Every year, the golf industry gathers for the PGA Show in Orlando. For most golfers, attendance at the show is about as rare as a ticket to The Masters. For golf nuts the PGA Show is the adult equivalent of a certain Chocolate Factory run by Willy Wonka. There may not be a chocolate river, but if you need stakes to properly mark that river, it can definitely be found at the golf industry’s largest annual business to business gathering.
The show is not open to the public, which adds to the show’s mystique. The lucky few (most golf professionals) who attend the show each year face the daunting task of wandering a showroom floor with more than 1,000 exhibitors displays. Yes, you heard that right, 1,000 exhibitors! That’s a lot of stuff for a simple game invented by a couple of sheep herders!
In addition to the latest gizmos and gadgets, the PGA show also includes an Education Conference geared toward golf professionals. In my 30-plus year career with the CGA I have only attended the show twice. Both times were to participate in the educational portion of the show. The first was in 2016 when the World Golf Foundation sponsored a seminar on youth caddying. The CGA was invited that year to share information about our Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy. That information sharing session helped raise awareness of youth caddying and led to the adoption of similar programs throughout the country.
My second trip to the show happened this year by invitation from Matt Ginella (formerly of the Golf Channel). In 2012 Matt put the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy (SCLA) on the map when he produced an in-depth piece for the Golf Channel. Matt has continued to follow the SCLA and similar outreach programs around the U.S. designed to introduce young people to the many benefits of caddying.
This year, Matt facilitated a session on public-private partnerships in the golf space. With his background and awareness of the CGA and the SCLA he was kind enough to call me to extend an invitation to participate. Other facilities included in the session were Goat Hill Park in Oceanside, California, The National Links Trust courses in Washington, DC, Golden Gate Golf Course/First Tee of San Francisco and Winter Park Golf Course in Winter Park, Florida. The round table discussion allowed me to share our mission at CommonGround Golf Course and how it began as a government initiative to transition the Lowry Air Force Base to civilian use.
It was honor to share the stage with the project leaders of these amazing and transformative facilities. Each have their own unique stories, but all share the following fundamental beliefs:
One of the greatest joys of my job is getting to share the CGA-CommonGround story with my peers. As one of only four state golf associations who own their own course, the opportunity to tell our story is a reminder of how special the CGA is, and why we are recognized around the country as one of the most forward thinking and impactful state associations in the country.
Oh…in case you are wondering…I did use the opportunity to take a stroll through the Chocolate Factory. And much like Charlie, I was “Gobstoppered!”