2017 PGA Show Round Up - Orlando Blooms
All the latest and greatest products from Demo Day at the 2017 PGA Show in Orlando
2017 PGA Show Round Up - Technical Editor Joel Tadman discovers all the latest and greatest products from Demo Day at the 2017 PGA Show in Orlando
Every year, the golf industry descends on Orlando, Florida, for a humongous get together of handshakes, pleasantries and outlining of plans for the next 12 months.
It is considered a roughly accurate gauge as to the state of the industry that year, based on the number of people in attendance and the general vibe.
Demo day is arguably the highlight of the week. It combines live demonstrations, tour pro appearances and opportunities for golfers to try the latest kit in what was thankfully a sunny and warm day on the 360°, 42-acre driving range at Orange County Golf Center.
Walking around the entire circumference of the circle takes some time, not just because it is so far but because you can’t help but stop and see what’s going on at each stand. A lot of the products we’ve already seen but not tried while others are nothing short of bizarre and need to be seen to be believed.
With all the eccentric inventions on display, it was still the mainstream brands that were grabbing the attention on demo day. Big queues were found on the Callaway and TaylorMade stands to try out the Epic and M franchises respectively, while there was also a buzz around the Wilson stand, although the free beer may have contributed to this.
I had a go on a Golf Board – an unusual experience but one that could certainly make golf more fun and now, alternatives such as push bikes, scooters and motorbikes provide even more alternatives to the traditional golf buggy used so well across the pond.
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The SuperSpeed Golf training aid is gaining traction on Tour so many were keen to find out what the fuss was about while there were also big crowds on the Foresight Sports stand following the launch of the GCQuad launch monitor. Not only does it feature a larger hitting space as well as a host of other tech improvements, you can soon smash and kill zombies with golf balls on the FSX simulator software, which makes practice much more enjoyable!
Other highlights included the Toulon putters by Odyssey, finally getting to hit the Wilson Staff Triton driver (it’s very good, by the way) and a crazy product called Ice Block putters (above), which are made from a large piece of acrylic for a soft feel and stand up on their own so you can crouch behind it check alignment.
To top it all off, there were clinics from Bubba Watson, Russell Knox and Bryson DeChambeau, who was also joined on the range by five-year-old, one-armed golfer Tommy Morrisey, a true inspiration to us all and someone who really puts my frustration at golfing inconsistency into perspective.
Joel Tadman is Golf Monthly technical editor. Contact him at joel.tadman@timeinc.com or follow him on Twitter @joeltadman
Joel has worked in the golf industry for over 12 years covering both instruction and more recently equipment. He now oversees all product content here at Golf Monthly, managing a team of talented and passionate writers and presenters in delivering the most thorough and accurate reviews, buying advice, comparisons and deals to help the reader find exactly what they are looking for. So whether it's the latest driver, irons, putter or laser rangefinder, Joel has his finger on the pulse keeping up to date with the latest releases in golf. He is also responsible for all content on irons and golf tech, including distance measuring devices and launch monitors.
One of his career highlights came when covering the 2012 Masters he got to play the sacred Augusta National course on the Monday after the tournament concluded, shooting a respectable 86 with just one par and four birdies. To date, his best ever round of golf is a 5-under 67 back in 2011. He currently plays his golf at Burghley Park Golf Club in Stamford, Lincs, with a handicap index of 3.2.
Joel's current What's In The Bag?
Driver: Titleist TSR3, 9°
Fairway wood: Titleist TSR3, 15°
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2, 18°
Irons: Ping i230 4-UW
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8, 54°. Titleist Vokey SM9 60° lob wedge, K Grind
Putter: Evnroll ER2V
Ball: 2023 Titleist Pro V1x
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