GBR Friday | From Inbox to Bay Economics: How the PGA Show 2026 Signals Golf’s Shift to Operational Efficiency
Connecting the dots across golf’s business, media, and professional landscape
Good morning, GBR community,
I was speaking with one of our readers yesterday and we were talking about how golf, this sport that has been played over hundreds of years and with so many traditions lends itself beautifully to cutting edge technology. From launch monitors, intelligent software that helps manage club operations effectively to motion capturing video technology for swing analysis, golf is embracing what modern technology can offer.
Next week’s PGA Show mixes established giants of the golf industry with startups all looking at solving solutions of how to make the game easier for golfers and how golf operations can become smarter and more profitable.
Today’s newsletter casts the spotlight and some of the companies that have caught our eye who will be exhibiting their latest designs and tech at the Orange County Convention Center.
Enjoy today’s read and your weekend.
EMAIL ISN’T WORKING: INSIDE GOLF’S $100 MILLION COMMUNICATION PROBLEM
With the PGA Show now only days away, today’s edition highlights several developments worth noting before the industry converges in Orlando.
Across facilities, a similar tension is becoming increasingly visible: email is no longer functioning as the backbone of member communication. Open rates are low, messages are buried in overcrowded inboxes, and time-sensitive updates often reach members too late to matter. The alternative, phone support, doesn’t solve the issue either: staff spend hours each week handling routine questions that offer little value but consume significant time.
According to data from the National Golf Foundation, the golf industry now spends an estimated $100 million per year on phone-based member support. A substantial amount, considering how much of it involves answering the same recurring questions:
“Is the range open?”
“What’s the dress code tonight?”
“Are carts restricted today?”
“Where do I register for the event?”
It’s not that clubs aren’t communicating; it’s that they’re communicating through channels that no longer match how members actually behave.
This is the backdrop for the introduction of Club Pilot, the new platform from Golf Pilot, making its debut this week at the PGA Show (Booth 3191). Rather than adding another tool to the mix, Club Pilot brings forward a mobile-first model structured around three components: targeted SMS communication, an AI concierge trained on the club’s own knowledge base, and a member app where schedules, information, and social activity converge.
The emphasis on text messaging reflects a simple reality: immediacy. SMS reaches members almost instantly, allowing clubs to communicate operational changes, open event registrations, or send reminders without depending on the uneven performance of email. The point is not to increase volume, but to improve relevance and timing.
The second component, Aimi, is an AI-driven assistant designed to handle routine questions by referring to the club’s policies, schedules, and operational details. When an unfamiliar query appears, it is routed to staff, whose response becomes part of the system going forward. Over time, a meaningful share of repetitive inquiries moves away from phone lines and into a more efficient digital workflow.
The third layer is the Golf Pilot app, already used by more than 4,000 golfers to organise games, track scores, and post results to the USGA. For clubs, it offers a familiar mobile environment where members can check events, stay engaged, and access information in a single place.
The broader context is straightforward: in 2026, most members organise their daily lives through their phones and expect the same immediacy from clubs that they receive from banking, travel, and hospitality. Continuing to rely primarily on email creates a widening gap—both in member experience and staff workload.
As the industry prepares for Orlando, the launch of Club Pilot raises a broader question rather than a purely technological one:
If golf facilities collectively spend $100 million a year answering routine questions by phone, how long can the inbox remain the industry’s default communication model?
🧭 More information available at Clubpilot.com
🏷️ ORLANDO · PGA SHOW 2026 — Find Club Pilot at Booth 3191 and say hello to the founder, Byron White. Tell him Tom Miranda sent you — haha
THE REVENUE-PER-BAY RACE: WHY MULTI-CUSTOMER RANGES ARE WINNING IN 2026
The quiet metric everyone will be watching in Orlando this year is revenue per bay. In a market where costs are rising and customer expectations keep shifting, operators are asking a simple question: how much value can I extract from every hitting position on my property?
For a growing number of facilities, the answer starts with one idea: a bay that only works for one type of customer is a wasted opportunity. The venues that are getting ahead are those turning each bay into a flexible asset that can serve golfers, social players, and corporate groups on the same technology stack.
That’s the space Inrange is occupying as the company continues to roll out its radar-based system across the US — and the financial impact is becoming increasingly visible. According to operators using the platform:
• Some Inrange-powered venues have seen revenue increases above 500%;
• A partner in Arizona reported a 45% jump in annualized revenue after switching their tech to Inrange.
• Several venues have generated more than $250,000 in corporate-event turnover in a single year with the right multi-bay product in place.
These gains are not tied solely to ball-tracking accuracy, but to how the software is purpose-built from day one to target three audiences:
• Golfers, who get 12–18 data points per shot and a structured environment that coaches can use for measurable improvement.
• Social and entertainment guests, who get intuitive games that turn the range into a leisure destination rather than a solitary practice stall.
• Events and corporate groups, who finally get multi-bay formats designed for them, formats that justify premium pricing and drive the highest per-booking yield.
If you want to see where this model is already in play, look at the venues that have signed on. Inrange now powers facilities such as Chelsea Piers, Clermont National, two Pinseekers locations, Palm Beach National, Dobson Ranch, Harbour Links, and Montauk Downs, with Bethpage set to join later this year. On top of that, nine more venues across seven states are due to go live in the coming months.
The strategic thread linking those sites is clear: operators want technology that can attract “every kind of customer to the range,” as Josh Bruwer, Director of Golf at The Golf Loft, puts it, while still feeling coherent as a single brand experience.
In 2026, the next layer sits on the performance side. Skills Lab, Inrange´s new purpose-driven practice product, is scheduled to launch in the first half of the year. It is designed to take the unknown out of data-heavy practice by analysing a player’s game and suggesting drills across five core areas, giving golfers a clearer sense of what to work on and why.
For operators flying into Orlando, the conversation around tech at the range is no longer about having a screen on the bay; it’s about turning every bay into a multi-customer, high-yield asset. Inrange is one of the companies shaping that conversation.
🌐 More information available at InrangeGolf.com
📍 ORLANDO · PGA SHOW 2026 — Visit Booth 713 and stop by the PGA Show Range, next to the putting green, to see the system in action and hit balls on the Inrange software yourself.
📰 Read the full story by Golf Bizz Review here
CLUBHAUS BRINGS MODERN HOSPITALITY TO THE COURSE — NO POS, NO EXTRA STAFF, NO FRICTION
Food & beverage is one of the most persistent operational pressure points for golf facilities: slow turn times, unpredictable beverage cart routes, missed orders and a member experience that often feels outdated compared to today’s hospitality standards.
Clubhaus offers a frictionless, mobile-first fix. Golfers can order food and drinks from anywhere on the course, with fulfillment arriving at the next hole or the turn. Staff receive all orders on a simple iPad, requiring no POS integration, no new hardware and no additional labor.
For operators flying into Orlando, the appeal is immediate. Clubhaus helps capture F&B demand the club previously missed, smooths pace of play and elevates the member and guest experience without adding operational complexity.
In a year when operators are looking for practical modernization rather than large-scale tech overhauls, Clubhaus stands out as a high-impact, low-friction solution that matches how golfers actually behave on the course.
Clubhaus will increase F&B orders by up to 20%, reduce round times by up to 15 minutes, and reduce calls to both the clubhouse and restaurant.
👉 More information available at JoinClubhaus.com
📍 ORLANDO · PGA SHOW 2026 — Visit the Clubhaus team at Booth 2484
📖 Read the full story by Golf Bizz Review here
THE LAST ARTISANS: WHY THE MEDAL MAKER TO KINGS IS FINALLY COMING TO GOLF
There is a striking disconnect in elite golf today. Bags are filled with $4,000 artisan irons and $800 milled putters, yet the tag hanging from the side is often a few-dollar piece of stamped metal or plastic. The result feels out of tune with the rest of the experience.
T&S Medals and Insignia, a family-owned Australian business with a 40-year history, operates in a completely different category. From day one, they have produced their medals in the same factory in Singapore, where some members of the team have been with them for 35 and even 40 years. Over that time, they have become the official medal makers for the Order of Australia and have crafted pieces presented to King Charles III and other global figures.
Instead of treating golf accessories as disposable, T&S applies the same standards they use for national honors: genuine hard enameling, hand-applied details, and a finish that looks and feels like jewelry rather than merchandise. Their message to high-end clubs is simple: if your members demand the best when they swing, the items that recognize their achievements should be held to the same standard.
Next week, they are bringing that philosophy to the PGA Show.
📍 ORLANDO · PGA SHOW 2026 — Visit T&S Medals and Insignia at Booth 3293
🔗 More information available at TandSMedals.com
📘 Read the full story by Golf Bizz Review here
CLIX BRINGS A SIMPLE, SMART SOLUTION TO ONE OF GOLF’S MOST FAMILIAR PROBLEMS
Many golfers know this ritual: glasses on for the tee shot, off to read a green, clipped to a collar, balanced on a hat, dropped in the cart, scratched on the fairway and occasionally lost between swings. Sunglasses are essential on the course, but golf has never offered a clean way to manage them.
CLIX, an emerging product from founder Sara Smith-Mena, approaches the issue with a straightforward idea: secure your sunglasses to the inside of your hat through a discreet magnetic system that locks them in place. The design is simple, neodymium magnets on the eyewear, a small magnetic anchor behind the sweatband, but the execution solves a universal annoyance.
For retailers and operators heading into Orlando, CLIX stands out for a reason that often separates successful show-floor discoveries from forgotten ones: people understand its value immediately. One demonstration, bring the glasses near the anchor, hear the click, see them stay, is enough.
With more golfers walking, more players wearing premium eyewear and rising interest in practical accessories, CLIX aligns cleanly with broader consumer trends. It’s a small idea with wide utility, the kind that spreads through word-of-mouth rather than hype.
🔗 More information available at TheClixProject.com
🎮 ORLANDO · PGA SHOW 2026 — Meet the team and try the CLIX demo firsthand at Booth 1798
🚩⛳ You can read the full feature story here.
HOW A SURGEON AND A MECHANIC BUILT THE MOST CUSTOMIZABLE PUTTER COMING TO ORLANDO
One of the most intriguing product stories heading into the PGA Show is not about a driver, a simulator, or a tracking system — but a putter. Myputter, by Swiss brand Myvicto, is built around a distinctive convex face designed to reduce skidding, stabilize the first moments of roll, and help players achieve more predictable distance control.
The founders behind the project come from an unexpected pairing: a precision mechanic and a cardiac surgeon. Their backgrounds shaped the philosophy of the product; movements must be controlled, tolerances must be exact, and randomness must be minimized. myputter reflects that mindset.
Beyond its engineering core, the putter is fully customizable. Players can tailor colors, grips, shafts, alignment lines, weights, engraving, and even lie angle preferences. Configurations such as armlock or broomstick are also possible. The goal is straightforward: if every golfer is different, every myputter must be too.
For golfers who prefer expert insights before configuring their model, the brand’s Virtual Fitting Experience allows players to submit three short videos for a personalized evaluation by Stéphane Barras, Golf Digest’s 2020 Best International Teacher.
📍 Stand 1018 at the PGA Show — Stop by to see the customizable myputter in person.
🌐 More info at myvicto.com — Learn about the engineering and performance behind the design.
📖 Read the full story by Golf Bizz Review here
FUNCTIONAL FABRIC FAIR WINTER EDITION: THE STRATEGIC RETURN OF SOURCING TO THE PGA SHOW
The busiest week in golf apparel is also the moment when many brands begin shaping their next season. This year, there is a new addition to the calendar that gives product teams a way to source high-performance materials without missing a minute of the action on the main floor.
Functional Fabric Fair powered by PERFORM ANCE DAYS® is debuting its Winter Edition inside the Orange County Convention Center (January 21–22), running concurrently with the PGA Show in the Tangerine Ballroom. Designed for golf, activewear, and outdoor brands, it brings more than 90 curated suppliers of sustainable, technical textiles back into the heart of Orlando’s show week.
For sourcing, design, and product leads, the value is twofold: efficient access to vetted innovators and the ability to integrate sourcing directly into a packed PGA Show agenda. Highlights include Textile-to-Textile recycling insights, a regulatory briefing on PFAS and Performance, and the Performance Colors F/W 2027/28 forecast by Nora Küehner.
With the two shows just steps apart, teams can evaluate materials in the morning, review product decisions on the main floor at midday, and return later for deeper discussions with suppliers. It is an unusually seamless sourcing experience at exactly the right time in the product cycle.
🧵 Full guide and registration available here → Explore the Winter Edition at the PGA Show
📖 Read the full story by Golf Bizz Review here
DRESSING FOR THE DAY: WHY LAYERED APPAREL IS SHAPING GOLFERS’ CHOICES IN 2026
ORLANDO — A golf round rarely unfolds in a single set of conditions. Early-morning chill, rising temperatures, wind exposure and physical fatigue all play a role over several hours of play. Heading into 2026, operators report growing demand for apparel that adapts throughout the day rather than forcing golfers to commit to a single-weight garment.
Dunning Golf’s Spring and Fall 2026 apparel is built around that reality. Base layers using COOLMAX® fabrics manage heat and moisture during active play, while ventilated mesh constructions improve airflow as physical demand increases. As conditions change, quarter-zips and mid-layers add controlled warmth without restricting movement. For colder moments, THERMOLITE® and PrimaLoft® provide lightweight insulation that preserves mobility.
Applied across polos, mid-layers, outer layers and bottoms, this layered system allows golfers to adjust as the round unfolds — and gives operators apparel that is worn repeatedly rather than rotated seasonally.
📍 ORLANDO · PGA SHOW 2026 — Discover Dunning Golf’s Spring & Fall 2026 apparel system at Booth 6156
🔗 More information available at Dunning.com
📖 Read the full story by Golf Bizz Review
HOW GN COLLECTION MAKES PERFORMANCE APPAREL EASIER TO MERCHANDISE IN 2026
As retailers prepare their 2026 assortments, many are prioritizing clarity over complexity: collections that are easy to explain, easy to merchandise and accessible to a broad range of golfers. Rather than chasing high-premium positioning, operators report stronger sell-through from apparel built around proven fabrics applied consistently across categories.
GN Collection’s men’s and women’s Spring and Summer/Fall 2026 offerings follow that approach. Performance fabrics such as ML75, PlayDry, Solar XP and Weatherknit are used across polos, layering pieces, bottoms and dresses, creating a coherent range that supports moisture management, stretch, sun protection and seasonal versatility without inflating price points.
For buyers, the value lies in predictability: consistent fit, repeatable fabric stories and assortments that merchandise cleanly across multiple deliveries.
📍 ORLANDO · PGA SHOW 2026 — Discover GN Collection’s Spring and Summer/Fall 2026 men’s and women’s assortments at Booth 5957
🔗 More information available at GNcollection.com
📖 Read the full story by Golf Bizz Review.
NEXT ROUND UNVEILS PERFORMANCE-BASED REWARDS PROGRAM TO BOOST PRO SHOP TRADE-IN REVENUE
Next Round has launched a new tiered, performance-based rewards program aimed at helping golf facilities unlock underutilised trade-in revenue while incentivising consistent staff participation, with the initiative set to be showcased next week at the PGA Show.
During a three-week pilot in October, participating clubs generated approximately $120,000 in trade-in value across more than 700 transactions, including more than $20,000 at Army Navy Country Club alone. “It’s designed to simplify the trade-in process for staff and provide golf facilities with high-value rewards,” said Steve Stoloff, Founder and President of Next Round, adding that the objective is to increase pro shop revenue while improving the member upgrade experience.
Since launch, Next Round has helped more than 700 private clubs generate over $8 million in member value by managing the entire trade-in workflow, from inspection and valuation to resale and marketing, without adding operational burden to club staff.
The new rewards structure directly links incentives to cumulative trade-in performance, with facilities earning rewards across three tiers:
Gold Tier ($20K+) – Premium wine collection, Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year, or a $2,000 Ireland travel experience
Silver Tier ($10K+) – Opus One Napa Valley, Pappy Van Winkle 10 Year, or a $1,000 Bahamas travel experience
Bronze Tier ($5K+) – Overture by Opus One, Blanton’s Single Barrel, or a $500 dining credit
“All trade-ins processed through the Next Round portal between January 1 and March 31 count toward a facility’s total, with clubs free to select the reward that best fits their team,” the company said. Jonathan Sands, Director of Retail at Army Navy Country Club, described the platform as “a turnkey, low-effort program that delivers real value to both members and the pro shop,” citing incremental retail revenue, improved member satisfaction and sustainability benefits from keeping quality clubs in circulation.
Next Round will demonstrating its new rewards program at booth 2454.
Looking forward to seeing more from the show - lots of new ideas by the sounds of it. From a UK perspective, I was surprised to see an SMS based solution from Club Pilot. Over here email has never worked tbh but whatsapp does. Club and society members use it for everything so I do wonder why clubs have not cottoned on