ORLANDO, FLORIDA | This year marked my 26th trek to this central Florida city for the annual PGA Show. Much has changed during that stretch, not the least of which is the name of the exhibition, which used to have the word “Merchandise” in the middle. And as one who assumed super senior status a few years ago, I cannot cover the miles of aisles in the massive Orange County Convention Center that has long served as that event’s site quite as quickly or completely as I once did.
But so much remains the same.
Such as the everlasting search for any way to hit a golf ball longer and straighter, and to lower scores in the process. And most of the 30,000 golf industry folks who attend the show these days hope they find that in the gear and gadgets that everyone from the leading legacy brands to the inventors striving to be the next Barney Adams is offering.
People will forever be looking at the PGA Show for great places to take their games – or, in the case of club professionals, those of their golfers – on the road. Which is why the booths manned by representatives of Ireland’s and Scotland’s best courses – and the travel operators who organize trips there – fairly bustle.
PGA golf instructor Maiya Tanaka Puterbaugh hits a shot in the Golfzon City Golf simulator during the PGA Show.
Scott Halleran, PGA of America
The latest and greatest advances in technology continue to capture the attention of attendees, and among the best places to find those this year were where the simulator companies displayed their very sophisticated wares. I was part of the crowd that Uneekor drew one morning for a closest-to-the-pin contest that showcased its new Game Day software. And at Golfzon, I watched simulator matches being played in real time between competitive golfers in Orlando and Chicago. I also checked out the company’s new City Golf product, which boasts a screen that is raised like the curtain on a stage once players reach the green, revealing a putting surface on which they walk to finish the hole.
Equally intriguing to many was the booth at Arccos. The leader in AI-connected golf products, the Connecticut-based concern has revolutionized the use of statistics for recreational players. And last week it teased visitors with talk about the spring release of a software feature it developed with the tour professional and analytics savant Edoardo Molinari that provides recommendations on how best to play any course in the world.
Perhaps the best PGA Show constant is the chance each January to reconnect with friends – whether on the convention center floor; in the Rocks bar at the Hyatt; or at the Capital Grille, the magnet for meat-eaters on International Drive – and share once again in the enthusiasm that comes with the dawn of a new golf year.
John Steinbreder
Top: Scott halleran, pga of america
