Following the difficult Covid years that caused severe travel disruption around the globe, Clubs to Hire, the world’s largest golf rental company, is betting big on 2023 and beyond.
The Dublin based company is investing heavily in new products, IT, staff, distribution and marketing as an appetite rumbles for golf now more than ever.
“2022 was a positive year for the business as tourism bounced back strongly and golfers enjoyed fantastic conditions in the Mediterranean and beyond,” says Clubs to Hire Founder and CEO, Tony Judge.
“I felt it was time to overhaul the offering and we will invest significantly in new sets of clubs, equipment, IT, staff and also extensively in our delivery fleet and marketing via our European Tour brand ambassadors, David Howell and Germany’s Hurly Long.
“We will also add a huge number of new sets of clubs across our network of locations with a very large investment in new product from the leading golf manufacturers such as Callaway, PXG, Mizuno and many more.
“PXG is an interesting product as it is sold via their website and difficult to try in a test environment. Hopefully our clients will enjoy that experience in the sun of the Algarve and Mediterranean.”
As golfers continue to chase new experiences in a bid to make up for lost time, Clubs to Hire believes it can position itself to take advantage of a robust golf tourism market this year and long into the future.
“I am encouraged by the bounce in aviation travel and recent research predicts a return to pre-Covid levels this year,” reveals Judge.
“Ryanair and other airlines are regularly opening new routes and we need to fill that void. We have a number of new locations on our radar and a number of new partners are keen to work with us.”
With a successful management buyout in 2019, Judge certainly seems to be on a clear path to recovery.
“We now have a new fleet of vans on the road delivering the sets directly to the client’s resort or hotel. This has proved extremely popular with our clients as it removes all the hassle of trying to get sets of clubs from the airport to their place of residence.
“Pre-Covid we were renting circa 45,000 sets per annum. This total was significantly hit with the pandemic but if pre-bookings this year are anything to go by, I expect to see a significant bounce in 2023 and beyond. I am hearing from leading resorts and golf courses in Europe that pre-bookings are 25% ahead of 2022.”
By choosing Clubs to Hire, discerning golfers have the unique opportunity to test the latest offerings from golf’s leading suppliers at an affordable price point that takes the stress out of travel.
“Convenience, cost and an opportunity to try out the latest models to market are what drive our business,” Judge says.
“We have thousands of repeat clients and we have managed to extensively grow our market share in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and the Scandinavian countries.
“We added new staff to our team and this brings new ideas and a freshness which is fantastic. The business now employs staff from Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Ireland, Italy, Brazil, Nepal and the UK and it’s only growing.”
Clubs to Hire offers rental sets from top brands like Callaway, TaylorMade, PING, PXG, Srixon, Titleist, Cobra and Wilson. The company provides various options for the collection of the clubs with airport collection or delivery to your hotel widely available.
Outside of the outlets in the Mediterranean, Clubs to Hire also services various other airports through a network of agents, delivering upon arrival. With destinations outside of Spain and Portugal, like Turkey, Ireland, Cyprus, South Africa, Bali, Dubai and Thailand, you will be able to rent your preferred set of clubs and save yourself the hassle and risk of taking your own gamers around the world.
For more information visit www.ClubsToHire.com
Leave a comment