Editor’s note: GGP+ offers golf industry coverage in conjunction with this week’s PGA Show in Orlando, Florida.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA | Golf’s business mecca, the PGA Show, came back to life this week, hosting more than 30,000 attendees to mingle with more than 1,000 vendors and exhibitors. From humble beginnings as a slack trunk show in Dunedin, Florida, the self-proclaimed “major of golf business” has grown into an international destination spanning 1.1 million square feet of convention space.
While the technological innovation at the meeting was stronger than ever, there was a healthy dose of tradition spread throughout the Orange County Convention Center at this year’s edition. The resulting blend of retro style and groundbreaking development produced an atmosphere entirely unique and utterly representative of golf’s current cultural landscape – a tantalizingly strange mix of the game’s storied past and battery-powered future.
The show’s opening day on Wednesday was one of the best attended and liveliest in recent memory, with some aisles virtually impassable at times. For the club junkie, the trading floor was nirvana.
All the major manufacturers showed up to introduce new product lines, with the exception of TaylorMade, who was notable for their absence since 2018.
Titleist once again served as the anchor of the show’s equipment section. The brand has had the same expansive booth space for decades, and the brand’s central location often makes it the first port of call for industry professionals interested in the new gear coming to market.
“The PGA Professional is ingrained in our company and our route to market as an instrumental connection to the golfer,” said Jeremy Stone, senior vice president of golf ball marketing and U.S. sales for Titleist. “[The PGA Show] is a great place for us to see and connect with so many of our great partners.”
This year, the company’s signature white-coated representatives introduced the new Vokey SM11 wedge line, a refresh of the well-traveled touring favorite that promises a more consistent center of gravity across the series’ nearly 30 types of grind and bounce options. Putter guru Scotty Cameron emerged from his garage with a variety of low-torque putter models in both his Phantom and Studio Style lines, a prime example that timelessness is not immune to the lure of modern trends. Titleist rounded out their offering with a few new golf balls, including an updated Pro V1 Left Dash, Tour Soft and AVX.
The Ping stand, which was right next to the door, put the new G440 K driver in the spotlight. The model capitalizes on the brand’s position as a leader in forgiveness, promising a record moment of inertia via weight-saving measures in the sole, crown and tubing. The G440’s visual profile has also been lengthened with the aim of inspiring confidence on the tee.
“In terms of the overall category and space, I don’t think it’s ever been more exciting. I think the planets are aligning in terms of the new audience and the new generation of golfers coming up… data and insight are very important to them.” – James Murphy of simulator maker Uneekor
Callaway cemented its reputation as a technically minded manufacturer with the debut of its Quantum club series, featuring a whopping five different driver models aimed at covering the entire spectrum of swings. With the release, Callaway joined their absent competitor TaylorMade as the only two major brands to offer a carbon-integrated driver face. Callaway’s new Tri-Force surface is a proprietary blend of ultra-thin titanium backed by a sheet of carbon fiber and bonded together by a lightweight polymer, promising consumers faster ball speed off the tee – that is, if you can afford it.
A common theme when introducing drivers this year was a possible exclusive price tag. As the equipment industry continues to flourish and R&D budgets simultaneously increase, MSRP for drivers in particular has reached an all-time high. The big sticks from Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade and Ping all retail for $645.99 in stock configuration. Add in a custom axle and choice of aftermarket grip, and spending four figures on a new driver is certainly not out of the question.
An industrial sector on the rise since COVID, indoor golf and its associated technologies made a big impression on the show floor this year. A unified block of simulator brands took up much of the center portion of the convention, ranging from major players like Trackman and Foresight to smaller, more regional brands like Fullswing and Uneekor. This year saw a dramatic increase in the number of square meters consumed by the sector, representative of the steady growth of off-course play options.
“In terms of the overall category and space, I don’t think it’s ever been more exciting,” said James Murphy, head of global marketing for Uneekor. “I think the planets are aligning in terms of the new audience and the new generation of golfers coming up… data and insight are really important to them.”
Even the old game couldn’t escape the discussion about artificial intelligence. Integration with AI was a prominent theme at the show, with machine learning models deployed in everything from club design to business analytics and golf instruction.
With all the buzz surrounding new technology, stepping onto the apparel floor was like stepping back in time. The vintage revival within the golf sector was on full display this week, showcasing a world of polished wood, leather and stitched canvas. Breakout brands like Malbon, Hudson Sutler and Tremont Sports have positioned themselves as the torchbearers of retro style, emphasizing design elements made famous by names like Palmer, Miller, Couples and Woods. Pleated trousers, a looser fit and traditional materials such as knitted wool and cashmere are back in fashion, with brands leveraging this visual connection to history to gain mass-market appeal.
In addition to showcasing the latest golf products, the PGA Show also serves as a hub for professional education and national networking. Conferences took place throughout the week for organizations such as the Association of Golf Merchandisers, the National Golf Course Owners Association and the Golf Fitness Association of America, allowing industry members from around the world to meet and talk. The week ended on Thursday with the Winter Jam 2026, a free concert with country artist Dustin Lynch.
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