Pro Tip: Highlights from the 2024 PGA Show

There were certainly a few questions about the future of the PGA Merchandise Show after it was forced to be a virtual effort in 2021. It made sense, of course, with more questions about the COVID-19 pandemic than ever and the go-forward plan for most public gatherings still to-be-determined. The show returned in 2022 in person with underwhelming buzz.

Fast forward to 2024, however, and there hasn’t been this much excitement for not only golf itself but the show, too, in quite some time. This year there were more than 1,000 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees came from more than 80 countries to Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. The nearly 10 miles of show aisles were peppered with the both the biggest brands in gear and fashion, plus plenty of small-shop dreamers just looking for a little nibble from the $102-billion golf industry (in fact, there were 350 new companies/exhibitors in 2024, up 100 from 2023), and nearly 1,000 members of the media documenting it all.

Appearances by major champs like Tom Watson, Annika Sorenstam, Jim Fuyrk, Brian Harman, and Lee Trevino coupled with golf’s public-facing icons like Jim Nantz, David Leadbetter, and long-drive champ Kyle Berkshire made for an even buzzier few days than normal – not to mention a concert from multi-time country music award winner Jake Owen on Thursday night.

“The 2024 PGA Show overflowed with more exhibitors, more floor space, more attendees and an amazing energy that will surely drive the business of the game ahead in the upcoming year,” Marc Simon, the PGA Golf Exhibitions vice-president, told SCOREGolf. “We can’t wait to build off these successes in 2025.”

Here are a couple of exciting takeaways from this year’s PGA Merchandise Show as Canadian golfers inch ever closer to springtime.

Women’s Apparel Options Abound

For years women in golf suffered from the “shrink it and pink it” options from the game’s biggest clothing manufacturers. That couldn’t be further from the truth these days. The booths that offered women’s golf apparel – many of them boosting female founders – were some of the busiest of the week. A special shoutout to Foray (founded by Megan LaMothe, based in New York, and worn by the LPGA Tour’s world No.1 Lilia Vu) along with Fore All (a new brand co-founded by Mike Weir’s wife, Michelle, and which won two People’s Choice Awards – Best Dressed and Best Women’s Brand).

…and More Options for the Men

While the standard gear for men will always be available (and spots like FootJoy, Puma, and Under Armour are always innovating), the up-and-coming independent clothing brands for men all saw significant upticks in buzz and presentation. Greyson Clothiers (now worn by Justin Thomas), Holderness & Bourne, and Eastside Golf had can’t-move-an-inch foot traffic through the week.

Big Tech

If there was one category that seemed completely un-ignorable through the week on the show floor it was that of virtual simulators. Whether it’s an in-home unit, a five-figure system played by the best in the world, or something small-ish that a golf course (or even a bar) is trying to get installed for its patrons, there were so many options for simulators it was almost dizzying.

That, of course, doesn’t even cover off all the kind of tech we saw in golf clubs, too. While brands like Titleist and Cobra trotted out their best for 2024, the slight edge on the tech side has to be given to Callaway and its Ai Smoke line for 2023. The world’s first “smart face” – created using artificial intelligence – along with its new ball, the Chrome Tour, were attendee favourites.

No Matter What You’re Into, the PGA Show Has Got it

Looking for a ball cleaner that clips onto your belt? What about a clip-on speaker to your belt, too, so then you can play your own walk-up music to the tee? A golf-ball scuff remover? Distance finders? Gold-plated clubs? Headcovers made from old baseball mitts? Throwback clubs like Never Compromise and Ben Hogan? On and on you could go, this 2024 PGA Merchandise Show had it all, and then some.

But it mostly had buzz, and for golfers – and the golf industry – that was a good thing.

Be sure to check out GlobalGolf.ca to learn more about all the latest and greatest gear, clothing, and accessories for 2024.