Golf Datatech Research Estimates Gambling on Professional Golf to be Close to $5 Billion Market

With golf season in full-swing, Golf Datatech, LLC, the golf industry’s leading independent market research firm for retail sales, consumer, and trade trends, today unveiled the first-ever “Gambling & Golf Study,” providing insights into the state of wagering on the game, both during every day recreational play, as well betting on professional golf tournaments.

Gambling and golf have always gone hand in hand, and betting on the sport has entered a new phase that transcends buddies betting on their weekly match to wagering over the 40-week professional tournament season. This study provides insights into the current state of this new world order in golf gambling, based on a survey of 1,000 Serious Golfers.

Introducing the Spring 2022 FootJoy x Todd Snyder Collection

How would golf’s most iconic players from the Sixties and Seventies dress if they stepped onto the links today?

The answer is this spring’s Todd Snyder x FootJoy Collection. Building on FootJoy’s almost 100 year history as a leader in performance and comfort, Snyder designed a capsule collection of polos, windbreakers, hoodies, cardigans, shorts, joggers, caps, and golf shoes that are inspired by vintage golf style yet reinvented for the modern gent.

Going Low: Trio of Medalists Shoot 128 in Birmingham

Go low or go home. That’s a motto often heard at PGA Tour events, but it also applies for the 7th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at the Country Club of Birmingham.

Following 36 holes of stroke play on the club’s East and West courses, a score of 8-under-par 133 was required to qualify for match play, a championship record by two shots. In all, 95 of the 128 sides posted under-par totals for 36 holes.

Ace Indoor Golf Gimme Simulators Names Trevor Faust President

Ace Indoor Golf and Gimme Simulators, the industry’s leading builder, designer and installer of golf simulator hardware and technology, has named industry veteran Trevor Faust its new president. Faust brings more than 15 years of progressive entrepreneurial management experience, from general manager roles to executive sales posts with strategic and business development responsibilities focused on revenue growth.

“We’re excited about the direction Ace Indoor Golf and Gimme Simulators are poised to take with the direction, experience and industry savvy of our new company President Trevor Faust,” says Co-Founder Joe Neumeyer. “We couldn’t have asked for someone more ideally suited to this role. Trevor knows how to sell, market and fulfill world-class indoor experiences like few others in this business. His energy and ingenuity will help drive our success as the Ace and Gimme become more household names in indoor golf.”

Lawsuit Filed Against PGA Tour and Fortinet Championship

The Dovel & Luner law firm on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against PGA TOUR, Inc. and Fortinet, Inc. for failing to compensate Plaintiff 1440 Sports Management Ltd. for its role in creating the Fortinet Championship, a major golf tournament in Napa, California.

The Complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that PGA Tour and Fortinet broke their promises and were unjustly enriched after refusing to compensate 1440 Sports for securing Fortinet as a sponsor for the PGA’s Napa golf tournament.

GOLFFOREVER Signs World Number 1 Scottie Scheffler as Brand Ambassador

GOLFFOREVER – the leading at-home golf fitness training system that helps golfers play without limits – is proud to announce a new partnership with world-No. 1 golfer, Scottie Scheffler.

The newly-minted Masters champion, who leads the 2022 FEDEX Cup Standings with nearly twice as many points as his closest chaser, has won four times on the PGA TOUR since he began using GOLFFOREVER’s groundbreaking training system that pairs the first-ever multi-use golf fitness and warmup tool with video-streaming routines for flexibility, speed, power and injury recovery in the GOLFFOREVER app. Scheffler will represent the brand by appearing in GOLFFOREVER video content and advertisements, using the GOLFFOREVER Training System in a similar capacity to how he uses it in his own daily routines.

Bonita National Golf Hosts Dog Reception to Benefit Els for Autism

Bonita National Golf and Country Club recently concluded a month of fundraising events to benefit the Els for Autism Foundation with a one-of-a-kind Dog Reception. 25 dogs (and their owners) attended the reception, which featured samples of Ernie Els Champion Pet Products as well as prizes donated by PetSmart and Sunshine Ace Hardware.

The fun, dog-themed reception capped off a month of fundraising activities by the club to benefit the Foundation. In total, Bonita National raised $3,000 from events that included a 5k walk/run, golf events, a South African-themed steak night, golf tournament raffles, and artisan market contributions. The Dog Reception alone raised $287 through donations and contributions.

PXG Throws All-American Grand Opening of New Fairfax Store

This weekend, PXG honored its roots during an event that exuded red, white, and blue in celebration of the opening of its PXG Fairfax store. Military veterans, notables, athletes, and clients alike, joined PXG Founder and CEO, Bob Parsons and President and Executive Creative Director of Apparel, Renee Parsons, for the all-American celebration of the new retail store.

Opening a storefront in Fairfax, VA was a natural choice for www.pxg.com as the Washington, DC metro area ranks the 7th largest golf market in the country based on number of golfers. The area also boasts 79 golf courses in a 20-mile radius, including some of the most famed private courses in the region and the much-respected Army Navy Country Club. Located at 9600 Main Street STE P, Fairfax, VA, 22031, less than an hour away from Bob Parsons’ hometown of Baltimore, MD, and just outside of Washington, DC, the state-of-the-art facility supports an unparalleled shopping experience for golfers and non-golfers alike.

Daphne's Headcovers Launches Golden Bear Headcover

Daphne’s Headcovers has launched an iconic Golden Bear headcover celebrating the game’s greatest player. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Nicklaus Children’s Hospitals.

This week marks the moment these very special Golden Bear headcovers are available.  Complete with the famed and legendary Jack Nicklaus signature and  famous blue eyes to match Mr. Nicklaus’s “steely blues.”

Broadmoor Golf Club to Host 2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has announced that Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle, Wash., will host the 62nd U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, which will be played Sept. 21-26, 2024.

“The USGA is excited to bring the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship to Broadmoor Golf Club,” said Tracy Parsons, championship director. “This championship showcases senior women’s golf and encourages women to play competitively through all stages of life. These athletes embody the spirit and passion of the amateur game and will undoubtedly enjoy this challenging course.”

Future SEC Rivals Team Up for Record 61 in Birmingham

Over the next four years, Carter Loflin and Wells Williams will be heated rivals in the Southeastern Conference at the University of Georgia and Vanderbilt University, respectively.

But at the 7th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship this week at the Country Club of Birmingham, they get to play on the same team, and on Saturday they set a record. On a gorgeous day in central Alabama that was briefly interrupted by a late-afternoon thunderstorm, the two 18-year-olds carded a 9-under-par 61 on the 6,611-yard East Course to establish an 18-hole championship scoring record.

Inaugural LIV Golf Invitational London to Feature Array of Immersive Fan Activities

LIV Golf has unveiled initial details on the array of fan activities taking place June 9-11 at Centurion Club, site of the first-ever LIV Golf Invitational Series tournament. All General Admission tickets will be all-inclusive of the unique activations that will engage fans of all ages in celebration of the game of golf.

Gates will open at 11 a.m. all three days of tournament play in advance of the 2 p.m. shotgun start, so guests can enjoy and take part in all of the interactive activities onsite. Grounds passes will allow fans to walk the course, view the tournament from select viewing platforms and grant entry to the massive Fan Village. This immersive area will celebrate the spirit of London with Covent Garden-style street performers and a food and drink festival atmosphere inspired by the best of Borough Market. A specially designed Kids Zone will also engage youth with children’s entertainers, face painting, soft play equipment for climbing, ‘crazy golf’ putting challenges, and educational activations based on STEM lessons.

Club Champion Opens 100th Fitting Studio

Fresh off of international expansion news, the globe’s top custom golf club fitter, Club Champion, is celebrating another massive achievement: 100 stores. With the addition of five international studios and a flurry of domestic openings, the brand is now on track to have 115 studios worldwide by the end of the year.

Now considered the premier custom club fitter worldwide, Club Champion offers Tour-quality club fittings and custom-built clubs for every level of golfer. Each state-of-the-art fitting studio houses over 50,000 hittable head and shaft combinations from over 60 golf manufacturers, alongside the best technology and talent the industry has to offer. Club Champion’s brand-agnostic approach has propelled them from a regional Chicagoland business to an award-winning international chain on an unprecedented growth trajectory.

Arccos Launches New Wearable Gen 2 Arccos Link

Hot on the heels of releasing its next generation Smart Sensors, Arccos Golf– pioneer of big data and Artificial Intelligence for golf – has today launched a new and improved Link to meet growing demand for its automatic shot tracking wearable first introduced two years ago.

Designed to be worn on a player’s belt, waistband or pocket the new Arccos Link (Gen2) offers golfers the next level tech for the next level of performance, thanks to the capacity to automatically record shots without having to carry a phone on the course. As well as its sleeker look and improved clip functionality, the new device incorporates advanced microphone enhancements with GORE® protective vents to deliver the most reliable, high quality shot tracking performance in golf.

LIV Golf Announces 2023-2025 Expanded Event Schedule

LIV Golf has announced an ongoing commitment to golf’s global growth via an expanded 2023-2025 event schedule, highlighted by a $2 billion investment that promises to unlock the sport’s untapped worldwide potential and grow the game’s audience for the next generation. The investment will be used to fund ongoing expansion and prize purses for the new LIV Golf schedule.

The new schedule includes 10 events in 2023 followed by a full season of 14 events in 2024 and 2025. Tournaments will take place across the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and North America.

Shot Scope Introduces Game Analysis Tool for V3 Smart Watch and Pro LX+ GPS Powered Rangefinder

Shot Scope (www.shotscope.com), a leading international manufacturer of GPS-based distance tracking and game performance systems, continues to push technological boundaries with the introduction of a new course and hole analysis tool for golfers. The new feature provides golfers with course-specific statistics along with a comprehensive map of how they typically perform at any given course. The new innovation will be most beneficial for a golfer’s home course, where they traditionally track multiple rounds that can be broken down into useful data.

The new game analysis feature is available as a FREE download to all Shot Scope customers who are currently using a product with shot tracking technology, including the award-winning V3 Smart Watch, the PRO LX+ — golf’s first laser rangefinder to feature GPS-powered distances and artificial intelligence for personalized performance tracking – and the new H4 game tracker. It is accessible on Shot Scope’s online dashboard and through the mobile app.

Harbour Town Adds Fresnel Lens to Iconic Lighthouse

The iconic Harbour Town Lighthouse at The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island has added an exciting chapter to its storied history with the installation of a genuine Fresnel lens to further the power of the light that blossoms from the top.

Just over five decades old, the red-and-white striped Lighthouse — featured prominently in CBS’ coverage last month of the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage golf tournament — serves not only as a beacon to the many ships that reside in the Yacht Basin but also as a landmark that symbolizes the region and the resort.

Nicklaus Company Appoints Phil Cotton as Chief Executive Officer

The board of Nicklaus Companies have announced the appointment of Phil Cotton as Chief Executive Officer. An experienced sports industry business leader, Phil will succeed John Reese, who is transitioning to Vice Chairman at Nicklaus Companies after more than 10 years as CEO.

Reporting to Executive Chairman, Howard Milstein, Phil will oversee the existing businesses and teams of Nicklaus Brands, Nicklaus Design as well as all corporate relationships and new business opportunities. Phil will work closely with business heads Andy O’Brien, President of Nicklaus Brands, and Paul Stringer, President of Nicklaus Design.

BGT Introduces Commemorative Stability Tour American

For over 130 years golfers from across the world come to the United States to play in one of the oldest golf events held.

In honor of this year’s US Open in Brookline, Mass. BGT introduces a commemorative putter shaft. The Stability Tour American is available only for a short time.

Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve Shafts Review - PGAPappas Giveaway Winner Guest Review

I've been telling you guys about Aerotech SteelFiber golf shafts for a long time now.  They're long, great feeling, and incredibly stable.  In a nutshell the kind of shafts that can legitimately improve your game immediately.  I have SteelFiber shafts in multiple iron sets and absolutely love em.

Aerotech SteelFiber shafts have more PGA Tour wins than any graphite iron shaft in history, and are used by many players (including World No. 2 Nelly Korda).  And Todd won his own full set of Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve shafts in my PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Letters from Santa Giveaway.  Todd says they've given him "less dispersion, great feel, and consistent distance."