Sunny skies and big smiles were plentiful at 2026 PGA Show Demo Day, as the world’s largest outdoor professional demo day added exciting new features while maintaining the elements that have made it a mainstay of PGA Show Week.
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 – encircled the 42-acre practice range at Orange County National Golf Center (OCN), augmented by education stages, food & beverage outlets and places for attendees to network with each other.
PGA of America Golf Professionals Matt and Jennifer Creech, owners of The Golf Dome in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, attended PGA Show Demo Day for the first time in a few years and were impressed by the evolution of the event.
“It’s great to see the big brands here at PGA Show Demo Day supporting the event, but it’s also a chance to see some new and smaller companies outside of the PGA Show floor,” Jennifer Creech said. “It’s helpful to see all the products in use, and it gives us ideas on how we could use them at our business.”
“To be able to see something like Rapsodo’s new launch monitor in action is really useful,” Matt Creech added. “I love to compare driver to driver, too, but it’s awesome to be able to see all these products at once in this atmosphere.”
Exhibitors also enjoyed the way PGA Show Demo Day allows them to showcase their products in a hands-on setting. FlagD Golf Founder & CEO Troy Parish said this year’s event gave him an opportunity to walk new and existing customers through his company’s GPS solutions – like the new FlagD Tags product for locating and managing golf bags.
“The nice thing about PGA Show Demo Day for us is that people can come out here and really see how our products work in the setting where they’ll be used,” Parish said. “I think the more casual outdoor atmosphere also lends itself to people asking more questions and spending a little more time getting to know the products. People are relaxed and having fun, and there’s been steady traffic all day.”
The product trials went beyond golf clubs, too: golf cars and vehicles were tested at the Demo Day Test Track presented by Denago EV, while the Discovery Zone Vendor Village was a place to discover innovative new brands and products.
Also attracting plenty of attention was the debut of “Drive for Show LIVE” at PGA Show Demo Day, bringing a variety of skills challenges and media appearances to the OCN range. Golf broadcasters Michael Collins and Hally Leadbetter were prominent figures around the “Drive for Show LIVE” area, where celebrities, professional athletes and content creators tried to hit balls over a “flop wall” and into glass-breaking targets, as additional celebrities and brand ambassadors were interviewed while riding in range pickers in the heart of the action at the center of the range as part of “Hit Me With It” segments powered by Club Car.
A highlight was the afternoon skills competition between two celebrity teams featuring former NFL stars Mike Davis and Knowshon Moreno, Blake Horstman from TV’s “Bachelor” franchise, Willie Robertson from “Duck Dynasty,” comedienne Becky Robinson, Hannah Aslesen from St. André Golf, golf content creator Evan Thompson and Hally Leadbetter.
That star power extended to other areas of PGA Show Demo Day. Cobra Puma Golf hosted brand ambassadors Lexi Thompson, Blair O’Neal, Mel Reid and Shasta Averyhardt for range exhibitions and meet & greet sessions with attendees, PGA Championship winner Hal Sutton interacted with attendees trying Makefield Putters and PGA of America Coach Stan Utley hosted a short game clinic for PING.
PGA Show Demo Day also hosted a series of coaching workshops at the OCN range-side classroom, with additional sessions on coaching, fitness and wellness conducted at the Golf Fitness Association of America (GFAA) stage and the Teaching & Coaching Center.
The day concluded with live music in The Turn Lounge, an area where attendees could enjoy a warm, sunny afternoon with good tunes and cold beverages in preparation for the Wednesday morning start of the 2026 PGA Show at the Orange County Convention Center.
“It was a really good day for networking and having a good walk around PGA Show Demo Day to see what’s new,” said Mike D’Agostino, the PGA of America Head Professional at Penfield (New York) Country Club. “I also had the chance to see some products that I might have missed while walking around the PGA Show floor, so it always is a good use of time to spend the day at PGA Show Demo Day.” —Don Jozwiak
Golf equipment and teaching aids weren’t the only items that debuted at Tuesday’s PGA Show Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Center.
So did Drive for Show LIVE, a collaboration from PGA Golf Exhibitions, PGA of America and Buffalo Groupe, LLC that showcases media personalities, celebrities, PGA of America Golf Professionals and creators through a series of live events.
“It’s all about having fun,” said Michael “America’s Caddie” Collins, who hosted a skills challenge on the club’s 360-degree range. “It’s combining the entertainment aspect with the sport of golf as we try to get new eyeballs on the game.”
Hally Leadbetter was part of Tuesday’s festivities as she was behind the wheel of a Club Car range-picker, conducting interviews while golf balls were whizzing by. Collins also hosted The Lie Detector, powered by Trackman, where show attendees can see if their clamed driving distance matches reality.
“Drive for Show LIVE builds on the momentum of PGA Show Week with first-of-its-kind competitions and original content that showcase the broad and evolving appeal of golf,” said PGA Golf Exhibitions Vice President Marc Simon. “This new programming will spotlight industry-leading brands, the expertise of PGA of America Golf Professionals and reinforce golf’s growing relevance with a diverse and engaged consumer audience.”
Collins has the background, doing standup comedy for 20 years while spending 10 years as a caddie. He looped for Chris Couch when he won the 2003 Korn Ferry Tour Championship and hosted a golf show on ESPN.
