SEBRING, FL. — Mike Jamison, executive director of the International Network of Golf, started holding Fall Forums at the Inn on the Lakes Hotel in 2022, ending a run of annual Spring Conferences that started at Hilton Head, S.C., in 1990. It ran through 2019 when the Sebring Raceway Hotel hosted before the pandemic shut down the event for two years.
Whether held in the fall or spring, the ING’s feature event brought media members together with golf industry leaders in a comfortable, productive setting . This staging was different, though.
While there were the traditional two golf outings on the four-day schedule, the presentations were loaded with information on what’s new in the golf world. Two – by Peakvision’s Dave Feaser and Tour Edge’s David Glod and Matt Neely – were done via Zoom calls. The others, of varying length, were done in person. All were captivating and informative. It created a perfect blend of fun and education and concluded with a Jamison announcement on a major change in the event for 2026. More on that later.
In the meantime, here’s how the latest Fall Forum unfolded.
RON GARL, the long-time Florida-based golf architect and ING member, has worked on over 300 courses around the world. We have long awaited the creation of a Ron Garl Golf Trail in Florida, and both courses played in this ING outing – Golf Hammock and Country Club of Sebring – were Garl designs.
A Trail must wait, but Garl provided a lowdown on his Florida courses and the many he has done internationally. The most striking part of his presentation, though, came when he addressed the state of the industry. He has some concerns, and suggestions.
“One way to grow the game would be for courses to offer free golf on Monday afternoons. They’d be walking rounds after school is out, and the rounds would be free “only if you bring a kid. ‘’
He also suggested a different formula in purchasing season green fees.
“You don’t buy memberships,’’ he said. “You buy tee times and you buy them for foursomes.’’
Thought-provoking? I certainly think so.
TOUR EDGE’s Glod and Neely came from their headquarters in Batavia, IL., to provide a step-by-step look at how clubs are designed and marketed. Glod especially knows the process inside and out, as he’s been doing it for over 40 years.
Some interesting sidelights:
“Yes, we’re using Artificial Intelligence in the design phases,’’ said Glod. “ You need to keep the guardrails on AI. Otherwise you can get out of control, but AI can take us outside the box a little more.’’
So, what’s the future of AI in golf?
“That’s a tough one,’’ said Glod. “Think about it. A driver is extremely intricate. It’s more for testing right now but we’re making human decisions.’’
Tour Edge has just come out with the first ball in company history.
“That was all driven by (new president) Tim Clarke, who came from Wilson,’’ said Glod. “We know our balls meet the standards, but we’re on the Champions Tour now (with most of its player ambassadors), and those guys are hard to change. We have a large presence there, but we’ve got to move on. Our next focus will be on the 30 to 50 year olds.’’
PEAKVISION started 25 years ago and owner and chief executive officer Dave Feaser and his son Nicholas bought the company in 2017. It’s based in Conway, S.C. Their present product is non-polarized sunglasses.
“That highlights everything,’’ said Feaser. “They’re the only pair of sunglasses you don’t take off. They provide wonderful clarity on the golf course. You can see the course like you’ve never seen it before, and they help on a cloudy day.’’
Jan Stephenson, the World Golf Hall of Famer, gave them a verbal endorsement during the Feaser’s presentation. He also says they’re good for pickleball and tennis and combat eye fatigue, but they’re not offered in prescriptions. Cost ranges from $100 to $160.’’
STEPHENSON also unveiled her latest business venture. It started with discussions about a movie on her life, but she didn’t like the script.
For now she’s working with Tony Leodora on a book about her life. Leodora has already written Chapter 25 and predicts it will be “a blockbuster….I’m stunned every day with what she had to overcome.’’
“And we didn’t have to make anything up,’’ said Stephenson, who has – among other things – recovered from breast cancer. While the book will come first she believes the movie and/or a screen play will follow.
SID MINER, a Sarasota, FL., resident, stopped by to promote the National Association of Left-Handed Golfers.
This group was founded in 1936 and its annual tournament will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2026. That event is Sept. 22-27 in St. Paul, Minn., but the group has a full tournament schedule prior to that. First event is the Florida State Championshp March 17-18 at Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel.
AND FINALLY, Jamison caught the Fall Forum attendees by surprise in announcing that the Spring Conference will return in 2026. It’ll be held June 1-3 at The Landings Golf & Athletic Club in Savannah, Ga. It has six 18-hole courses and Gary Lofano, director of marketing and communication, welcomed the ING members on behalf of The Landings.
Jamison said there would be a limit for ING members, from 30-36, at this Spring Conference. More details will be available when ING returns to the PGA Merchandise Show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. From January 20-23.
