How does stocking this storybook compare to stocking novelty golf gifts, like a putting mat or a stuffed animal golfer, in a pro shop?

A storybook and novelty golf gifts, like a mini putting mat or a stuffed animal dressed as a golfer, both have a place in a pro shop’s gift section, and each appeals to a slightly different shopper. Novelty items are playful and immediate, giving a young child something to interact with right away, and shops have long stocked them for exactly that reason.

*Once Upon a Golf Swing* offers a different kind of value, one built to be revisited rather than played with once and set aside. The 62-page book, written for ages three to six, follows Ace, a new golf ball who gets lost on his first swing at Whispering Pines and finds friends Daisy, Sandman, Splash, Speedy and Rangey, giving a shop a product with a real story behind it rather than a simple toy.

Novelty items also tend to be generic, often not specific to golf beyond their shape or theme, and shoppers sometimes see them as filler rather than a meaningful gift. A book at $29.97 hardcover or $14.97 softcover reads as a considered purchase, something a shopper feels good giving to a grandchild or a teammate’s child. A shop does not need to drop one for the other. Keeping both a novelty item and a storybook on the shelf gives gift shoppers a range, from a quick, playful pick to something with lasting value.