Demo Day at Orange County National Golf Center has become a can’t-miss event during the action packed week of the PGA Merchandise Show. In 2015, the Golf Range Association of America is adding to the allure by hosting an expansive pavilion on Lower Tee 2 (located near the main entrance).
Visitors of the pavilion will have the chance to talk golf with some of the foremost minds in golf instruction, including PGA Teachers of the Year Mike Malaska, Lou Guzzi and Kathy Gildersleeve-Jensen.
“As golf instructors, it’s always a treat to experience the latest offerings from the game’s top manufacturers at Demo Day. There’s no substitute for firsthand experience when it comes to assessing the feel and performance of new equipment,” says Malaska, the 2011 PGA Teacher of the Year. “And while a new club can pay big dividends for our students, we also know that there’s no substitute for quality instruction and the watchful eye of an experienced golf professional. That’s why I’m very excited to be a part of the GRAA Pavilion at Demo Day, and look forward to sharing my insights with my fellow PGA Professionals.”
In addition to the aforementioned PGA Teachers of the Year, visitors will have the chance to network with nationally-recognized professionals such as Nicole Weller, 2013 Youth Player Development Award Winner; Rick Kline, 2013 PGA Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities; and many more. With banners stretching 20-feet high, the GRAA Pavilion will be hard to miss. And you won’t want to miss it! The GRAA Beer Garden presented by Pukka will be open from 1-3 p.m. and will served Dogleg Ale from local craft brewery Ya Kilt It. Additional giveaways include limited edition GRAA t-shirts, tees by Champ Golf and hats by Pukka headwear.
The GRAA Skills Challenge presented by Foresight Golf will run throughout the day – with the winner receiving usage of a Foresight launch monitor for one year, including an option to lease or buy the unit at the end of the year. Participants will be able to track the leaderboard on their phone throughout the day. “We’re excited to bring the GRAA Pavilion to life at the 2015 Demo Day,” says Rick Summers, CEO of the Golf Range Association of America. “We stand for growing the game and the range is where the game begins and grows. The pavilion will not only be a place for PGA Professionals to network with one another, but also we want them to see the range in a different light. So they can make their own ranges more fun and engaging, thereby growing their business and the game.”
Back at the Orange County Convention Center, the GRAA will be located at booth 2601 where the 2014 class of award winners can pick up their hardware – a beautiful piece of crystal from Sterling Cut Glass. The winners, who were announced in the December 2014 issue of Golf Range Magazine, can stop by the GRAA booth anytime during normal Show hours to claim their trophy. To close out the Show, the GRAA Advisory Board will meet with association leadership to discuss the current direction of the GRAA and planned growth strategies.
