A putting green at the PGA Show in Orlando
For those of us who love golf, the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando is our ultimate candy store. After all, where else can you see the latest and greatest in golf equipment, apparel, accessories and technology, and even bump into a few legends and attend a concert?
The 2025 version, conducted at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, this past week didn’t disappoint. The only downer might have been the miserable weather on Tuesday during Demo Day, but even that didn’t stop attendees from testing out the latest equipment outdoors at Orange County National Golf Club. The gloomy week of rain and cold, in fact, might have made for a more robust show as it encouraged us to stay indoors.
“If you’re a pro from Pennsylvania hoping to come down here and play a little golf, you were a bit disappointed,” said one attendee who came from the northeast. “But then again, it was great for the show.”
Cobra LIMIT3D printed irons
Impressive turnout — despite Mother Nature
Indeed, attendance (more than 33,000 for the week) was robust, even on the last day, which is generally very light as more than a 1,000 exhibitors look to pack up and get out. And if you didn’t go to Demo Day, you could certainly head to the indoor Equipment Test Center on the convention center floor to try out many of the latest drivers, irons, and wedges from companies like Titleist, Cobra, Ping, and Callaway, just to name a few.
For example, we hit Cobra Golf’s innovative LIMIT3D 3D printed irons, and we can report that they are everything they’re cracked up to be. These premium clubs look like a muscle back with their compact head design, but inside they feature an internal lattice structure created by “topology optimization” software that enabled Cobra engineers to reposition 33 percent of the total clubhead weight to create what they call “the most forgiving blade you will ever hit.” Cobra also introduced the DS-ADAPT family of drivers and metalwoods with the new FutureFit33 Adjustable Hosel System, which allows for 33 unique loft and lie settings in each club.
Making a statement
Titleist made a big splash at the PGA Show, first with its newly refined 2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls as well as a new driver, fairway woods, hybrids, Bob Vokey wedges, and putters. The driver is the new GT1, which features an ultra-lightweight configuration that includes a lightweight shaft and grip to produce faster clubhead speeds and launch conditions for moderate swing speeds. The driver is joined by new lightweight GT1 fairway woods and hybrids, and like the drivers, they have deep centers of gravity and are super adjustable.
A big presence
Callaway had a huge presence, too, with its new Elyte line of drivers, fairways, hybrids, and irons as well as its new balls. We had a chance to hit the irons at Toptracer’s standalone “golf club” next door, (Callaway owns Toptracer), and can report that the Elyte X irons are visually appealing, had a great solid feel and sound at impact and seemed pretty easy to hit. Toptracer’s booth, by the way, was the largest in PGA Show history as the company showcased its new mobile range solutions. Also worth mentioning is that the German company Vice Golf had its biggest presence at the PGA Show to date. Known for its quality golf balls, Vice is introducing equipment that includes the gamut from drivers to putters at a value price.
Foot traffic
While golf clubs from Ping, Bridgestone, XXIO, Cleveland, Srixon, Yonex, and so many more headlined the show, there was so much more — such as shoes from FootJoy, Ecco, Nike, True, and Skechers, just to name a few. FootJoy, the leader in shoe sales for the past few decades, introduced its new Hyperflex, designed to “harness from any angle, across any lie, for complete control.”
Technology stands out
Perhaps nowhere was technology more impressive, however, than in the latest golf simulators, launch monitors and distance measuring equipment. The simulators, from companies like Uneekor, SkyTrack, Foresight, Full Swing, Flightscope, and HD Golf are more realistic than ever. The world is getting more than a glimpse of that with the new TGL Golf League (televised on ESPN), which uses Full Swing technology, so interest is peaking among golfers, especially as it gets more affordable.
Launch monitor data also can now be integrated into some rangefinders, including the new i4 Rangefinder from FlightScope. Ideally, the user can import data directly from one of the company’s launch monitors, like the Mevo+. In turn, the i4 not only calculates slope, but also figures in your own personal data as well as weather conditions and makes club recommendations throughout the round. You can also just input your data manually and get those recommendations. Amazing.
The definition of a show
The PGA Show also staged a fashion show as all the big names showed up. The theme continues to be tops, bottoms, and outerwear that are stylish both on and off the course. It seems the rules have been changing, and golf facilities (including private clubs) are breaking with tradition to draw and keep new generations of golfers. One newcomer that seems to have a pulse on that was Con.struct out of Arizona. It offers a line of apparel made from recycled material, with unique fun patterns that are designed to be worn untucked (but you can tuck them in if you want to).
Another highlight at the show was the New Product Zone. “Best New Product” Award winners included Pinned Golf’s portable GPS golf tablet, Heathlander golf shoes and knitwear, and Volle/GreenUp biodegradable golf tees made from coffee.
The PGA Show also offered opportunities for education with lots of seminars for attendees right on the floor. And there were plenty of celebrity appearances at company booths and the PGA Show stages from golfers like Brad Faxon, Jim Furyk, Lexi Thompson, Blair O’Neal, Stacy Lewis, Matt Fitzpatrick, Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko, and Annika Sorenstam, as well as Derek Jeter, Jim Nantz, and former NFL players Josh Dobbs, Marcus Jones, and Tyrell Adams.
As for the concert, that turned out to be Third Eye Blind, the third act during the show’s annual Winter Jam. Their hit songs included “How’s It Going to Be,” “Jumper,” and “Semi-Charmed Life,” the last of which certainly described the end of the week after 70,000 steps on the show floor.