How can the world’s largest outdoor professional demo day get even bigger and bolder? You can find out on Tuesday, Jan. 20 when PGA Show Demo Day goes “LIVE” for the first time. The annual PGA Show Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Center (OCN) is adding to its unparalleled club testing, networking and educational opportunities with a brand-new skills challenge and media production featuring PGA of America Golf Professionals, celebrities and golf influencers. Called “Drive for Show LIVE,” it will be hosted by “America’s Caddie” Michael Collins and golf broadcaster Hally Leadbetter.
“PGA Show Demo Day continues to evolve with the golf industry,” says PGA Golf Exhibitions Vice President Marc Simon. “As the world’s largest professional outdoor demo day, it provides unmatched access to hands-on test, expert coaching and high-value learning – all in a fun, interactive setting to help PGA of America Golf Professionals and industry leaders elevate their expertise and bring new ideas back to their facilities.”
While Drive for Show LIVE will undoubtedly garner plenty of attention throughout the event, the 2026 PGA Show Demo Day will be packed with all of the elements that have made it a must-see kickoff to PGA Show Week in Orlando. For starters, more than 70 companies – including Bridgestone, Bushnell, Callaway Golf, Cobra Golf, FlightScope, Foresight Sports, Mizuno, Ping, Srixon/Cleveland Golf, Toptracer, Vice Sporting Goods, XXIO and many more – will be present to offer hands-on product testing and education on the latest trends hitting the golf marketplace this year. The product trials go beyond golf clubs, too: golf cars and vehicles can be tested at the Demo Day Test Track, while Discovery Zone Vendor Village is a place to discover innovative new brands and products.
Beyond the 150-some hitting bays on OCN’s massive 42-acre practice range, PGA Show Demo Day also offers PGA of America Golf Professionals the opportunity to earn up to five Professional Development Requirements (PDRs) by attending the high-impact coaching workshops offered throughout the day at the Teaching & Coaching Center. This OCN range-side classroom will feature the following coaching workshops:
• Practical Ways to Gather Digital Information by PGA of America Golf Professional Eric Hogge
• Live Lessons by PGA Master Professional Joe Plecker
• Strategies to Effectively Resolve Student Swing Issues Related to the Six Ball Flight Laws by PGA of America Golf Professional Eric Alpenfels
• Distance Wedges: The Unsung Hero by PGA Master Professional and 2024 PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year Joe Hallett
For workshop details and registration, log onto PGAShow.com.
Another pair of exciting resources for education at PGA Show Demo Day are the Health & Wellness Center presented by the Golf Fitness Association of America (GFAA) and the Golf Range Best Practices area presented by the Golf Range Association of America (GRAA). Both of these engaging areas will highlight best practices through interactive experiences, with award-winning fitness and golf professionals on hand throughout the day to answer questions and share ideas.
Returning after a successful debut last year is The Turn presented by BCB Brooklyn. This range-side terrace brings live music, local breweries and a cigar lounge to PGA Show Demo Day, creating a social hub for networking and recharging at OCN.
In fact, there’s more than enough going on at PGA Show Demo Day to create a gameplan for getting the most out of the event. That’s how PGA of America Golf Professional Adam Smith is approaching it this year.
Smith, the PGA of America Head Golf Instructor at The Country Club of Virginia and the 2024 Middle Atlantic PGA Bill Strausbaugh Award winner, will escort his club’s PGA Assistant Professionals to PGA Show Demo Day to introduce them to the event and the excitement of PGA Show Week.
“Some of these bright young professionals are experiencing PGA Show Week for the first time, and PGA Show Demo Day is an experience they’ll never forget,” Smith says. “It’s one of the highlights of PGA Show Week for me every year.”
Smith likes to gather his crew bright and early at the Orange County Convention Center to catch one of the first free shuttle busses to OCN – important since there is limited general parking on site (attendees are encouraged to take a shuttle). That makes them one of the first groups to enter the PGA Show Demo Day gates with live music and a festive atmosphere, Golf Channel broadcasting and plenty of energy throughout the property.
Smith’s team will start by walking the perimeter of the OCN range to test products and see innovations, then interacting with golf and fitness professionals at the GRAA and GFAA areas before enjoying a tasty lunch from one of the many food trucks on site. The second half of the day is spent at the PGA Education workshops and enjoying the other educational opportunies before concluding with a happy hour visit to The Turn before ending the day with an idea-sharing debrief on the bus ride back to the Orange County Convention Center.
“Spending a full day with our team at PGA Show Demo Day is a thrill and a pleasure, and I highly recommend starting your PGA Show experience the same way,” Smith says. “Introducing our young professionals to industry experts and golf brands makes a lasting impression. PGA Show Demo Day is not only a warm welcome, but also a really fun way to kick off the Show for me every year.” —Don Jozwiak
