There is nothing that makes spring feel around the corner more than an annual trip to the PGA Merchandise Show.
The thought of fresh-cut fairways, drinks at the turn and good friends is never more at the forefront than walking the miles of aisles while the warm sun shines down just outside.
The PGA Show is an annual opportunity for both well-established brands and garage-based dreamers to bring their newest products to the masses, while also providing those in the golf industry an invaluable opportunity to connect with friends – both old and new.
The 2026 edition marked the 11th time that I made the mid-January trip south. And while the PGA Show has had its ups and downs over the last decade or so, this year might have been the buzziest (and busiest!) Here are, appropriately enough, a foursome of takeaways from this year’s show.
GOLF IS HOT
I attended the PGA Show in 2021 while most of the world was still firmly navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and what to do and what could come next. That year, I declared the PGA Show would be finished – there would be no way this particular effort could continue.
Not only was there no buzz, but there was also no momentum or even signs things could turnaround.
Alas, I was wrong. Very wrong.
In 2024, you could feel the energy, and while I missed 2025, most people I spoke with said the 2026 edition was the busiest they’d ever seen it. Anecdotally, I agree, and the numbers don’t lie – about 1,000 exhibiting companies and brands across 1.1 million square feet of exhibition space.
The pandemic did, of course, bring in plenty of new golfers (Golf Canada recorded a historic high of 11.2 million scores posted in 2025. A lot of people are playing a lot of golf!) and remote work made it easier than ever to play more often. There was also a hearty boom in digital creators; golf on YouTube may not be for everyone, but there’s no denying its popularity. Most of the longest lines at the 2026 edition of the PGA Show were for a chance to meet content creators and influencers, who have helped to put golf literally at more people’s fingertips. It’s an insular setting – golf people talking about golf stuff – but the energy was undeniable.
CASUAL IS IN
The biggest trend while walking through the aisles of gear is how much key brands are thinking about multi-use pieces. Plenty of the new golfers don’t come from the game’s “traditional” settings and are used to wearing whatever feels comfortable to them. That’s had some facilities pivot their dress codes to be more inclusive.
All of the biggest brands in the game are recognizing this in spades and even the most classic of designers (think FootJoy or Levelwear) have items in their line that would look just as good with a pair of jeans as a part of shorts. There are also more style and more comfort, and on-course casual has gone from being something you might see late on a Friday night nine-and-dine to fairly standard fare.
CANADIANS ARE COOKING
It was a very special week for Canadian connections.
Some of the biggest and busiest booths through the week were Canadian – like Levelwear (which announced a fun and different kind of partnership with skate-and-surf brand Hurley just prior to the show) and Lululemon. This year also marked more than a decade for the brothers-founded and Nova Scotia-based Dormie Workshop, whose leather goods can be found in pro shops around the world and whose custom pieces continue to make waves on social media and in locker rooms.
The PGA of Canada also hosted its annual awards ceremony on Wednesday, during which all of the national award winners were appropriately feted.
A special and deserving shoutout to two of Golf Canada’s own, Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally, who took home two of the most notable nationwide trophies for their work in 2025.
“The single most important entity for me, being where I am right now, is Golf Canada,” said Ingram in his acceptance speech after winning the Ben Kern Coach of the Year award. “There is no way I’d be where I am without you, and I just want to thank you guys for putting your trust in me.”
“Golf Canada – it’s been 15 years this year. Thank you for being a phenomenal company to work for and giving me an opportunity to make a difference,” said Mullally, who won the Tex Noble Professional Development Award in recognition of his contributions to coach education, mentorship and the advancement of professional development in Canada.
THE BEST KEEP GETTING BETTER
While there is always a feel-good story at the PGA Show of a little-engine-that-could kind of brand that comes from nowhere, at the end of the day, the brands that have been a huge part of golf for so long are often the headline stealers – and for good reason.
Whether it’s adidas or FootJoy’s new shoes for 2026, Levelwear’s new line of polo shirts, Foresight’s latest simulator tech, Puma’s freshest gear launch, or Titleist’s golf balls – which continue to be No.1 in the game year after year – the stuff that’s been long trusted by so many just, somehow, continues to improve.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to Titleist’s quality and consistency. As a professional golfer, the whole job is to hit the ball when you want to and where you want to – and if you can eliminate any variables, that’s 101,” said Frederick Waddell, Titleist’s director of golf ball product management. “That was the promise in 1935, and that’s the promise today. Our track record of delivering that for players is what brings them to our product time and time again.”
With the top brands in the game continuing to put out some seriously good stuff – along with unprecedented buzz for the game we love – the 2026 PGA Show was a success on a lot of fronts.
And now, if this snow would just start melting already…
