Late winter brings restlessness to golfers around the Chicago District, as months of below-freezing temperatures and numerous snowstorms stand between them and their most recent round in the area. A record 18,000 golf fanatics proved such stir-craziness, as they flooded to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont for the 2026 Chicago Golf Show® presented by the Chicago District Golf Association, Feb. 27-March 1. Patrons sifted through offerings from hundreds of exhibitors to obtain deals on equipment, learn more on unique golf vacation destinations, and everything in between.
CDGA Town Square again utilized more than 16,000 square feet just inside the Show’s doors and provided members and prospective members alike numerous opportunities to engage with the Association. More than 800 transactions were made at the in-person CDGA Member Golf Shop, which included merchandise from brands such as Dunning, Greg Norman, Imperial, Tour Edge, PRG and more. CDGA members earned an additional 10% savings on all purchases. ESPN 1000 and ABC7 aired live and in-person from within Town Square throughout Friday and Saturday mornings, with hosts Tracy Butler, Peggy Kusinski, Dionne Miller, Mike Gilligan and Tyler Aki welcoming in the likes of Tom “Bubbie” Broders of Good Good Golf, Tour Edge’s Tim Clarke and more. Membership verification and renewal giveaways were again a hit, as more than 3,000 CDGA members received a sleeve of of Tour Edge’s new Hot Launch golf balls, CDGA bag tags and a special Presidents Cup ticket offer, amongst other freebies. The CDGATV studio rounded out the space and welcomed a variety of guests to discuss their organizations.
The Longest Putt Benefiting the CDGA Foundation and The Evans at Canal raised nearly $13,000 over the three-day event, with 150 80-foot putts made, up from 101 a year ago (CLICK HERE for a full Longest Putt recap). Just beyond where the putts dropped stood employees from the Presidents Cup, set for Medinah Country Club this September, and a larger-than-life replica of the Presidents Cup trophy that served as a photo opportunity for many Golf Show guests. Partner associations in the Veteran Golfers Association (VGA) and United States Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA) also welcomed golfers to their booths adjacent to the Longest Putt throughout the weekend.
The CDGA thanks all who interacted with the CDGA booth, CDGA staff/volunteers and those who showed interest in various CDGA programs. If you missed any of the action, or want to relive some of the highlights, see below for a blog recapping the weekend with unique content and photos, as well as a YouTube playlist with interviews from the CDGATV studio.