Inside Acushnet’s $2.56Billion Year: Iron Growth, Ball Demand and Regional Strength
Connecting the dots across golf’s business, media, and professional landscape
Hello GBR,
Last week, we took in Callaway’s financial figures for 2025. The outlook is positive after some troubling times. Your can read the full story here.
This week, it’s the turn of Acushnet to break cover and reveal Q4 and full year earnings for 2025. Titleist leads the way for Acushnet. Titleist had a strong year in golf ball sales (it always seems to do), the surprise story is in its irons, which had a really strong 2025 backed by a subtle refresh of the flagship T-Series irons. How did the GT-Series, Vokeys, and let’s not forget FootJoy either. Find out how they all faired later.
Elsewhere, Shot Scope has released a new report highlighting where amateurs struggle the most with their games. Keeping the Scottish theme going, St Andrews Links Trust has just launched its latest Drive initiative, opening tee-times for all its courses for an extra 2000 golfers.
Switching back to the States, the National Golf Foundation in association with Golf Datatech announced a positive to start to the year with increased numbers of rounds played across many states.
TaylorMade has also announced a new warehouse facility in Indiana to improve its distribution timescales.
Enjoy today’s GBR, and have a good weekend.
SHOT SCOPE REPORT ANALYSES 870,000 ROUNDS TO IDENTIFY WHAT TRULY DRIVES AMATEUR SCORING
Shot Scope has published its Annual Golf Performance Report, built from performance data collected during the 2025 season and encompassing more than 870,000 rounds and over 74 million shots from amateur golfers in 124 countries.
The report provides a global benchmark across key performance areas, such as scoring, tee shots, approach play, short game, and putting, offering evidence-based insight into where players most commonly gain and lose shots. Rather than highlighting outlier moments such as birdies, the analysis shows that amateur scoring is defined primarily by consistency, course management, and the ability to limit damage when mistakes occur.
Most rounds cluster in the mid-to-high 80s, and meaningful scoring gains become progressively harder once golfers reach mid-handicap level. Differences between players shooting in the 70s, 80s, and 90s come down to decision-making, recovery play, and keeping the ball in play.
For the broader golf industry, the report carries practical significance. By replacing assumptions with large-scale, real-world data, it provides coaches, club-fitters, equipment manufacturers, and facility operators with measurable benchmarks that can inform instruction methods, product design, and player development strategies.
The findings suggest that improvement pathways should focus on shot management and mistake reduction rather than distance alone, reinforcing the value of performance tracking in modern golf. Designed to be both informative and actionable, the report gives golfers and industry professionals alike a clearer understanding of what genuinely drives lower scores, grounded in one of the largest amateur data sets assembled in the game.
The full report can be downloaded from Shot Scope here.
TAYLORMADE TO BUILD NEW WAREHOUSE IN INDIANA
TaylorMade is planning a new multi-million dollar expansion in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, constructing a built-to-suit warehouse that will consolidate its current operations under one roof and support rising demand across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
The project is expected to create up to 50 new jobs by the end of 2031 and enable the company to ship millions of products annually, with operations in the new facility slated to begin in early 2027 and hiring to follow later that year. During the transition, TaylorMade will run both its existing site and the new warehouse simultaneously.
Company officials cited Evansville’s logistics advantages as a deciding factor. “Crossroads of America. It was the best place logistically for our customers and how we can get to them,” said Jessica Delgado, Associate Director of PMO Operations at TaylorMade, noting the location allows TaylorMade to reach more than 80% of customers within three days.
Patrick Schmidt, Director of North American Fulfillment, said the facility will improve both capacity and service, while Josh Armstrong of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership said the organization worked with TaylorMade for roughly a year as it evaluated sites nationwide, adding that the company’s nearly decade-long presence in Evansville reflects its confidence in the local workforce.
U.S. JANUARY ROUNDS JUMP 19% IN STRONGEST START SINCE 2021
January rounds of golf in the United States increased nearly 19% year-over-year in 2026, marking the strongest start to the season since 2021 and reversing declines in the prior two years.
The latest report compiled by Golf Datatech for the National Golf Foundation shows that January represents less than 5% of annual play and remains weather-sensitive, with roughly two-thirds of states in their offseason. Conditions were comparatively favourable: only six states recorded below-average temperatures, and just four experienced above-average precipitation. While percentage gains were pronounced in Snowbelt states such as Illinois and Pennsylvania due to easier year-over-year comparisons, the national increase was driven more materially by high-volume markets including Florida (+12%), Georgia (+28%), North Carolina (+42%), South Carolina (+44%), and Texas (+48%).
January Year-over-Year Change in Rounds Played:
2026: +19%
2025: -3%
2024: -17%
2023: +7%
2022: -12%
2021: +21%
2020: +11%
GOLFZON SIGNS LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY
GOLFZON has entered a long-term partnership with Pebble Beach Company to integrate simulator technology across the resort’s golf and hospitality offerings.
The agreement launches with several initiatives, including GOLFZON becoming the exclusive simulator provider for a new 4,000-square-foot lounge adjacent to the reimagined Links at Spanish Bay, where four TwoVisionNX simulators powered by 64-directional motion plate technology and multi-surface mats capable of producing 56,000 lies will anchor an off-course experience.
GOLFZON will also serve as the official simulator sponsor of Pebble Beach Food & Wine with an activation inside the Tasting Pavilion, and co-launch the international “Road to Pebble Beach” tournament, culminating in a championship round at the resort where finalists will compete on simulators and play Pebble Beach Golf Links. Sean Pyun, CEO of GOLFZON America, said the partnership “unlocks new ways for golfers to engage with Pebble Beach,” while Pebble Beach Company CEO David Stivers added that indoor golf is attracting players “from beginner level to the PGA Tour” and that the new lounge will enhance the guest experience at Spanish Bay.
As part of the collaboration, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill, The Links at Spanish Bay, and Del Monte Golf Course are now available to play on GOLFZON simulators, with both parties exploring further integrations of technology and resort programming over time.
ST ANDREWS LINKS TRUST EXPANDS ‘THE DRIVE’ WITH 88% DISCOUNTED TEE TIMES
Great news if you’re Scottish. Nearly 2,000 golfers in Scotland will have the chance to play one of the courses under the Links Trust’s portfolio, including the Old Course, in 2026 at heavily reduced rates after the Trust almost tripled availability under its affordable golf initiative, The Drive.
A total of 496 tee times between April and October, equating to 1,984 golfers, will be offered across six courses with discounts of up to 88% on peak green fees, including 224 places on the Old Course on 3 July priced at £45 (normally £355), allocated via a free random ballot. The programme, expanded from 716 successful applicants in 2025, also covers the Castle, Jubilee, Eden, Strathtyrum and the new heathland Craigtoun course, with specific offers including 78 Strathtyrum tee times at £7.50 (26 April), 118 Eden tee times at £10 (14 June and 25 October), and up to 208 Craigtoun rounds at £20 (normally £155).
Some Eden and Strathtyrum times will be reserved for disabled groups and families. Chief executive Neil Coulson said the Trust is “making a significant investment… tripling the number of opportunities available” to widen access, adding that more than 22,000 applications were received in 2025.
Applications open today via separate ballots for each course, with all tee times drawn from existing visitor or commercial allocations and not affecting Links Ticketholder priority access.
SPORTING INSIGHTS EXTENDS DP WORLD TOUR EQUIPMENT DEAL THROUGH 2030
Sporting Insights has extended its contract as the official Equipment Census Supplier of the DP World Tour through 2030, continuing a relationship that dates back to 1995.
The company will monitor equipment used by every player at each DP World Tour event during the 2026 season, which includes a minimum of 42 tournaments across 25 countries before concluding at the DP World Tour Play-Offs in November.
Census data supports manufacturer and tour marketing efforts while enabling fans to view players’ bags via SMS On Tour’s website and Instagram platform, which in 2025 added a dedicated site featuring a historic library of club usage and community tools. “We’re delighted to extend our contract as an Official DP World Tour Supplier for 2026-2030,” said Managing Director John Bushell, noting the data’s value to industry clients and fans alike.
DP World Tour Chief Revenue and Content Officer Richard Bunn said the census has grown in visibility as demand increases for insight into players’ equipment, adding that Sporting Insights conducts its work “efficiently and accurately,” while Head of Tour Operations John Whyte described the project as an opportunity to help more people connect with manufacturers, the Tour, and its players.
PGA TOUR EXTENDS WHOOP PARTNERSHIP THROUGH 2028
The PGA Tour has extended its official marketing partnership with WHOOP, maintaining its designation as the Official Health & Performance Wearable through 2028.
Under the renewed agreement, WHOOP will continue supplying players and trainers across the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions, and Korn Ferry Tour with its wearable technology and introduce WHOOP Advanced Labs to members, offering analysis of 65 biomarkers combined with daily performance data.
The company will retain an on-site presence via the Tour’s travelling Player Performance Center and expand integration through WHOOP Live, delivering real-time biometric insights during World Feed broadcasts produced by PGA Tour Studios.
WHOOP first partnered with the Tour in 2021, distributing more than 1,000 straps during the return to competition following the pandemic. “The WHOOP Strap offers our athletes critical physiological data,” said Dan Glod, PGA Tour executive vice president, corporate partnerships, while WHOOP chief marketing officer John Sullivan said the extension will provide golfers “an even clearer, more comprehensive picture of their health” as the partnership deepens in the years ahead.
LIV GOLF EXECUTIVES ASSUME DIRECTOR ROLES AMID POST-NORMAN TRANSITION
LIV Golf has appointed two senior executives to director roles across four U.K.-based holding companies previously linked to former CEO Greg Norman, according to recent public filings.
Effective Jan. 1, Ross Hallett, EVP and Head of Events, and Jake Jones, SVP of Impact and Sustainability, became directors of LIV Golf LTD, LIV Golf Events LTD, LIV Golf ISE LTD, and Wedge IP Management Co, Limited.
The entities offer insight into the league’s financial position, with filings in October showing a $461.8 million deficit for LIV’s non-U.S. operations in 2024. Hallett and Jones will oversee year-end financial reporting and forecasting, responsibilities that have previously provided rare visibility into the league’s business operations.
The 2024 directors’ report for LIV Golf LTD cited “material uncertainty” regarding the company’s future due to the absence of an agreement between its financial backer, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and the PGA Tour, while noting that the PIF had issued a letter of support confirming it would provide sufficient financial resources. David Rumsey’s story for Front Office Sports can be found here.
VICE GOLF INTRODUCES VGI03 “PLAYABLE BLADE” IRONS
Vice Golf has unveiled its new VGI03 irons, a one-piece forged 1020 carbon steel design that blends traditional blade aesthetics with added stability aimed at better ball strikers seeking precision without sacrificing all forgiveness.
The company says the irons incorporate a “face-stretching” concept and strategic perimeter weighting to expand the effective hitting area while retaining a compact profile and shot-shaping capability. Vice CEO Marco Burger stated the goal was to deliver the look and feel of a classic blade in a format that offers more playability for a wider segment of skilled golfers.
The VGI03 is priced from $999 for a 4-PW set and is fully customizable for shaft and grip options.
While not positioned to rival game-improvement models for forgiveness, the irons reflect a growing “playable blade” category, targeting low- to mid-handicap players who prioritize feel, control, and workability with a modest boost in stability over traditional muscle-back designs.
Irons, Not Drivers, Define Acushnet’s 2025
Acushnet closed 2025 with revenue of $2.56 billion, up just over 4 per cent on the previous year. In a golf market that has shifted from the acceleration of the post-pandemic period to steadier participation levels, the results reflect something measured: continued demand for performance equipment, supported by strength in the United States and Europe, and more varied conditions in parts of Asia.
Titleist golf equipment, combining clubs and balls, generated $1.60 billion in revenue, rising nearly 6 per cent year-on-year. That growth was not evenly distributed across the bag. It was concentrated in specific categories.
Golf clubs increased 7.5 per cent to $775 million. Within that figure, irons and hybrids were the primary drivers. The T-Series iron range carried consistent demand through the year after an update across the range, giving a more sleek, premium finish, and GT hybrids added incremental volume. Drivers, by contrast, entered their second model year and followed a more typical pattern of moderation after an initial launch cycle. The GT series drivers still performed well on tour; they were the most played drivers in 2025, led by the GT3. SM10 wedges, entering their second year cycle, showed a similar cadence, popular on tour, but the competition is always fluid, and new releases came from rivals Callaway and TaylorMade, which featured heavy tour influence to better amateur golfers.
As we write this, the new SM11s are breaking ground, and the GT series replacements will likely begin tour testing in late spring.
