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BUSINESS PROFILES | MAY 2023 | HARTFORD BUSINESS JOURNAL 3 M any things are synonymous with Connecticut – great pizza, Yale, UConn sports, the Mystic Seaport, ESPN. But to be complete, any list of the state's best must include Chris Cote's Golf Shop. The family-owned business has been a mainstay on the Connecticut golf scene for 15 years. Today, in addition to two award-winning retail shops in Portland and Southington, Cote's operates two driving ranges and two indoor virtual golf facilities. It also offers year-round golf lessons. "When we first started, I wanted to be known as 'Connecticut's Friendliest Golf Shop.' That has become our motto and is something we put into practice every day," says owner Chris Cote. Each member of the Cote family plays a different role. But they mesh like a well- oiled machine. Chris is joined by his wife and company CFO Donna; daughters Danielle (Portland store manager and communications/marketing guru) and Courtney, who assists with the CT Golf Show, of which Cote's is a presenting sponsor; his son Bryce (club repair specialist in Southington); and the family's dog, Sami, who personally sniffed and approved every inch of the Portland range before opening day. A host of staff members, some of whom have been with the business since the very beginning, augment the work the Cotes do every day to serve an ever-growing customer base. In late 2019, Cote's took over Golf Quest in Southington and transformed the facility into a 64-bay heated driving range featuring Toptracer technology, which allows golfers to record practice sessions, play 18 holes of golf and play games. When the pandemic hit in spring 2020, Cote's like so many other golf businesses was able to capitalize on the resulting boom. "We are very fortunate to be a business that was positively impacted by Covid," Danielle Cote says. "Our sales increased in all departments – club fitting, merchandise, driving range, club repair. The pandemic introduced a whole new group of people to golf." In addition to adding indoor golf bays at the Portland store, Cote's opened a new Performance Center in Portland in 2020 with five indoor bays and a 24-bay driving range outside. Two of the bays offer Cote's "Tour Level Fittings," where golfers enjoy an experience similar to that of touring professionals, including high-end shaft selection and premium golf balls. In fall 2022, Chris Cote's School of Golf opened, offering instruction from some of the area's most well-known teachers, including Brad Colt, George Connor, Dennis Coscina, Nicole Damarjian and Kevin Telford. Lessons are conducted in Portland and Southington. In the works for 2023 is a mobile fitting trailer, a concept Cote's developed with guidance from PING golf. It will enable club fittings and club building to be done anywhere in New England. All the hard work has not gone unnoticed. Cote's has earned a bevy of recognition including: 2022 Middlesex Chamber of Commerce Growth Award; 10 years as a Golf Digest Top 100 Club Fitter of the Year; 10 years as a Mizuno, Callaway and PING Top Club Fitter of the Year; Chris Cote was named Portland's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020 "The last 15 years have been quite a journey and I'm proud of how far we've come," Chris Cote says. "We give everyone the honest and helpful customer service they deserve. Simply put, we are really good at helping golfers find the right equipment for their game." Delivering Service That Connecticut Golfers Can Count On The Cote family at their Portland store (from left, Chris, Donna, Bryce and Danielle). Chris Cote's Performance Center and Toptracer range in Portland. Address: 750 Portland-Cobalt Road Portland, CT 06480 Phone: (860) 342-2226 Website: www.chriscotegolf.com Product or Service: Custom Golf Club Fitting, Toptracer Driving Ranges, Indoor Golf, Golf Retail, Golf Lessons and Club Repair No. of employees: 26 (both full- and part-time) Top Executives: Chris and Donna Cote Year Founded: 2008 Chris Cote's Golf Shop is a Golf Digest Top 100 Club Fitter.