Last month, my assistant pro – Troy Malo – and I went to the PGA Golf Show in Orlando. It was Troy’s first PGA Show and I was excited that he was going to see the many faces of golf at a national level. 

The PGA Show isn’t what it was in the ‘90’s – the golf business has slipped since those boom years and 9/11 sure didn’t help. But the annual show in Orlando is still a big deal and a must for those working in the golf industry.

The two biggest categories at the show are equipment and apparel. The other booths and showrooms are made up of a huge variety of vendors selling golf gadgets, accessories, swing trainers, health supplements, business products and any crazy item related to golf.

Of course the networking is a big part of the show. Ironically, I spend more time with the other Minnesota PGA Pros at the show in Orlando than I do during the season in Minnesota.

What’s hot? Well, we were very impressed with MacGregor. As you probably know, MacGregor was once the top company in the golf world. Everybody played MacGregor clubs – Hogan, Nelson, Weiskoff, and especially Nicklaus. But with the rise of metal woods and cavity-back irons, MacGregor fell to the wayside as companies such as Callaway and Taylor Made took over.

But MacGregor is under new ownership and determined to bring back the old glory. Troy and I were very impressed by the whole line – drivers, fairway woods, irons, wedges, and even the putters. The clubs were more innovative and attractive than anything we’ve seen in years – we even tested them out on similators. They’ve also hired Greg Norman as their spokesman – look out for MacGregor!

Speaking of Greg Norman – we went to a party he hosted called “Havana Nights” that featured a lady rolling up cigars for the guests (hey, we had to “network”). The Norman clothing line looked pretty good, but we didn’t see anything new and/or real exciting in the apparel showrooms. Probably the big news in golf clothing is the emphasis on color – look for brighter and more colorful fashions this year for men and women.

For me the big disappointment of the show was that a few of the big names – Ping , Titleist, and Polo for example – didn’t participate. They claimed that their previous showrooms were too expensive and didn’t generate enough revenue. OK, then why not have a smaller, less-expensive showroom? As a leader in the industry, I feel that they have an obligation to support the biggest week in the golf business. As a member of the PGA , I resent their lack of support and see it as a reflection of an arrogant attitude that says “we don’t need you, you need us” . Look for hungry, first-class companies like MacGregor golf clubs and Peter Millar clothing to take advantage of their competitors’ arrogance.