John Cosgrave, owner of Pro Golf, left, stands with Nelson Von Stroh, general manager, in front of the new store that opens next week. Pro Golf becomes the only stand-alone golf shop in Bend not attached to a golf course.

John Cosgrave, owner of Pro Golf in Bend, did not envision running a small business during retirement.

But that’s exactly what the soon-to-be-retired Northwest Airlines pilot will be doing. He compared the experience of launching a store to managing an airplane on one of his many overseas flights.

”When you’re the captain of a crew, every time you fly overseas you rely upon your crew like you would when you run a business,” he said. ”I’ve hired good people who know a lot about the business of golf.”

When Pro Golf opens next week, golfers will have a place outside of golf courses to practice their swings and buy the latest equipment and clothing.

The shop located at 100 N.E. Bend River Mall Ave., next to ShopKo will feature the first golf simulator east of the Cascades and become Bends first stand-alone golf retailer since the Volcano Golf Center closed its doors last year, Cosgrave said.

Pro Golf has a network of more than 120 franchise stores across the United States and abroad and carries an assortment of equipment, including clubs, balls, shoes and accessories, and mens and womens apparel.

Although other off-course golf shops have opened and closed in the area including Volcano Golf Center and the Pacific Crest Clothing Co., a golf-apparel company that closed in 2003 Cosgrave is confident his store will succeed.

People are looking for a complete custom line of clubs and great-looking apparel thats not off the rack, he said. They also want service from knowledgeable staff that know what true golfers need.

To manage the golf shops operations, Cosgrave hired Nelson Von Stroh as general manager. Von Stroh, who spent the past six years running a PGA certified golf-retail store in Northern California, sees Pro Golfs potential.

Our advantage is selection, he said. We carry every major manufacturer and offer local course knowledge.

Von Stroh attributed the recent slump and loss of business in the retail golf industry to lower prices at Wal-Mart and Target, but said niche retailers can compete by offering higher-end products and strong customer service.

Were trying to appeal to more than just the country-club types and attract all demographics with customer service and product knowledge, he said.

Pro Golf also seeks to attract the emerging womens and young-adult markets that have bolstered the sagging mens

demographic in recent years. According to a recent survey by the National Golf Foundation, the number of women golfers increased 36 percent between 2000 and 2003, compared with 1 percent for men.

Historically, golf shops have discriminated against women from the products that they carried to not explaining the technical aspects of a brand-new driver, he said. Were going to eliminate the sales faults and help the ladies as much as men. Were also going to carry more womens apparel and equipment.

Pro Golf also will cater to tourists, who played almost two-thirds of all rounds at the areas golf courses last year, according to a recent survey by the Central Oregon Visitors Association.

To appeal to tourists, Pro Golf will partner with local courses and provide recommendations on where to play based on current conditions.

We want to become the hub for local course knowledge, Von Stroh said. Well partner with local courses to recommend different courses for both visitors and local alike.

Jeff McDonald can be reached at 383-0323 or at

jmcdonald@bendbulletin.com.