Oct. 1, 2018

Austad’s Golf is completely redoing its flagship Sioux Falls store, adding new experiences and redesigning existing areas.

Construction starts this week at 2801 E. 10th St., which has been an Austad’s location since 1987.

“We want to accomplish the most cutting-edge, visually appealing golf store in the world, No. 1, and No. 2, we want to create something that pays homage to the fact that we are the country’s oldest family-owned golf retailer,” president Ryan Austad said.

“Everything from the ceiling to the lighting, the flooring, the colors and fixtures will be different.”

A 3,000-square-foot addition will add about 25 percent to the store’s space.

When customers enter, they will see multiple golf simulators – nicknamed Pebble Beach, Pinehurst and St. Andrews.

“Those will be state-of-the-art simulators, so people will be able to hit into a screen and get their data and see where the ball is going,” Austad said.

Drawing by Ryan Hoffman

A focal point of the expanded store will be the short game performance center, featuring the biggest putting green in the upper Midwest, according to Austad.

“That can hold up to 20 golfers trying product,” he said.

Next to that will be another putting green – the Odyssey Putter Fitting Experience. It will be about 20 feet by 5 feet and equipped with cameras and a flat screen monitor at the end.

“It’s another way to capture data on a golfer’s putting stroke,” Austad said.

And finally, there will be a wedge fitting studio with a separate bay for custom-fitting wedges.

“It’s just a bunch of techy, cool stuff,” Austad said. “Altogether, there are five fitting bays, a putter and a wedge fitting center, so seven areas to fit golfers.”

But along with the modern features will come a design that honors the company’s history. Around the store will be vintage Austad’s signs, prints from decades-old catalogs and a company time line.

“We’re an experience store. You can come and literally just putt for two hours, and this will give them something to look at and feel good about where they’re getting their supplies and doing business,” Austad said.

Drawing by Ryan Hoffman

Elsewhere in the store, Austad’s apparel manufacturers are reconfiguring their merchandise into unique concept shops. So brands such as Adidas, TravisMathew and Under Armour will have small stores-within-the-store.

“We’ve allocated square footage and worked with them to create concept shops that uniquely fit their brand but aesthetically still fit the rest of the store,” Austad said.

Austad’s will stay open throughout the renovation, which is expected to be done in time for late-November holiday shopping.

“I’m hoping when people come in, they see not only a store where they can have a really cool experience, but they will feel good about who they’re shopping with,” Austad said. “It’s not a corporate big-box store. It’s a family that’s been in the community since 1963 and wants to continue to invest in the community.”