It seems like a dream job, doesn’t it? Golf equipment tech reps spend hours on the driving ranges of some of the most prestigious courses. They have access to all the new gear from a golf equipment company and get to talk golf with like-minded individuals.

Let me tell you, it’s a ton of fun, but just like any “job” it does have its challenges. Here’s an inside look into what it’s really like to work as a summer tech rep for a golf equipment company.

The Travel

The commute can be one of the most challenging parts of any job, but traveling to golf courses really isn’t that bad. Most demo days are in the afternoon or around the lunch hour, so traffic in most cities is pretty light. Also, the majority of courses are located around the outskirts of the downtown cores just off arterial roads. The trick is avoiding the evening rush hour, but that’s easy when you have your clubs and an endless bucket of premium golf balls.

The most difficult task actually is trying to get everything to fit into your car. Full-time reps have the luxury of either a company van or have made the decision to own a large vehicle. Tech reps, on the other hand, are not always so well prepared. I, for example, own a (humble brag) 2009 Toyota Matrix. It’s not a large car by any stretch of the imagination, but on the plus side it is a hatchback. A few other guys have small to mid-sized sedans. In another life, we must have all been very good Tetris players, because we somehow always get everything to fit (including the pop-up canopy tents). Speaking to the camaraderie, I’ve seen reps help each other out by taking an extra staff bag or two to the next event if for some reason it won’t fit in a rep’s car.

The Other Reps

Since we spend so much time together during the busy summer demo-day months, we’re more of a band of brothers than rival tribesman. When working with customers, it’s all business, but during off times we hit each other’s gear and trade golf balls and war stories. We even play golf together after demo days wrap up.

When it comes to finding the right piece of equipment, someone is either going to end up with our gear or move on down the line. We always do our best to make sure every golfer that comes out is giving our gear a fair shake and tries what’s right for them, but we all know people have brand biases, too. The one thing we all abide by is the unspoken etiquette of the range, which includes never interrupting another rep during a conversation with a golfer. We’re also never “that guy” who walks all the way to the other side of the range to push a product onto someone at another booth. We’re not new to the golf industry, and we’re all in it together. Our job is ultimately to fit and sell clubs, but at the end of the day, regardless of what equipment the golfer decides to purchase, it’s more important to represent your company the right way and make sure every golfer has a positive experience.

The Food

Each course we visit treats us amazing, from the head professionals all the way to the back-shop and range teams. Plus, since they want us to be good guests and stay with their members on the range, lunch is provided and delivered.

I’ve made the joke many times now that, by the end of the summer, I will be able to rank every sausage, hamburger, and chicken-caesar wrap from every private club in and around the Greater Toronto Area. So far, they’ve all received top marks.

The Fitting Experience

One of the best things about being on the range with golfers at their own club is that they’re comfortable in their surroundings and familiar with course conditions. This, to me, is one of the best ways to fit a golfer, especially one that plays a majority of their golf at their club.

Fittings move very quickly when a golfer can see ball flight and make an apple-to-apples comparison with their own clubs on their own range with an outdoor launch monitor. The benefits of new equipment are quick to spot and problems are easy to correct.

The Golfers

From scratch club champs to weekend warriors, we fit them all. The better golfers are easier to fit them since their swings are more repeatable. Most better players are also able to more accurately describe what they are “feeling” swing after swing.

The one thing that still shocks me is the lack of understanding golfers have on simple fitting principles. Many are stuck in the past with what they know about technology. So many golfers also have misconceptions about what leads to gains in distance, accuracy and consistency. It’s part of our job to help make things simple to understand, and something we take pride in. Here are the top-5 misconceptions I hear from golfers on demo days:

Hitting it higher with a driver causes distance loss. Graphite shafts are only meant for the slowest swingers. Forged irons are only for highly skilled players. “I don’t need to get fit. Just give me off-the-rack clubs.” All “stiff” shafts and all “regular” shafts are the same.

The other difficulty lies in the outliers: the guys who are 6-feet, 6-inches tall and have club head speeds in excess of 120 mph with hands the size of bear paws. These are tough fits since most carts don’t have mid-sized grips. And as far as aftermarket shaft options go, it’s really hard to carry more than what’s already offered by golf equipment manufacturers. The great thing about the Mizuno fitting cart, particularly the company’s iron shafts, is that there aren’t many people I can’t fit given the wide amount of options.

The Weather

This is the one thing that is beyond our control. I’ve experienced days where it’s blowing 30 mph directly into golfers on the range and that’s a tough place to be. Not only that, but be prepared for at least one face full of dirt and sand along the way. No lie, on an extremely gusty day, I once saw a rep get thrown 8 feet into the air trying to save his tent. Thankfully, he walked away unscathed, but I can’t say the same for the tent (he crushed it when he landed inside of it, upside down).

And rain… even the thought or possibility of it scares people away, which can lead to pretty slow days on the range. We all know how much it sucks to have to dry out your entire golf bag after a soggy round. Imagine doing that with 5-6 golf bags after a few extra hours in the rain.

Golfers, don’t let the sun get away with anything, either. One of the first lessons as a tech rep is to load up on sunscreen or risk a very bad sunburn. If you think a golfer’s tan is bad, a rep tan can be even worse.

—

To all the golfers headed to the demo day, make sure to stop by and say hello to us tech reps. Don’t be nervous or embarrassed to make a swing in front of us; we hold no judgement. And please, ask as many questions as you’d like. We’ve heard them all, and want you to learn and enjoy trying out some new gear. You might just be surprised what ends up working for you, and you may even have a great conversation with one of unsung road warriors of the industry.