By Jessica Tuggle
VERO BEACH -- "Fore" professional advice with a personal touch, golfers need look no farther than Golf Roundup in Vero Beach.
The business has been owned by Bobby and Laura Bird for the past 13 years, but the company has been around for more than 30 years, providing golf specialty items, name brand equipment and quality customer service.
Mr. Bird grew up on the greens and has dedicated many years to the sport in some form or fashion around the state.
"My dad was a golf pro and I was a head golf pro at a private club before I came to Golf Roundup," Mr. Bird said. "I was born and raised in Vero Beach, so when the opportunity came up 14 years ago to buy the business, we moved right back."
One thing Golf Roundup offers that other companies doesn't provide for their customers is an equipment demonstration program, Mr. Bird said.
"You can come in and take a demo club out of the store for two days to test it out," he explained.
"Many people think golf clubs are all alike and they can buy whatever is on the shelves and it will work for them, but that's not usually the case." he said.
Each person will have individual needs to get the golf ball to travel better, and the employees at Golf Roundup are trained to identify those needs and help customers get what they need by fitting them and finding the best match.
"That's something you can't do on the Internet," Mr. Bird said.
The equipment prices at Golf Roundup are quite comparable to the prices found at larger retailers. Both experienced and beginning golfers will find what they need for their game and get great advice, too.
"They can see it, touch it and hit it before they make the decision to buy it," Mr. Bird said.
The relationship between local golf pros and the shop are quite good, and often the staff can recommend who to contact for lessons.
"We'll help them with grip and posture to get them going, but lessons by a PGA pro are always a good idea," Mr. Bird said.
Inside the store customers can experiment with a potential purchase on an indoor putting green and take a club out for a swing in the indoor hitting net, or use a golfing simulator.
The store features products by pro lines such as Titleist, Callaway and Cobra, and in clothing and shoes, brands include Foot-Joy, Ashworth and Adidas.
In addition to a rainbow of color choices in golfing attire for both men and women, many customer also enjoy the selection of Vera Bradley handbags and accessories sold in Golf Roundup, Mr. Bird said.
"A lot of people don't know we carry Vera Bradley, but it's quite popular," he said.
Golf Roundup is located at 490 21st St., Vero Beach. For more information, call (772) 569-9655 or visit www.golfroundupvero.com.