Retailer American Golf grew revenues by 20 per cent on the back of its expansion programme during 2010, with a plan to open more stores in the south of England this year.

The Warrington-based sports retailer, which has 83 stores, said the roll-out of seven new branches last year was a key factor in delivering a £14.3m jump in sales, to £86.6m, in the year to January 31.

And year-on-year sales were up 13.8 per cent in the first quarter of the current financial year.

The retailer is owned by LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, which is said to be looking to sell it for up to £80m.

American Golf said internet sales had also been boosted by the acquisition of SW Golf, which trades as onlinegolf.co.uk, last March. Online now contributed 15 per cent of total revenues, with 30 per cent of that coming from overseas buyers, and more investment was planned in the company’s online offer.

It said the domestic golf market had grown due to good weather, the success of British players such as Lee Westwood and Luke Donald continuing to fuel interest in the sport and technical innovations by manufacturers.

Chief executive Nick Wood said: “We’ve made excellent progress with our growth strategy over the last 12 months despite one of the toughest climates for retail for several decades.

“Our clear proposition as a specialist, multi-channel retailer has helped us achieve strong and sustained growth across both our store and online operations.

“This has enabled us to continue to drive our market share and improve our leading position.”

The company, which currently has a geographical bias to the north and in Scotland, is now looking to expand in the south of England this year.

It already has a pipeline of six new openings, with more sites being sought.

Mr Wood added: “Looking ahead, we have an excellent opportunity to grow further by expanding our footprint in the south of England where our brand is less well represented.

“Our store roll-out strategy, combined with further development potential in Europe through our online channel, places the group in a strong position to continue its growth.

“European players’ success over the last two years following the dominance of US golfers is fuelling domestic interest in the sport and having a positive effect on the UK golf equipment market.”

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