The world has changed, mine too. Having done four editions between 2009 and 2014 as a buyer / India distributor, 9 years on I see the PGA Show very differently. The eyes and objective change with time.

Back in the day the action was always about the new releases by the equipment majors, former majors and minors. And then there were the course maintenance equipment bigs boys, apparel, accessories and training tools manufacturers. No Sir, it’s not anout them any more…

The usual heavy weights were all there – Bridgestone, Mizuno, Ping and Yonex as usual understated but omni present, and then Callaway, Cobra, Titleist and Srixon with seriously massive and extravagant booths.

Beyond any doubt, technology is where the real action is at. After a two year Covid induced gap the number of companies offering performance software as well as course management solutions was simply mind boggling. Trackman and Foresight were there, Toptracer and Flightscope too, and a plethora of other indoor and outdoor large and personal device manufacturers. The standout though in driving range data is the new entrant Inrange, they seem to have cracked the code of putting together a package that presents venues and golfers the perfect mix of optimum ball flight data and measurements, games to entertain, ease of use and value for money. Always remember you heard about Inrange here for the first time.

Shivas Nath

Distance measuring laser and GPS devices were all over, bushnell, Nikon, Leopold Shot Scope, Cube, Precision Pro and Blue Tee were all there in full strength.

The usual golfing celebrity sightings and encounters never stop, XXIO brought in legendary multiple Major winner Ernie Els, Cobra flaunted Lexi Thompson and Kyle Berkshire and then from the broadcast spectrum arrived Justin Leonard. In terms of sexy nothing matched the vibe and new product line up at Cobra, it was just different, wildly different and the driver and fairway metals creating serious noise. They absolutely are amongst the best out there.

Interestingly, the underlying flavour was ‘nostalgia’, the comeback of former big brands, many of which that over the past two decades fell off the grid or in the hands of big box brands that basically ran them in to the ground. Remember brands like MacGregor, Ram, Ray Cook, Snake Eyes, Bullet, Tear Drop, Antigua and Etonic. Hello world, all these brands were not just there, but raising eyebrows. Believe, every product presented by them was just high quality.

Every effort is being made by their new owners to restore these legacy brands back to their glory days. Especially impressive were the new MacGregor MT and Ram irons and Zebra putter. I might actually game the Zebra putter in the very immediate future.

Even Wilson and Slazenger were in Orlando mapping and evaluating their future course of action. Clearly some will be back and some sadly won’t. I have literally seen my childhood flash in front of me this week!!!

Srixon and XX10 smashed it with their line up of the just released MKII version of their ZX series of irons, clean, refined and pure to the next level. The ZX series irons are just sweetness personified.

Being here to sell golf balls made in India, renew connections and upgrade my understanding of where the industry sits at can never be a bad thing. Six boys from India were here  Rahul Khanna, Zubin Bhaseen, Shreyam Shah, Anshu Jain, Krishna Prasad and myself.  Unlike the old days where information and movements were a ‘state‘ secret, the current lot share a different value system and relationship. Information is shared and competitive healthy ribbing and happy hours happen most evenings.

Ecco was joined by street wear brand Cole Haan in the luxury comfort footwear segment. Biion from Canada redefined sexy in fashionable footwear, and Skoni owned by Jack Curry was awarded ‘Best New Product’ at the show. Ofcourse I had to get myself a pair of those incredible machine washable and easy to to wear Skona golf shoes.

Indeed a proud moment when our Indian brand Flash, formerly known as +91 catches the attention of some of the international players as a potential OEM partner. Long fun days ahead.

There isn’t another golf show on earth quite like the one in Orlando!!!