Customized golf-gear store soon will open in Cape

Southeast Missouri golfers, particularly those interested in customized gear, soon will have a new place to shop.

"We have a lot of family and friends who struggled to find a place to be custom-fitted," Jamie Jackson said. "You have to go to St. Louis. A lot of people go to Chicago."

So Jackson, with his wife, Sasha, decided to open Golf, Etc., at 1720 Kingsway Drive in Cape Girardeau to fill that void in the market and give local golfers a closer, more convenient option.

Golf, Etc. features a bay simulator that will be used for assessments and fittings.

"It's linked into several different technologies," Jackson said. "The data retrieved through the assessment goes into a packet, and we can make recommendations on clubs, shafts, grips and balls."

The data also identifies weaknesses in a golfer's game and ways to improve.

The fittings at Golf Etc. are lifetime fittings. If a golfer's game changes over time, he or she can come back to be refit at no charge.

The owner, manager and instructor are Mitchell-certified clubsmiths who can do repairs or customizations to any golf club, Jackson said.

Golf Etc. also will offer lessons and run golf leagues out of the bay simulator. A patio area has been set up to accommodate league players, and the Jacksons are securing a liquor license.

"It'll be a fun atmosphere, if nothing else, just to come hang out," Jackson said.

Jackson said they also have reached out to the golf teams of local schools to assist them.

"We'll have school nights where the schools come in and the whole place is theirs for the evening," Jackson said.

Ultimately, Jackson hopes to foster a feeling of community at the store, creating a place where golfers can enjoy themselves.

"Even if they don't buy anything, we have free coffee in the mornings; we have the patio," Jackson said. "It's just going to be a really nice place for golfers to hang out with one another."

The Jacksons plan for a soft opening of Golf, Etc. later this week, with a grand opening in mid- to late April.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

1720 Kingsway Dr., Cape Girardeau, MO