There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a golfer just picking up a club and learning to play the game or a Monday-to-Sunday, rain or shine, golf nut. The PGA Show has an abundance of golf clubs, gear, technology, apparel and odds and ends. It’s almost overwhelming, but it’s a golfer’s paradise.

Held by the PGA of America, the PGA Show is a global gathering for the business of golf, a wealth of information and resources with thousands of PGA professionals gathering to share insight into the latest innovations and the next big thing. The merchandise show held in the giant Orange County Convention Center in the heart of Orlando, Florida, gives people across the golf industry the chance to test the game’s latest innovations.

Here are five key discoveries from this year’s PGA Show.

AI advancements keep coming

Artificial Intelligence has already made an imprint on the golf world and continues to become more and more prevalent, from club building to game management. Callaway pioneered the field with their Ai-One insert putters to start 2024 and recently followed suit with their Elyte driver lineup, using AI to develop over 75 3D-printed prototype driver heads to improve on the original Paradym Ai Smoke concept.

“At Callaway, we’ve invested $2 million in 3D printing,” Jacob Davidson, vice president for global tour, equipment product strategy and category management, told PGATOUR.COM at the PGA Show. “In the past we’d have two-to-three prototypes in a given year and product cycle. This year, we leveraged our 3D printing, and we were able to test 75 different prototypes that allowed the team to dial in a shape that was aerodynamically fast and forgiving.”

After releasing their Badger AI training system at last year’s show, FlightScope returned with more, this time combining cutting-edge AI with their Environmental Optimizer to develop the FlightScope i4 Laser Rangefinder. The new measuring device allows users to utilize the smart-gapping tool in the FlightScope app and get real-time club suggestions for all yardages.

“By leveraging AI, local real-time weather, advanced ballistics and the patented ‘Environmental Optimizer,’ the i4 helps golfers gain a significant edge by suggesting the best club for every shot and providing hyper-accurate effective playing distances related to the golfer’s own shot data and home course conditions,” said Henri Johnson, founder and CEO of FlightScope. “This translates to more confident decision-making and ultimately, lower scores on the course.”

Sticking with rangefinders, Bushnell has teamed with ForeSight to develop the Bushnell ProX3+ Link Laser to give calculated recommendations for club choices throughout the bag. Utilizing data collected from ForeSight launch monitors which are inputted into the MyBag app, the ProX3+ Link calculates using the addition of environmental factors the correct club choice for the golfer.

Bushnell also launched the A1-Slope, making breakthroughs in the distance-measuring device category. The new unit looks to create unmatched accuracy with slope-compensated distances using Bushnell Golf’s Tour-trusted Slope Technology, and the A1-Slope delivers precise distance readings in a smaller more compact build, to save weight for golfers carrying bags.

Both rangefinders hope to give golfers more confidence and speed up the pace of play by removing the guessing game for many with accurate club suggestions.

Club-fitting precision increases and there's something for everyone

Recently announced in its DS-Adapt range, Cobra showed off its FutureFit33 hosel system at the PGA Show. The new system takes club adjustments to the next level with up to 33 different loft and lie settings. On the other end of the spectrum, Srixon has introduced hosel adjustments across their full lineup of ZXi drivers, fairway woods and hybrids for the first time.

For shot-specific clubs, we previously had the PING ChipR for those looking to gain confidence around the greens by combining the technology of both a putter and a wedge. This time around, spotted at the PGA Show, PING showed off the new BunkR wedge to help those needing ways to escape the sand. The wider sole and curved leading edge look to make it easier for amateurs to make better contact with the ball.

Moving to biometrics, Gears Sports, a full-body motion tracking system designed to measure and analyze the golf swing, is using data collected to create swing-specific golf shafts. OVVIO is the first lineup of wood shafts created with an advanced filament winding process and will be available in a variety of fine-tuned profiles that align with the most common swing types identified by Gears.

Finally, after recently announcing a special Qi35 featuring the SelectFit driver face for optimal launch monitor fitting, TaylorMade released the TRK-R golf balls to assist with indoor radar tracking. The new balls feature a thin layer of liquid silver, just beneath the cover, enabling precision tracking by indoor radar-based simulators and launch monitors.

Simulator golf is here to stay

With the new TGL golf league up and running, there’s now an abundance of ways to make the perfect simulator, from high-end, ultra-performance setups to do-it-yourself builds with smaller, more portable sensors.

Full Swing, the launch monitor provider for the new tech-infused golf league TGL, announced the implementation of Clippd technology with their launch monitors. Chris “Trottie” Trott, TaylorMade fitter and equipment guru, gave a full demonstration of the software which uses Clippd’s shot quality algorithms to generate a score out of 200 for each shot in a 60-shot assessment. The addition gives users specific data points to find out what to work on, and it’s another great tool to create better practice sessions in simulator golf.

Garmin showed off its new Approach R50 portable golf launch monitor with a built-in simulator. The device features three high-speed cameras for accurate club and ball measurements but also an actual touchscreen display, meaning there’s no need for a screen or external monitor to display the course you want to play, and the portability to play simulator golf in any space available.

For those looking for a more affordable way to practice indoors, the Rapsodo MLM2PRO got a major upgrade with now the implementation of GSPro software. The third-party golf simulation software offers better graphics, ball physics and an online community. The Rapsodo MLM2PRO can be purchased for $699.99.

Stepping up (or down) the shoe game

For Puma’s new Ignite Elevate Tour golf shoes, the smallest of details can make all the difference. The spiked version that the likes of Max Homa, Rickie Fowler, Viktor Hovland and Gary Woodland will all be wearing on TOUR has subtle differences to the standard version. The Tour offering sees the “PWRSaddle” moved further back towards the heel to help stabilize the power of a TOUR player. Also, with Hovland and Homa both big users of the AimPoint putting technique, the shoe rides lower than standard, giving the players a better feel for the slope on the greens.

Also spotted was Adidas’ reintroduction of the AdiZero franchise with the ZG golf lineup. The lightweight shoe design is already out on TOUR with Ludvig Åberg repping the kicks at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open, where he led after the first round.

“For me, footwear is another critical piece of my equipment when I play and compete, but beyond the performance, it also needs to be comfortable and look good," Åberg said in Adidas’ release. "The new AdiZero ZG is one that checks all these boxes for me, but I was especially impressed with how well it helps with traction and stability while still being so comfortable and lightweight.”

Find out more about the newly designed shoes here.

TRUE Linkswear, owned in part by PGA TOUR player Ryan Moore, continues to expand its offerings, including its zero-drop footwear that gives a more natural feel. The shoes are designed to support the high swing speeds of TOUR players like Moore, Chris Kirk, Joel Dahmen and Mark Hubbard, while also offering the minimalist shoes that have been a staple since the company's founding. Being a Pacific Northwest company, they also offer all-weather shoes they have coined "Bandon-proof."

The outright awe-inspiring

Finally, for those looking to separate themselves with golf swag, there were plenty of options for elite offerings. Precision Pro Golf had a one-of-10 Titan Elite rangefinder on display with a custom gold-plated wrap.

Flightpath Golf dazzled with their one-of-a-kind, 18-karat, solid-gold golf tee featuring over 900 diamonds, valued at over $50,000. The extraordinary tee is described as a “statement of luxury and excellence, designed for those who seek the pinnacle of sophistication in their game.” In addition to the iced-out golf tee, Flightpath Golf also has rose gold, yellow gold and white gold versions available.