The 2017 PGA Show Was A Bust

Heyericb · January 31, 2017

A waterproof golf bag. Repackaged launch monitor. New clubs. Epic

I am very underwhelmed by the 2017 PGA Show from my armchair: new clubs and new clothes. Same ol' same old!

Training aids usually provide the most interesting stories. I've seen zero new contraptions. Zero new companies. I'm spoiled, sorry, not sorry.

JonnyKrasnodar · February 1, 2017

Did you not try puttout training aid? Where you have to hit it hard enough to get it past the hole as it were?

Seems to be a lot activity and buzz around that just now.

freddy1682 · February 1, 2017

A waterproof golf bag. Repackaged launch monitor. New clubs. Epic

I am very underwhelmed by the 2017 PGA Show from my armchair: new clubs and new clothes. Same ol' same old!

Training aids usually provide the most interesting stories. I've seen zero new contraptions. Zero new companies. I'm spoiled, sorry, not sorry.

Have you ever actually been to the show??

tbowles411 · February 1, 2017

A waterproof golf bag. Repackaged launch monitor. New clubs. Epic

I am very underwhelmed by the 2017 PGA Show from my armchair: new clubs and new clothes. Same ol' same old!

Training aids usually provide the most interesting stories. I've seen zero new contraptions. Zero new companies. I'm spoiled, sorry, not sorry.

Have you ever actually been to the show??

I'm going to go out on a limb and say, "No."

This show is not for the OP (or any other customer) per se. As someone who's been to three of them, including the one last week, it was networking and frankly, a show for folks within the industry. Again, not for customers. They're trying to sell to me and convince my store owner to bring them in. Sounds cruel, but that's what it is. Now what it's turned into, is this marketing thing for the public. It's a marker for what's new and awesome. But if stores and accounts don't carry their products, they make less money and the reps in many ways, take the brunt.

freddy1682 · February 1, 2017

The photos on here are awesome. But remember, this is a small fraction of everything at the show. I am not sure what the total count was for this year, but there are literally hundreds if not thousands of vendors. It is difficult to see everything if you attend all 3 days of the show. That's how large the show really is.

So to say "a couple new clubs, new clothes and a new bag" is ridiculously out of whack. Hence why I was asking if you've ever actually been.

RichieHunt · February 1, 2017

I didn't attend the show this year but I've attended it each of the previous 5 years.

I wanted to go, but couldn't. Everybody I talked to said that the show was not good at all. On the day of the show a friend showed me a panoramic photo of the demo day at OCN and I was surprised by how much more open it was. When I have been there the range was usually jam packed although I could see it being less filled in 2016.

The best one I had been to was the 2011 show which was the second one I had attended (I attended one back in the 90's). Every OEM was there, there were tons of training aids and lots of boutique companies that had something to offer.

Part of the issue is that boutique companies have some pretty interesting stuff, but the charges on them are outrageous as we now see $1,800 golf shafts. And their stuff is so expensive that the are not participating in demo day and nobody is really interested in it due to the price tag.

Another issue is that companies have gotten into the radar launch monitor and stats tracking devices...but, once you have seen one you have seen them all. And there are tons of them. Now companies are getting into virtual reality and give it a couple of years and it will be the same thing...nobody really differentiating themselvesj

Products also get released now in October or November and 50% of the country has already seen these clubs. There's very little in the debut of a club or a piece of equipment at the show.

I always look forward to the Edel booth because they do it right, especially for a boutique company. They have all of their high end, outrageous price stuff there, but they have plenty of stuff that is affordable. They usually debut something new at each show whether it is the wedges, torque balanced putters, the Brick or their new irons. And their equipment is different and sells the attendees on it being superior to other equipment.

I think the show may need to reconsider when it takes place because OEM's are not going to care to debut their equipment at the show. It may also need to take a seriously look at how much they charge if the exhibitor attendance keeps declining.

RH

PreppySlapCut · February 1, 2017

Part of it is the timing. It used to be that pros, particularly in the Northeast, did a lot of their business for the coming season. Now, it's more of an excuse to get away for a couple days, see old friends, and find some Diamond in the rough products. We already had all of our Spring and most of our Summer lines ordered by Dec. 1. Takes a lot of the fun out of it, for me.