I’ve attended every PGA Show in Orlando since 1985, and while my aching back and feet might disagree at the end of every day, there’s an excitement and energy that comes from the Show that’s hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it.  Just about everyone and everything of importance in the world of golf equipment, apparel, and miscellaneous golf product are under one roof for what used to be 5 full days, and today is 3 show days plus a demo day.

This year the weather for the Demo Day at Orange County National’s Range on Tuesday was nearly perfect, sunny and mid 70’s, perhaps a bit more wind than ideal, but far better than many of the cold and windy days we’ve endured before.  And there were more attendees than ever hitting balls, talking “shop”, and testing all manners of unique devices to improve everyone’s game.

Attendance on the floor seemed steady but not overwhelming.  Of course when the weather is as nice as it was during Show week 2017, the call of the golf course is strong for many, and I would not be surprised to hear many of the local golf courses had full tee sheets this week.

But more important than pure foot traffic, was the calm but positive “buzz” that seemed to pulsate thru the show.  Positive energy is hard to quantify, and certainly does not guarantee a good year at the cash register, however the overall tenor of the attendees suggests the upcoming year could well see some upside in sales.