Maybe We Take the PGA Show for Granted

I won’t lie. I wrote the first draft of this piece early on Thursday morning of the 2025 PGA Show in a noisy media room, after what could only be described as a hectic morning following a previous day of sensory overload. It was a less than positive take about my experience. But after another day of touring the floor and a few days to reflect, a modern take on what the show has become came to mind.

Of course, there’s still much to be desired with this event, and plenty of things that could change for the better, but after being involved in golf for more than 20 years, and having spent the better part of the last 10 going to the PGA Show, I’ve realized that it’s about way more than the products on the floor.

I still remember the first PGA Show I attended.New in the golf industry, I wanted to be there so bad that I took personal time off from my club building job at a custom fitting studio to escape the cold of Toronto, play golf, and spend two days inside a convention center in Orlando.

It was glorious: I got to test new clubs, meet people I looked up to, listen to insiders, visit as many booths as I could, and learn more about the industry I was just starting to get a foothold in. I even met Lydia Ko, who was just as friendly and polite as all the stories suggest.

The PGA Show is not all that different today in that regard. I still get to do all of those same things, even if I’m two decades in, this is one place where there really is always something new to learn—even if it’s got nothing to do with my beat of gear and equipment. I think plenty of us cynics could benefit from channeling our inner first-timer.

Although many call the early 2000’s the golden age of the show, the 2025 edition rivaled those boom years with the floor taking up more square footage than any of the previous shows post-Covid. As someone who has seen their fair share of conventions, the 2025 PGA Show once again felt like the place to be if you’re in the business of golf.

As my aforementioned Thursday went on, I was once again immersed in the madness and my mood began to change for the positive. The change of heart had nothing to do with seeing some cool new product and instead had everything to do with those around me. I made time to run into friends from all over the world, from Norway to Ireland to Australia and Northern California. Having the chance to spend even a few minutes sharing conversations and hugs with people I only talk to behind a keyboard made the whole thing feel worth the trip.

One of the most resonating encounters came at the end of day from someone who lives less than an hour away from me. You see, even as a kid, I loved to build golf clubs. I grew up tearing them apart and trying to figure out how to put them back together. So much so that one time, my parents drove me to an industrial area of west Toronto on a Saturday so I could spend the morning doing an introductory class on club building at the now-defunct GolfSmith Canadian distribution center. The person teaching the class was probably the age I am today and likely didn’t think much of some pimply teenager who was there to put a 7-iron together.

I can almost be certain that neither he nor I had any inclination we would run into each other many more times over the course of the next twenty-something years and become friends, as he moved further into golf distribution and I started building golf clubs at a studio before I jumped fully into the golf content space. Although we hadn’t really talked that much over the last couple years, when we ran into each other, we picked right up where we left off. It was an uplifting interaction.

Technology and the modern world might have us feeling more connected than ever before but with the ability to curate our time, it often leads to less time for moments that spontaneously connect us to the people we should probably spend a bit more time with.

Yes, the PGA Show will always be about the business of golf, new clubs, clothing, golf carts, travel, and technology. But what it really offers is an opportunity to connect and reconnect with people who have been brought into our lives thanks to this crazy game. So for that I am continuously thankful. Now we just need to move it somewhere with better weather!

P.S. If you are looking for some product scoops you can check out my wrap up here: 5 Products I’m Still Thinking About From the 2025 PGA Show