green.

The Austin, Texas-based company has applied the experiential philosophy to a store in Houston’s Baybrook area as well. A remodeling of that store doubled its size to 29,000-sq.-ft. and the new design features six indoor hitting simulators and a putting green.

"Golfsmith's roots are in Texas so we're thrilled to continue to expand in our home state," said Golfsmith president and CEO Sue Grove. "Whether you are a scratch golfer or someone looking to get into the game for the first time, the Houston Katy store is a huge golfer's paradise and offers the best selection of the biggest brands in a truly unique environment and our renovation in Baybrook now has even more selection and interactive features golfers will enjoy."

Both stores include GolfTEC, a state-of-the-art, in-store improvement center, with PGA teaching professionals and certified coaches to help golfers improve their game.