Buffalo Predictions for 2026 Golf Based on the PGA Show

Jack Burris, Managing Director, Buffalo Events

Why the 2026 PGA Show Proves Experience Is Still King

Having walked the aisles for 22 years, I’ve seen the golf industry evolve through a lot of ups and downs, but this year felt different. This year’s PGA Show did more than break recent records for attendance and exhibitor count. For me, it shattered the notion that digital interaction will ever fully replace the power of a handshake. In the largest gathering in the last 16 years, one of my takeaways is that the “experiences”—both B2B and B2C—remain the industry’s most valuable currency.

While technology and data continue to evolve, the true growth of the game is still being forged in the aisles of the Orange County Convention Center and on fairways at golf courses around the world. In Orlando, face-to-face interaction, product testing, new launches and spontaneous “chance encounters” do more for a relationship in four days than an entire year of video conference calls. Most importantly, the collective knowledge helps continue driving the golf industry forward, leading to better and more diverse experiences for golfers all over the world.

Being at the Show is a reminder that in a high-tech world, golf remains a high-touch business, and nothing beats the synergy of being in the room—and on the course—together.

Sara Killeen, Managing Director, Buffalo Research

How Did the Golf Ball Business Push Their Top Price Point to $70/Dozen and Watch Them Fly Off the Shelves?

Golf technology continues to dominate many hard goods, entertainment golf, and game-improvement conversations. Simulator golf remains a desirable investment from all corners of the industry. Golfers can build out a custom simulator setup at home, ranging from $1,000 to $100,000—and everything in between. As technology advances, it has become clear that high-speed cameras, especially those using radar technology, require special markings on the golf ball to accurately capture spin, launch, speed, and more.

Golf ball manufacturers were glad to get a piece of the action—especially Titleist and TaylorMade. Both brands are carving out a share of the simulator market’s skyrocketing growth with new ball models. Radar-based launch monitors (such as TrackMan, FlightScope, or Garmin R10) often struggle to read short indoor flights, so specialized balls like Titleist RCT and TaylorMade TRK-R improve the capture of spin and launch data.

The good news is that, in theory, golfers don’t lose these radar-ready golf balls in ponds or woods—so they should last a good, long winter. And there you have it: that’s how a $70-per-dozen golf ball is suddenly selling like hotcakes! 

Glenn Gray, Chief Growth Officer

Screen Golf: Can It Get More Real?

Heading into the PGA Show, we expected buzz around the rise of simulator golf, and the numbers backed it up. According to the National Golf Foundation, 6.2 million Americans used a golf simulator in the past year alone, marking a 75% increase since pre-pandemic. Growth in the category has paved the way for fresh competition and new brand entries, each offering new technology and accessories to help perfect the modern indoor golf setup.

One of the most exciting developments we saw was the U.S. debut of City Golf. This concept brings a new level of realistic play to simulator golf. When golfers reach within 50–60 yards of the green, the simulator screen retracts to reveal one of 18 interchangeable putting greens, allowing players to chip and putt to finish the hole. No more gimmies!

Emily Clark, President & and Jill Headley, SVP 

Women’s Golf Fashion at the PGA Show: The Evolution from Performance to Lifestyle and Culture (Read: Boring to Fun!) 

We’ve been going to the PGA Show for 15 years! In the early 2010s it was all men and blue blazers. The relatively few women present were stuck deciding how to dress in a sea of male sameness. After a long-anticipated wait, golf fashion is finally responding to the undeniable demand from eight million women who grab their friends and tee it up.

This year’s PGA Show made one thing clear: Women’s golf fashion has embraced identity, lifestyle, and cultural relevance. AND WE ARE HERE FOR IT! We’re watching three powerful forces reshape the category:

Athleisure’s Full Takeover

Lululemon roared into golf in the past few years and continues to usher the sport into the mainstream with premium, modular, course-to-life pieces. Subtle branding, elevated fabrics, and styling that works beyond the fairway signal a broader truth: women want golf apparel that travels across errands, workouts, work, and tee times. Greyson, Peter Millar, and other modern golf brands are all on board. Buffalo Groupe’s favorite is, of course, Johnnie-O—our incredible partner and the title sponsor of the 2026 PGA Show Fashion Show. We love their Naomi Rib Knit ¼ Zip and their Coastal Cashmere Blend Crewneck Sweaters! (We are East Coasters!)

Culture-Led Collabs Are the New Growth Engine (i.e. Fore All x Barbie)

Fore All’s Barbie collaboration stole THE SHOW—not just for its playful aesthetic, but for what it represents: golf fashion as storytelling! They created emotional entry points for younger and new female golfers. And it was a bold move toward pop-culture relevance over category convention and snoozefest tradition.

Fore All is brand-building and audience expansion in one swing. AND they lead the way in a newer, fresher identity. Yes please to barrel leg (golf) pants, cute preppy sweater vests, and ruffle socks. Are we at the PGA Show or Anthropologie?! Love, love, love!

Speaking of…The Anthropologie and Free People Movement Effect!

We’re seeing a rise in romantic, relaxed, fashion-forward silhouettes—pieces that feel more like lifestyle wear than traditional “pro-shop” uniforms. Less technical. More expressive.
More personal.  We love A. Putnam for their resort-to-sport appeal that would also crush a business golf outing—close the deal, sister! Other standouts were Williams Athletic Club, Smith & Quinn, newcomers Lemon Rose, and resort-wear queen, Lilly Pulitzer for their florals, pleats, and feminine flair.

The takeaway?

Women’s golf is shifting from a sport category to a style and culture category. The brands that win next won’t just sell polos and skorts. They’ll sell confidence, identity, and belonging—on and off the course.

At Buffalo Groupe, we see this as a massive opportunity: Not just to market to women golfers—but to redefine what golf means to women altogether.

(AND Jill and I can’t wait to go shopping!)