A festival-like atmosphere, favorable weather and a series of fresh features combined to contribute to a highly successful PGA Show Demo Day to kick off PGA Show Week Tuesday at the 42-acre practice facility at Orange County National Golf Center.
A new configuration of 70-plus companies on the driving range, multiple practice greens and short game testing areas; a new Discovery Zone vendor village; a Demo Day test track for golf cart and other vehicles; a central food court with food trucks; two upgraded entrances and a dedicated parking lot; and live music by Grammy award-winning trumpeter and DJ Spencer Ludwig transformed the world’s largest professional golf demo day into an upbeat, energetic golf festival.
Thousands of PGA of America Golf Professionals, buyers and industry officials took advantage of the bluebird weather Tuesday to test the latest products and innovations from golf’s top brands and attended a leaderboard of teaching and coaching workshops from PGA Master Professionals, club fitting presentations and programming on best practices in range operations from The Golf Range Association of America (GRAA), and enjoyed insightful product presentations and discussions on the exclusive Demo Day Stage.
“On a scale of 1 to 10, I would have to give Demo Day a 15 this year,” said Andrew Brewer, PGA of America Director of Instruction at Bayville Golf Club in Virginia Beach, Virginia. “This is my 11th Demo Day and it’s good to see it buzzing again like it was before the COVID pandemic. We never miss Demo Day because there are a lot of companies and products here that we never see otherwise. Plus, it’s 20 degrees back home, so this is a nice getaway for PGA Show Week.”
As per tradition, the 2024 PGA Show Demo Day featured the latest golf equipment and products from Bridgestone Golf, Callaway Golf, Cobra Golf, FlightScope, Full Swing Golf, LA Golf, Mizuno, Ping, Srixon/Cleveland Golf, Toptracer, Titleist, U.S. Kids Golf, XXIO, Yonex and many others. But it also offered attendees the unique opportunity to try the latest in golf-shaft technology from companies such as Graphite Design, Nippon Shaft and True Temper, as well as shafts offered by all major OEMs in attendance.
“This Demo Day is the only opportunity we have to hit all the latest drivers, fairways, iron sets, wedges and putters in one day – and we get the first look at all the newest technology in golf shafts and launch monitors,” noted Scott Clayton, PGA, Head Golf Professional at Cypress Lakes Golf Club in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. “This is the largest Demo Day in the world and it’s a unique networking opportunity.”
The 2024 PGA Show Demo Day also featured a healthy lineup of celebrities, leading coaches/teachers and industry executives on hand to conduct live demonstrations and clinics (see additional story).
Among the thousands of industry professionals at Tuesday’s PGA Show Demo Day was a 10-person contingent of Professional Golf Management students from Mississippi State University, who sat in on a series of presentations on the PGA Demo Day stage and toured the circular range are to hit balls and test the latest equipment from golf’s leading companies.
“It’s amazing to see all the companies and all the new equipment in the same place; I’m a little wide-eyed,” said Mississippi State PGM student Shanna Lyle. “The Cobra and Titleist areas at Demo Day really want young people like myself to stay involved with golf. In two years, I will be a PGA Professional, and this has really energized me to do everything I can to become a full-time member of the golf industry.”
Produced in partnership by PGA Golf Exhibitions and PGA Magazine, the 2024 PGA Show Demo Day was presented by Clubhouse Events Group, FlagD, E-Z-Go, Golfforever, Oakley, Uneekor and Wittek Golf Supply.