The 71st US PGA Golf Show | Inside Golf. Australia’s Most-Read Golf Magazine as named by Australian Golfers

By Rob Willis

A golfing extravaganza bringing together PGA of America Golf Professionals, industry executives, retailers and business leaders from around the world, 1,000 golf companies and brands were showcased at the 71st PGA Show at the expansive Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. 

And Inside Golf was there. 

Held in late January, the PGA Show marked the annual start of a new year for the golf industry, providing a platform to unveil the newest innovations, to test the latest equipment and technology, while learning, interacting and networking.

An event with humble beginnings in the back of cars at a winter golf tournament in 1954, the PGA Show has grown into golf’s longest running and largest global business gathering. 

An estimated 31,000 industry representatives, from 84 countries and all 50 US states, including 7,000 PGA of America members, wandered the halls of the convention centre or tested the latest offering at the Tuesday Demo Day, at the annual celebration of a golfing industry which in the US boasts grassroots participation of 41.1 million, with the sport contributing US$226 billion in total economic impact in America alone. 

Additionally, around 900 VIP buyers representing 660 golf facilities and mass merchandisers, including amongst those representatives of Australian retail giants Drummond Golf and Golf World, attended the four-day event, looking to sure up existing relationships while sourcing new products and services. In total they bring to the show some US$800 million in purchasing power and nearly US$2 billion in potential retail sales.

PGA Show Week also offers the opportunity for attendees to listen and learn from high-level industry presentations, to participate in education and career workshops and to connect and rub shoulders with peers from around the world. 

After the disruptions of Covid, those to have attended on multiple occasions expressed that the PGA Show had bounced back to its best in 2024 in providing the platform for the industry to come together to celebrate and embrace what is currently a boom period for the game.   

Recognised brands with their latest models, to newcomers looking for a piece of the golfing pie, too many apparel brands to count, shoe companies, technology with range finders, indoor simulators, then add in gadgets, training aids, a large and impressive array of golf carts, pretty much everything you can think of that has anything to do with the game of golf, was there to see at the 2024 PGA Show. 

Inside Golf spoke with product experts, engineers and senior representatives from a number of leading brands in tracking the trends and getting the low down on what is about to, or has recently, hit the shelves and is headed for the fairways and greens of courses around the world. 

We touch on some of the exciting new products which were unveiled, with more brand reviews and information to come in future issues of Inside Golf.  

PGA Show Demo Day

The week kicked off with an event which represents the highlight of the show for many, the Demo Day, where attendees get the chance to ‘test drive’ the latest and greatest golf equipment and products. 

Held at the spectacular 360 degree driving range at the Orange County National Golf Center, 70 leading golf companies displayed new product at what is said to be the world’s largest professional outdoor demo event. 

At the expansive 42-acre circular range and practice area, which included multiple practice greens and short game testing areas, the Demo Day featured extensive product education, coaching workshops, club fitting presentations, programming on golf range strategies, in addition to demonstrations by PGA TOUR professionals and coaches. The term ‘test drive’ was especially applicable, with a test track set up on site for golf cart and vehicle testing.   

Too many offerings, too little time to hit, chip or putt with and to experience all that is on display, the Demo Day kick started the PGA Show week. 

Callaway unveiled the exciting new Ai Smoke Series, along with the 2024 edition of the Chrome Tour and Chrome Soft golf balls.

Callaway 

A number of PGA Tour professional let the proverbial ‘cat out of the bag’ by adding the Paradym Ai Smoke Series drivers, fairway woods and/or irons to their arsenal at one of the season-opening events, but to many at the PGA Show that did little to diminish the excitement relating to the new offerings. 

Inside Golf took the opportunity to get the inside information on the design, production and subsequent release of the Ai Smoke series from Dave Neville, Callaway’s Senior Director, Brand and Product Management. 

“Paradym had an absolutely huge year for us. We were number one in sales around the world, number one in market share in the US and number one in Tour wins. So how do you take that to the next level?” Neville said. 

“We’ve made a lot of small improvements, but the one big improvement is Ai Smart Face. It was about using Ai and Smart Face to make the face better and better. And the results are incredible. We’re seeing 7.4 yards (extra distance) against Paradym. 

“The driver is 15 per cent lighter, but the face is the story. It’s ‘sweeter from every spot’, that’s our tag line.” 

The Ai Smoke series also includes three iron models, with the smart face technology going through fairway woods, hybrids and irons in addition to the new Ai Smoke driver. 

Also on display at the PGA Show was the newest range of the Callaway Chrome Tour, Chrome Tour X and Chrome Soft balls. 

We got to see it in Orlando, while Michael Cooney took the opportunity to test it back at his base at the Sandhurst Club prior to its release. See more on the new Callaway Ai Smoke range of products, along with his product review of the new Callaway Chrome ball range in ‘We tried it’ on pages 74 and 75 of this edition of Inside Golf. 

PING showcased an exciting range of new products, from drivers to putters, and everything in between, at the PGA Show.

PING 

Another highlight of the PGA Show was the PING display, featuring a new range of drivers and fairway metals, irons, wedges and their industry leading putters. 

Inside Golf spent time with Design Engineering Manager Travis Milleman, a man with a wealth of knowledge in relation to research, design and the exciting new PING products set to hit the market, all of which have been years in the planning. 

“I’m in the design team, working on product coming to the market. We have an innovation team, structures and materials and a golf science team and a performance research centre in the UK. The guys and gals in those teams are working multiple years in advance,” Milleman explained. 

“I’m already working on product we’ll be delivering and launching in 2027. When it gets to me, I have to be very selective as to this is what we’re going to go for. 

“The development of the 430 was about a two year cycle for us, from when we start working on it until it comes to market.” 

The 430, with three models, is PING’s newest driver, featuring a head designed to offer even greater forgiveness than PING Drivers to have gone before, without sacrificing distance. 

Complementing the time and effort put into the design, all PING clubs undergo rigorous testing before being offered to either their elite playing staff or to golfing consumers. 

“By the time it comes to market we’ve done a ton of research and internal player testing to show this product produces best performance,” Milleman added. 

Adding to the new drivers is a range of fairway metals, while in regard to irons, PING has a new offering to suit all levels and player preferences with the Blueprint T (for Tour) and Blueprint S, best suited to elite level or tour players, the I-530, a good player distance iron providing more ball speed and the more forgiving G-430. 

Coming soon is the 730, “our worst kept secret. It’s our most forgiving iron to date, super game improvement for the player who needs more help getting the ball in the air,” Milleman said.

Also on display was PING’s newest wedge offerings the S-159, their most extensive and versatile wedge line to date, featuring 25 loft/grind options, with the shape the result of direct feedback from the company’s tour staff.

Similarly designed with consultation with PING’s Tour staff, are the PLD putter line-up which include two classic Anser blade additions (notably Tony Finau’s Anser 2D) and three mallets, including the DS72 model that Victor Hovland used on his way to winning the FedEx Cup last year.

Plenty to see at the PING display and plenty to like about their new products. 

Jason Day has worked with Bridgestone on the Mindset.

Bridgestone 

Despite his limited playing schedule Tiger Woods continues to move the needle with anything golf related, so when he chooses your ball to use and endorse, while also getting involved in testing and development, it must have plenty going for it. That being the case, the new range of Bridgestone golf balls made quite the splash at the PGA Show. 

“Tiger was playing the (Bridgestone) XS for years, then from the stories I heard Justin Thomas was outdriving him so he said ‘what can you do to give me more distance, without sacrificing spin’? So for the first time ever Tiger has switched from the XS to the X golf ball,” a Bridgestone representative revealed. 

Bridgestone were prominent at the Demo Day in showcasing their ball fit technology, a simple to use program designed to steer the golfer into the best ball model, almost similar to what Tiger did, to suit differing swing speeds and individual characteristics. 

Throw into the mix, Bridgestone has worked with Jason Day and his performance coach Jason Goldsmith to come up with the Mindset process. 

The unique Mindset marking appears on a range of Bridgestone ball, in attempting to mirror the pre shot process as Day prepares to hit a golf shot. By scanning a QR code, golfers can access a video to see, and attempt to emulate, the three stages of Day’s mental approach. 

“I’ve used the principles of Mindset for over 10 years, and it helped me become the number one player in the world, and now Bridgestone has applied this process to a golf ball. That’s a game changer,” Day expressed. 

Bridgestone’s local distributor Paul Langman from Dynacast Golf Group was in Orlando, excited about the extensive new golf ball range and ready to unleash the product on Australian golfers. 

See an upcoming edition of Inside Golf for more detailed descriptions on the Mindset process, of the Bridgestone golf ball range and the vigorous manufacture and testing taking place at their Covington, Georgia ball plant. 

The Mizuno ST-Max driver received positive reviews.

Mizuno

Long recognised for their custom fitted, custom made, precision finished equipment, the new 2024 Mizuno drivers, fairway woods and irons certainly didn’t disappoint. 

From the ST-Max drivers, to irons, wedges and a putter line, Mizuno’s reputation for quality was enhanced, with the company excited about the response from those to see and demo their equipment range. 

“It feels like we’re a company that’s got a lot of buzz behind us. The brand is growing, almost changing. People aren’t coming in and just picking up the irons, people are looking at the entire range,” Chris Voshall from Mizuno enthused. 

While another significant feature of the Mizuno offering at the 2024 PGA Show was the new RB Tour ball range, a ball they were confident could match any of the leading golf balls for performance. 

Stay tuned for a more extensive review of Mizuno products, including the ST-Max drivers and quality crafted iron and wedge range in an upcoming edition of Inside Golf.

Ivan Ballesteros, the designer/inventor of the iB Sweet Spot putter. 

Simulators, apparel, travel, and more apparel 

Featured heavily at the PGA Show were an array of golf simulators, highlighting some amazing technology which brings golf indoors while also providing many forms of swing feedback and data. 

Big, small, expensive, more reasonably priced, including technology for swing coaches, or simulators for golfers to enjoy in the comfort of their home, a number of competitors from the World Long Drive Tour were on hand to show off their considerable speed and power while demonstrating the various uses. 

Also making an impression at the Show was a travel section, with the golf courses of Ireland and Scotland in particular, along with areas of south-east Asia, promoting golfing vacations, not only to play the courses we’ve all read about, but also to the many hidden gems golfers could potentially discover on their next overseas golf trip. 

Then there was apparel, and more apparel, filling an entire space at the Orange County Convention Centre. Well-known golf brands, fashion labels looking for a piece of the golfing market, and plenty of new ones aiming to share in whatever is left. From the traditional golf look, to lifestyle meets golf, to everything in between, it was apparel for every taste. 

Coming soon

Then there are the people, prototypes, new inventions and innovations that have a presence at the show, but in the early stages of their development and existence aren’t quite ready to commit to a full unveiling of their products. 

Inside Golf met Ivan Ballesteros, nephew of the great Seve, who has produced a unique putter, one which bucks the trend of big and forgiving clubfaces, rather it’s about narrowing the focus, and shrinking the club head, in encouraging a precise strike on each stroke. 

The iB Putter Sweet Spot, which has been launched around the world, is receiving impressive reviews and is distributed in Australia by the Golf Clearance Outlet. 

Another product which can be best described as being born in Australia, made in Ireland and ready to take on the world, is the Seed golf ball. The brainchild of long-time industry professional Dean Klatt, who now resides in Dublin, Ireland, the Seed compares favourably in testing against high performance brands and is positioning itself as an exciting newcomer in the competitive golf ball market. 

Not yet in Australia, and not on display at the PGA Show, the Seed golf ball is looking at potential options as to increasing production and taking on the world. Keep an eye out for it.