This super-sized sports chain is growing rapidly. The Bradenton area is on its list

Florida's sixth PGA Tour Superstore, a 40,000-square-foot retail facility that is nearly as large as a supermarket, is planned for The Shoppes at University Town Center, 8237 Cooper Creek Blvd.

Benderson Development is seeking site plan approval from Manatee County government for the store, including modification of the existing parking lot and site.

The new store is slated to open in the spring of 2019, a spokeswoman for PGA Tour Superstore said this week.

Other PGA Tour Superstore locations in Florida are in Altamonte Springs, Jacksonville, Orlando, Delray Beach and Naples.

Don Berger was at Peridia Golf and Country Club in Bradenton when ashed whether he would shop at a PGA Tour Superstore: "Absolutely, all the guys would."

"We spend a fortune on toys and we play terrible. So we buy new toys," Berger said.

Steve Sowards, a pro playing on a mini-tour, was practicing at Palm-Aire Country Club in Sarasota and said he would welcome a PGA Tour Superstore.

"A little competition is good. They offer a wide range of stuff that other stores don't carry," Sowards said.

The proposed PGA Tour Superstore would be located near the interchange of University Parkway and Interstate 75.

Among the other businesses in the The Shoppes at University Town Center are BJ's Wholesale Club, Bonefish Grill, Total Wine and More, Guitar Center, Ross, Jo-Ann Fabric, and Nordstrom Rack.

Two of the last four PGA Tour Superstores have opened in Florida. The PGA Tour has its headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, near Jacksonville.

"As PGA Tour Superstore continues to grow, we’ll be looking at additional markets in Florida to expand our business," the company said in an email.

The company has 33 stores in the United States and is led by chairman Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United of Major League Soccer.

The company reported record performance in 2017 with 15 percent comparative store growth.

"Thus far in 2018, we’re seeing double-digit comp store sales increases on top of the double digit comp store growth we had in 2017," the company said in an email.

While many big-box retailers are closing, PGA Tour Superstore has tripled its store count over the past eight years.

"We are accelerating growth strategy to open up to 50 brick-and-mortar stores, increasing our store count by more than 50 percent over the next three years; adding between 5-7 new stores a year. Essentially a store opening every other month," the company said.

PGA Tour Superstore officials reported that the company provided more than 100,000 custom club fittings in 2017, an increase of nearly 50 percent over 2016, regripped more than 750,000 clubs in 2017, and conducted nearly 50,000 lessons/clinics by its certified teaching professionals.

PGA Tour Superstore has contributed more than $3 million to The First Tee as part of its commitment to give back to others and grow the game of golf.

For more information about PGA Tour Superstore, visit http://www.pgatoursuperstore.com/index.jsp.

This story was originally published May 17, 2018 at 11:48 AM with the headline "This super-sized sports chain is growing rapidly. The Bradenton area is on its list."