By Gavin Kirkman, CEO – PGA of Australia
IT was a real pleasure to attend the 70th PGA Show in Orlando last month.
A stunning event put on by the PGA of America, it was heartening to see the global golf industry come back together in full-flight for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.
A tremendous opportunity, the Federation of Tours gathered, along with representatives from the R&A, USGA, industry leaders and PGA members from around the world.
I have only been once before, and what struck me this time around was the overwhelming emphasis on the progressive approach that our sport is taking.
This was highlighted at the leadership summit – Golf’s Age of Enlightenment. We were challenged to consider ourselves as thought leaders, rather than business leaders and to recognise that today’s game of golf is vastly different to the one our grandparents played.
It was inspiring at the summit to hear from the likes of David Lorentz of the National Golf Foundation, Executive Vice-President of the PGA Tour, Neera Shetty and CEO of Vox Media, Chad Mumm; each of whom shared our optimism about the future of the game.
They spoke about how golf is reaching new audiences through developments such as TGL, as well as innovations in golf storytelling. This was particularly engaging, as Hollywood collaborates with the PGA of America to produce golf-themed movies, indicative of the appetite and opportunity that currently exists in golf.
Additionally, one of the key meetings for the week was the PGA World Alliance.
Comprised of 22 people representing 10 global PGA’s, the Alliance gathered to address key issues including coaching, equipment, diversity and alternate formats. That meeting reassured me that our PGA strategy and the overall Australian golf strategy is very much aligned with the vision for golf more broadly.
One of the things that really stood out to me over the course of the week, was the value placed on ongoing education in the industry.
On the education front, we have always been recognised for our robust offering in Australia, and the PGA Show gave us a good insight to look at future presenters and content that we can build into our various industry education programs.
Overall, I came away from the 2023 PGA Show energised and confident that we are on the right track as a sport.
Driven by passionate and open-minded people, we are maintaining a respect for the tradition and integrity of our game, all while embracing change and opening golf up to more people than ever before.
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