My way A man of many talents
PGA pro, coach, founder of Direct Golf UK, entrepreneur and owner of club manufacturer John Letters, John Andrew is not a man to stand still for long
would have liked to have joined the police force or gone into the army. Well, the police force and army’s loss have
J
definitely been golf’s gain what with Andrew founding Direct Golf UK and buying John Letters, the clubmaker based in Scotland. As a boy, Andrew describes himself as having
been “a fairly talented sportsman” who shone equally at cricket, football, table tennis and golf. “I started playing at 12 and by the age of 16 had a
handicap of 4,” recalls Andrew. “So I decided to make a career out of golf.” The young Andrew became an assistant pro
in Leeds and then moved onto Southend in Essex where he came under the tutelage of pro clubmaker, Mark Pearce. “He gave me some fantastic training. I passed my
PGA exams with distinction and passed them first time. That year, there were not many who passed them first time and I have Mark to thank for that.” After gaining his PGA credentials, Andrew was
summonsed back to Yorkshire to help out with the family newsagent business for a year due to his father suffering ill health. While some would have been regarded this as
a setback, Andrew says he gained valuable retail experience which went on to serve him well. His first club pro job came in 1989 when
he joined 9-hole club Longley Park GC in Huddersfield, and then in 1990 Crosland Heath GC in Huddersfield. However he admits that club life didn’t suit him. “Getting up at 7am and serving customers with
pencils and tees wasn’t me. So in 2003 I decided mutually with the club to part company. I opened a retail outlet on Leeds Road in Huddersfield that used to be an old bacon factory. My father told me ‘you’re making a massive mistake’, so I took no notice of him and opened my own shop which became the retail outlet, Direct Golf UK.” Nor was it easy to start off with. “I started with a good reputation, a golf net and
1000 sq ft of shop that I couldn’t afford. To begin with, I had to pay my landlord with post-dated cheques. Alfie, my dog and I slept on the putting green until I could afford the insurance,” remembers Andrew. “To pay the rent I started indoor coaching classes at the local sports centre and had 90-100 people signing up for an evening session. This was
Pro Shop Europe September 2011
ohn Andrew, qualified PGA pro, clubmaker, entrepreneur, retailer and now owner of John Letters, says if he had not become a golf pro, he
great for cash flow as they paid in advance.” He also started doing hand assembling and
custom fitting at a time when it wasn’t so well known. “With my club-making experience, I was able to
custom fit clubs from the finger tip to the club head. “Within 48 hours, customers had a personalised
set of clubs. The good thing was that they were happy and so was I. I was charging £499 for a set of steel shafted irons and I was making around £300 on each set. People were walking out with something that was tailor made. I used to work 24/7. I would get up, get in, assemble clubs until they were done even if it was 9pm or midnight. You have to work hard if you have your own business. People who work from 9-5 won’t last long; at least not with me.” Now celebrating 20 years in business, Direct Golf
UK has grown into one of the largest golf retailers. For ‘normal’ people, that would have been
enough, but not for John Andrew. Having established himself as a retailer, he
decided to have a go at being a manufacturer and in 2005 he bought John Letters, the Scottish clubmaker, out of administration. “A change is as good as a rest,” comments Andrew
wryly. “The previous owners had gone down the budget route and they were producing pretty average stuff. When I took over the brand, I was able to sell the old stock through Direct Golf UK, and once we got rid of the old stuff, we were able to start all over again.” With typical dynamism, Andrew threw himself
into the world of club manufacturing. “It makes a massive difference which metal you
use to get the right feel and performance. It’s like baking a cake, where you use flour, eggs and water, whereas with clubs you put in iron ore, carbon and nickel, etc and the mixture you use affects the look, feel, finish and performance of the clubs.” With Andrew at the helm, the brand launched
the T2 Square driver and the T7+ range. Six years down the line and the company unveiled its latest collection; the Master Model at this year’s Open Championship at Royal St George’s. With a significant investment in a showroom and
assembly workshop in St Andrew’s, the home of golf, Andrew has a 10-year plan to build the John Letters brand back to dominance. “My goal is to work hard and invest time and
money into producing the best performing clubs on the market using only the finest components.”
FACT FILE
What have you got in your golf bag? Set of John Letters Master Model irons; three JL Tour Black Master Model wedges; JL Golden Goose putter; JL Tour Black driver; two hybrids, T9+3 wood, JL T9 hybrid. I’ve also manufactured a ball and I use that.
What do you play off? I am still a pro so I play off scratch. Recently I played in a golf day where I was 6 under after 9 holes and then played 9 holes a couple of weeks later and was 6 over, so I suppose the one cancels out the other.
How often do you play? I hit balls daily as I have a driving range with an R&D facility and although I am a member of a club in Huddersfield, I don’t play very often.
What is your favourite golf course? Alwoodley Golf Club in Leeds. I believe it’s been ranked as one of the best golf courses in Europe.
Who is your golfing ‘hero’? Currently, Angel Jimenez because of his amazing attitude towards the game and the public. As a child, it was Gary Player. I remember his name being on the first set of clubs I owned, so it will always mean something special to me.
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