By Rex Grayner, SVP Business Development, Hurricane Junior Golf Tour
Every January, the golf industry gathers in Orlando for the PGA Show. It is the biggest week of the year for brands, manufacturers, technology companies, and organizations that shape the game.
Most junior golf families never see it, and they do not need to.
What matters is what comes out of it.
The PGA Show is not about products. It’s about relationships. Relationships that quietly shape the junior golf experience families feel all season long.
Why the HJGT Attends the PGA Show
We attend the PGA Show for two reasons.
First, to build relationships.
Second, to continue evolving the HJGT partner ecosystem.
Everything flows from those priorities.
This year, at least six HJGT team members will be in Orlando for the Show. The goal is simple. Spend meaningful time with current partners. Start thoughtful conversations with potential ones. Listen more than we talk. Ask better questions. Learn where the industry is heading and how that can translate into a better experience for junior golfers.
The HJGT Partner Ecosystem: Built With Intention
Every brand invited into the HJGT ecosystem earns its place.
Not by logo size. Not by budget. By impact.
The ecosystem is designed to improve the junior golf experience as a whole, not just one moment in time. Every partnership is evaluated through the same lens. Does this make junior golf better for players and families?
If the answer is yes, we lean in. If not, we pass.
The Four Concentrations That Guide Every Partnership
All HJGT partnerships fall into one of four concentrations. These guide every conversation at the PGA Show and every decision made throughout the year.
1. Equipment, Data & Player Development
This category is about helping juniors improve with clarity and confidence.
Families benefit from access to equipment they trust, data that helps players understand progress instead of chasing numbers, and tools that support long-term development rather than shortcuts.
Partnerships in this space help juniors improve smarter, not faster. Examples of these strategic partnerships include Srixon, Foresight Sports, and StrackaLine.
2. On-Course Performance & Energy
Long tournament days test more than a swing.
This concentration focuses on improving on-course efficiency, smarter decision-making, energy management, and endurance across multi-round events. Nutrition, hydration, recovery, focus, and energy are critical to on-course performance. They are the small details parents see on the course that make a big difference over 36 holes.
The right solutions support performance without adding pressure. Examples of these strategic partnerships include Cirkul, MGI Golf, and Bushnell Golf.
3. Education, Recruiting & Opportunity
Opportunity in junior golf is created through preparation and consistency.
This category focuses on clear, honest education about the college golf path, tools that help families make informed decisions, and exposure that comes from being ready, not from hype.
Partnerships here support the long game. Examples include NCSA, Dwight Global Online School, and Youth on Course.
4. Trust, Travel & Professionalism
This concentration is about confidence and supporting everyday needs families already have, on and off the course.
Reliable travel and lodging solutions. Professional operations. Partners who show up, follow through, and respect the junior golf environment.
When parents trust the experience their child is part of, everything feels different. Examples of these strategic partnerships include GEICO, OT Sports, and Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
How the PGA Show Fuels This Ecosystem
There is one moment from last year’s PGA Show that sticks with me.
It was not a scheduled meeting. I was walking the floor during a rare break, passed a booth, and stopped because something about the product caught my eye. I asked a simple question: What is the story behind this, and why are you here this week?
That question turned into a thirty-minute conversation.
We talked about their purpose for being at the Show, what problem they were trying to solve, and where they believed their product truly fit in the game. No pitch. No pressure. Just an honest exchange.
That conversation led to more dialogue after the Show. Which led to alignment. Which eventually led to a partnership agreement.
Today, that product shows up on starter tables at HJGT events across the country. Thousands of junior golfers interact with it throughout the season. Families benefit from it without ever knowing how it first entered the ecosystem.
That is how many of the best partnerships begin. Not with a contract. With curiosity, listening, and shared values. In fact, many of the most impactful HJGT partnerships in recent years started as simple conversations at the PGA Show.
Not every meeting becomes a partnership, and that is intentional. The best relationships take time, alignment, and shared values. The Show creates the space for those conversations to begin. The real work happens after.
Why This Matters to Families Right Now
When HJGT invests time at the PGA Show, families benefit later through better partnerships, smarter programs, and more thoughtful experiences.
Most importantly, families benefit without needing to think about any of it.
You never have to worry about where a partnership came from, why a brand is present, or whether it belongs. That work happens behind the scenes, long before a player checks in at the starter table or tees it up on the first hole.
As parents, your job is simple. Support your child. Encourage growth. Enjoy the journey.
Our job is to make sure the ecosystem surrounding that journey continues to get better, quietly and consistently.
The Simple Standard
Every brand in the HJGT ecosystem is there for one reason.
It makes the junior golf experience better.
That is the standard.
The PGA Show is simply one of the places where that work begins, so families never have to think about it at all.
