PGA Show 2023
by Erin Grier
Greetings ETees Community! It’s Erin Grier here and I just want to say what a week! I have just come back from the PGA Show 2023 and what a time it really was. If you don’t know what the PGA Show is, it is a time where thousands off companies come down from the golf world to promote or show off new products from clubs, balls, clothing to new trinkets here and there. I didn’t go in as a vendor with a booth to set up but I went as someone who was trying to mix and mingle and learn to network. Let me tell you, it was totally worth my time. There were so many people from all over the U.S. and even the world that was there! It was so amazing! Let’s start off the on the very first day.
The First day at the PGA Show 2023
The first was so exciting and it all seemed like a rush! My business partner, Morris Finley, and I pulled up to the DEMO Fitting Day. This was super pretty cool! The energy in the air was super positive and people were excited! The entire event was located at this huge driving range and it had vendors that were set up along the outside of it forming this ginormous circle. There were vendors from Titleist, Cobra, to even Mizuno! At this event also were guest appearances from Lexi Thompson who is one LPGA’s superstars and 11 time LPGA Champion and Kyle Berkshire who has won 6 World’s Longest Drive Events. To get up and personal with Lexi, was amazing! She has so much charisma and poise but she was so easy going. It definitely felt like yes fans were there to ask golf related questions but also she just wanted chill and kind of let people in to know who she is as a person. It was a dope experience for sure. We found out that she usually swings every club around 75% and she hits her 8 iron a whopping 155 yards. She is definitely one of the longer players on the LPGA. Make sure to checkout my Youtube Channel of the PGA Show live up close and personal to these two amazing superstars of the golf world. Kyle came up shortly after and was getting some pretty methodical questions. His seemed more so of a show than an actual get to know the person but it was pretty cool to see him shellack a 1 iron 320 yards. They had to custom make his clubs because he swings so hard with such speed that any ordinary club would disintegrate in his hand which is insane! I was able to get and keep one of his golf tees!
Day 2 was entirely different! We were at the convention center in Orlando and I will tell you, it was HUGE! If you envisioned like a hangar that had thousands of rows of lights, that’s exactly what it looked like inside! It was entirely massive, and there were golf booths everywhere. It was a bit overwhelming at first because it is just so many different companies crammed in one area, I wasn’t even sure what to look at at first. After time, we eventually made our way to areas and started to network with the vendors and other people to see how things work. Eventually we made our way to one of the conference rooms and met Jim Thorpe 3X PGA Tour Champion. It was so great to see him and meet him in this atmosphere. Later that night, were invited by the brand owner and CEO of Deuce out for dinner! It was a pleasure to be able to talk with him and other great golf minds that were impacting different ways. It was a great roundtable discussion. I quickly realized that here is where networking would be most beneficial as I ran into a couple guys from Jacksonville there.
Day 3 Was more of the same as day 2. The only thing I will add is that we actually tried out some of the golf clubs from Mizuno which I believe were blades. They felt super nice when you hit them but they hurt when you caught it thin LOL. Another highlight of the day was that we met social and golf influencer Roger Steele. And he was super humble, it was dope to see him and get a chance to interact with him. I caught site of Coach Rusty chilling near the the back of the Exhibit hall too, that was cool.
You could just tell the PGA is a club of extreme inclusivity and you it is truly who you know to help thrive in this industry. The businesses that thrive are the big brands and they have the bulk of the marketshare but there is a lot of room to grow. The industry needs newer brands to be engaged in it and grow as well! Again networking proved to be a huge component and success. Im so glad I went, and if you are reading this thank you for coming along with me on my journey as we build this ETees Golf Brand . Until next time, check out our video PGA Show 2k23
Peace!
