Last week marked my 35th PGA Show in attendance. I remain in awe of the passion, entrepreneurialism, innovation and talent defining the golf industry. Those who make it big-time keep the complex simple, solving problems and annoyances, and generally making lives more enjoyable. Here are 12 companies with easy-to-love theses:
- A. PUTNAM – A few years ago, company namesake Ali Putnam and I first met in a hotel lobby when she was schlepping boxes from her car. Chivalry is hardly dead, as I helped the haul and offered pointers for the brand’s maiden exhibition. Flash forward to A. PUTNAM becoming a country club darling, selling through at lightning speed thanks largely to its signature Resort-to-Sport collection. Designed to transition seamlessly from the course to every part of life, A. PUTNAM blends performance, sophistication and comfort, empowering women to look and feel their best wherever the day takes them. A friend analogized the brand to “Peter Millar, but much better, for women.”
- AM GOLF – Dubbed “The Passport to Everything in Golf,” the company is dominant in Europe and leveraged the PGA Show to launch a U.S. Golf operation led by industry veteran Kevin Carpenter. Here’s why: it built two products: (1) a one-stop, all-inclusive, app for golfers; and (2) management software for golf courses, country clubs, resorts and other golf businesses. The affordable, AM GOLF AI-infused SaaS operates behind the scenes to automate scheduling, scoring, communications and more across the entire golf ecosystem. AM GOLF handles repetitive and time-consuming tasks, so everyone effortlessly focuses on playing, managing and growing the game. A significant advancement – not a copycat – of what’s in the market already, AM GOLF is the official supplier of World Handicap System for 14 national golf associations.
- BOAST – I wore this brand’s polos and shorts playing high school and college tennis. And to this day, BOAST hasn’t lost its edge in racquet sports along with an extension to golf. Founded in 1973 as the “Original American Tennis Brand,” it embodies a spirit of lighthearted irreverence, injecting wit and attitude into the traditional country club sports culture in incredibly clean, elegant and elevated ways. Now under relatively new ownership, CEO Matt Feuer and team are building on BOAST’s classic lifestyle aesthetic with timeless silhouettes and refined details crafted from elevated materials, including Peruvian Pima cotton, warp-knit and whisper-knit fabrics designed for both sport and everyday pursuits.
- FAIRWAYiQ – This company didn’t exhibit yet catching up with Founder and CEO Dave Vanslette was sheer delight. FAIRWAYiQ is redefining the industry in a much-needed way. Utilizing GPS sensor technology, the system tracks golf carts, caddies and walkers, while offering a user-friendly cart screen to enhance player experiences. Tighter cart control, fewer violations, better pace of play and enhanced turf protection are among the results. Trust by names-you-know golf courses, resorts and communities across North America is beyond reproach.
- Galvin Green – Near and dear to my heart, I’ve sported the same Galvin Green jacket for a dozen years and it still looks brand new. Call it indestructible having traversed the globe in my suitcase and on my body, defying Mother Nature’s wrath. Galvin Green’s colorful booth featured a host of ultra-premium, eco-conscious product collections, highlighted by the performance-driven 2026 Part Two collection and eye-catching capsule collections in a relaxed, premium setting. The affable Per Agren and Lou Delfino lead the charge.
- GENIUS – This booth was buzzing like no other – we’re talking standing room only. Putting guru and two-time major champion Dave Stockton – flanked by fellow coaches and sons Dave, Jr. and Ron – demonstrated GENIUS with aplomb. The new, first-of-its-kind golf ball featuring embedded electronics that captures crucial putting data, GENIUS was developed over five years of intense R&D by leading golf ball engineers formerly with Titleist, TaylorMade and Srixon. Velocity, launch angle, side spin, skid distance, roll characteristics, deceleration pattern, consistency across strokes, green speed and other performance metrics are processed using proprietary algorithms, then delivered via Bluetooth to the GENIUS app on a user’s smartphone. Instant, actionable feedback specific to each user’s unique putting stroke along with guided sessions improve alignment, direction and distance control, skid and roll quality, lag putting and other core disciplines. I can’t say enough about this technology – putting accounts for 40% of total strokes on average and, until now, didn’t have much by way of data-driven purpose to properly and intuitively practice.
- Landscapes Golf Management – Yet another company that didn’t exhibit, but I was appreciatively able to spend time with its leadership. Folks, Landscapes Golf Management is arguably the smartest and most well-oiled third-party operator of golf courses, country clubs and resorts across America. I’ve come to realize over the years that inherent character, an insatiable appetite to hone skills and systems promoting efficiencies unwaveringly represent three of the most important components of high performance. Tom Everett, Mark Mattingly, Mike Williams and Scot Wellman lead the way. It’s amazing how the end-to-end team is easy to work with (an undervalued skill) and figures out the most prudent ways to lift its clients’ businesses.
- Lightspeed – In speaking with company brass, it’s no surprise Lightspeed has risen to the No. 1 provider of advanced golf management software and credit card processing that powers thousands of golf courses, country clubs and resorts worldwide. Single- and multi-course-and-amenity operators consistently report significant spikes in topline revenue and profitability after switching to Lightspeed technology. They cite staff efficiency, expense reduction, marketing automation, data management and other easy-to-administer and robust Lightspeed tools among the contributors. Key to Lightspeed’s market surge is its new Business Intelligence Module that provides golf course operators faster and deeper insights into their performances, all the while assisting in decision-making sans guesswork. The platform consolidates data from tee sheets, retail, food-and-beverage and other amenities and activities into a single, straightforward dashboard with lightning-quick load time.
- ParOne – No booth for good reason. The golf technology company specializing in building superior tools for video distribution and management is on a quiet roll, and its meeting calendar was full dawn to dusk. ParOne Founder and CEO JR Charles has assembled an incredibly reputable technology development team that diligently works for many of golf’s top companies and tours. It has rolled out GolfCentral.TV and AI Video Advisor, two ventures it owns, which are gaining remarkable traction in the marketplace. If you haven’t spoken with JR, suggest you do so. ParOne is combination CTO and CRO – we don’t come across that often enough in golf.
- Williams Athletic Club – Anytime Wayne Webster is on the leadership team of a golf-lifestyle apparel company, it’s gotta be good. And with Founder Susi Proudman, formerly of Aritzia, Lululemon and Nike, and it’s no wonder the Williams Athletic Club booth was full of excitement. Merchandisers from discerning clubs were wowed by the women’s wear, including the debut of The Monogram Edit, a refined spring capsule featuring a lightweight skirt and polo set designed for golf and tennis, balancing ease of movement with understated elegance.
Post-Script I – More companies doing great things in golf: Bridgestone, ECCO, Golf as Life, Golf District, LOHLA SPORT, Noteefy, Rhone, Thor Guard, Tumi and UST Mamiya.
Post-Script II – It is the epitome of rewarding to spend time with longstanding friends. New meetups from different latitudes also contribute to the enjoyment of this business. The PGA Show clearly confirms there’s nothing like witnessing nice people do nice things for other nice people. You know who you are, and we’re all grateful for it.