GBR Tuesday | AI coaching, Power Tee Ranges And The New Lifestyle Golf Traveler
Proponent, Pine Royale, IGTM and The R&A show how technology, hospitality and sustainability are shaping golf’s next commercial phase.
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Hello GBR,
As a writer, I often see people writing about how AI is taking jobs in my line of work and replacing whole marketing departments. Is AI doing a better job?
For the moment, no.
How will it fare when it comes to helping professionals teach people how to play better golf? That’s what the Proponent Group’s October conference will focus on. Of course, it’s not just about AI tools; it’s how we interact with them that makes the big difference.
Could we be seeing the closure of some famous courses in Los Angeles in the near future? That could be the reality for some of them if a motion to look at taxing golf courses in the city is passed later this year. One of those courses that could be in the firing line is the host venue for this week’s U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally.
In a busy newsletter, we’ll reflect on another successful Women’s Golf Day. We’ll also take a look at the findings of a new study, which indicate that golf travel isn’t just about the golf anymore; it’s about food, wellness, and culture.
To start with, we’ll look at the new Pine Royale golf entertainment venue, which mixes Power Tee technology with Trackman to bring a more immersive experience to the driving range segment.
Enjoy today’s GBR.
PINE ROYALE OPENS IN FLORIDA WITH POWER TEE AND TRACKMAN-LED RANGE OFFER
Pine Royale has opened in Callahan, Florida, as a new golf entertainment venue built around technology, hospitality, and community use, with 14 Power Tee automatic golf ball teeing systems among its core features.
The facility combines Power Tee and Trackman range technology with food and beverage, night golf, mini-golf, farmers’ markets and special events, positioning itself as a destination for golfers, families and local visitors. Pine Royale said the Power Tee installation has quickly become one of the site’s most talked-about attractions, with golf program director Cole Jones saying guest feedback had highlighted both the convenience and premium feel of the system, while also praising the technical support provided by Power Tee.
Power Tee founder and owner Martin Wyeth said Pine Royale had created a facility that blends golf, entertainment, and hospitality in a distinctive way. The venue is being presented as an example of how ranges are evolving into broader entertainment-led destinations, with automated teeing technology used to improve practice efficiency, raise customer satisfaction and encourage longer visits.
PROPONENT GROUP TO FOCUS 2026 SUMMIT ON AI AND THE FUTURE OF GOLF COACHING
Proponent Group will hold its annual instructor summit from October 26-28 at Heathrow Country Club in Lake Mary, Florida, with this year’s program built around the theme “The Future of Coaching: AI Tools + Human Skills.”
The three-day event will bring member coaches together for education and networking, with the agenda and speaker line-up now finalized and details being shared through the organization’s Members’ Minute video newsletter. Sessions will examine how leading instructors are already using artificial intelligence to run their businesses, coach students, create promotional content and reduce administrative workload, while the opening presentation will feature Golf Digest Top 50 Teacher Terry Rowles delivering a live lesson-tee demonstration on how he uses AI and other technologies to simplify complex swing concepts.
Vision54’s Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson will present “The Coaching Edge that Machines Can’t Match,” while Dr Jim Suttie, the 2000 PGA of America National Coach of the Year, will speak on balancing five decades of technological change with human coaching skills in “Teaching Golf: Build the Skills that Machines Can’t Replace.” Proponent said the summit is built on the view that AI will not replace golf instructors, but that coaches will need to sharpen both their technical and person-to-person skills to stay competitive.
A practical example of that business reality can be seen in new data on the cost structure facing golf coaches. Proponent Group said its latest 2026 Operations and Compensation Survey found that 70% of coaches paid either revenue share or rent/lease costs in the past year, underlining how facility access remains the largest expense in many coaching businesses. Among coaches paying revenue share, 60% reported doing so, with an average of 23% going back to the facility, down from 25% a year earlier; the average was 19% at private clubs and 26% at public facilities, with average annual payments of $32,166 and a median of $20,000. For the 10% of coaches paying rent or lease, average annual costs were $50,426, with a median of $30,000, while the most common amenities included student range balls, private teaching tee space, and wi-fi. Across the survey, revenue-share and rent or lease payments amounted to 9% of average gross revenue per coach, or $19,130 against average gross revenues of $210,139, up one percentage point from last year. Proponent said it would provide members with comparative benchmarking against similar coaching roles and has made the full survey summary available through its website.
L.A. COUNCILMEMBER PROPOSES PRIVATE COUNTRY CLUB TAX FOR NOVEMBER BALLOT
Los Angeles City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian is proposing a $4 per square foot parcel tax on private nonprofit membership clubs, including private golf courses, in a measure he says could raise up to $250 million a year for capital improvements, homelessness response, economic development and first-time homebuyer support.
The proposal would need approval from the full City Council before going to voters on the November 3 ballot, after which the city attorney would prepare the required resolution and ordinance. Nazarian said the measure would apply to six country clubs within city limits that currently pay a combined $811,000 a year in property taxes despite covering around 1,000 acres valued at more than $15 billion, arguing that long-held private clubs have benefited disproportionately from Proposition 13, which limits reassessment unless a property is sold.
The proposal has already drawn opposition, with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association warning that general fund revenue would not be legally tied to the advertised uses, while golf course manager Rick Stegall, speaking personally, said the move would damage the local golf business. Nazarian acknowledged resistance was likely, but said voters should decide “whether this is the right thing to do.” The full story by Melissa Gomez for the Los Angeles Times can be read here.
CURRY’S UNDERRATED GOLF EUROPEAN TOUR OPENS NEW SEASON AT THE BELFRY
The third season of Stephen Curry’s UNDERRATED Golf European Tour has opened at The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, England, where leading junior players from across Europe competed in a two-day, 36-hole event built around competition, mentorship and career-development opportunities.
Created by the four-time NBA champion to widen access for young golfers from underrepresented backgrounds and female players, the program continues to combine tournament golf with broader exposure to the industry.
Andrew Rodriguez of Whittier, California, and Isabella Fernandez of Irvine, California, won the overall titles with totals of two under par and one under par, respectively, while Jenson Ringer, Mo Craig, Shania Breinhoelder and Sommer Chan earned the leading European places and qualified for the Curry Cup Championship at Bethpage Black later this year.
The week also featured support from ambassadors including broadcaster and former LET player Henni Züel, former footballer Gareth Bale and Ryder Cup player Tommy Fleetwood, as UNDERRATED Golf continued its model of pairing elite junior competition with networking, mentorship and personal development since its launch in 2022.
WOMEN’S GOLF DAY EVENT AT PGA FRISCO HIGHLIGHTS PARTNERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION PUSH
Women’s Golf Day, in partnership with the PGA of America and Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, staged its latest event at PGA Frisco on May 29, with organizers describing it as a leading example of how collaboration can widen access and build momentum for women’s golf.
The North Texas gathering brought together beginners, regular golfers, industry leaders and community partners for instruction at the PGA of America Coaching Center or play on The Swing, the resort’s 10-hole par-three course, followed by lunch and a panel discussion at the Home of the PGA of America.
Women’s Golf Day founder Elisa Gaudet said the event showed how organizations can work together to create lasting impact and inspire more women and girls into the game, while PGA of America chief administrative officer Vanessa Vogler said the day reinforced a commitment to making golf more accessible and inclusive. As Women’s Golf Day Week continues across thousands of venues worldwide, organizers said the PGA Frisco gathering has become a WGD Signature Series flagship event and a growing symbol of Frisco’s role in the future of the sport.
GOLF TRAVEL BOOKINGS SHIFT TOWARDS FOOD, WELLNESS AND CULTURE, SURVEY FINDS
A new survey by 18Players and International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) suggests golf travelers are increasingly choosing destinations for their wider lifestyle appeal as well as course quality.
The research found that 78.9% of golfers would be more likely to book a destination offering a strong mix of golf and lifestyle experiences rather than one focused only on golf, while 83.6% said local food and fine dining would do most to improve a golf holiday. More than half of respondents said non-golf factors such as wellness, scenery, and culture were very or extremely important when choosing a trip, and 79.2% said they would consider traveling with a larger group of friends or family. The findings underline how golf travel is becoming a broader hospitality proposition, with destinations increasingly required to appeal to both golfers and non-golfers within the same booking.
That shift is especially relevant as IGTM prepares to return to the Palais des Festivals in Cannes from October 19-22, 2026, at a time when North American demand for international golf travel continues to strengthen.
According to Future Market Insights, the global golf tourism market is forecast to reach $24.8 billion in 2026, with the United States remaining the world’s largest source of both inbound and outbound golf tourism. Each year, around 2.7 million Americans, roughly 25% of U.S. golf travelers, take international golf trips, reinforcing the value of the affluent, experience-led traveler for global destinations. IGTM said its ongoing partnership with the PGA Show, also organized by RX, is helping connect golf travel more closely with the wider business of equipment, retail, technology and facility management, while the launch of IGTM Discovery in 2026 will further expand that ecosystem. “North America represents one of the most significant sources of outbound golf tourism spend globally, and appetite from that market for distinctive and premium experiences continues to accelerate,” said Fiona Ashton, Event Manager for IGTM and IGTM Discovery.
R&A UPDATES GOLF COURSE 2030 WATER PORTAL WITH NEW CLIMATE AND COMPLIANCE TOOLS
The R&A has updated its Golf Course 2030 Water Portal to give golf course operators revised guidance, data and practical tools for sustainable water management, covering issues such as water sourcing, efficient use and resilience to extreme weather.
Originally launched in 2023, the portal has now been refreshed by environmental consultant Dr Tom Young to reflect the latest legislation, industry guidance and best practice, and includes an interactive mapping tool showing how climate change could affect individual courses over time through changes in rainfall and temperature. The site also provides indicative cost and disruption information for a range of water-management measures, including water-use monitoring, borehole abstraction and drainage solutions, alongside 22 case studies from mainly UK courses as well as examples from Europe. “It provides a practical insight into how climate change will affect golf courses year-round and suggestions for golf course managers, club managers, committees and owners to explore how to make their course more resilient,” said John Kemp, Assistant Director of Sustainable Golf Development at The R&A.
The updated portal also adds a dedicated legislation section, downloadable PDF reporting for offline planning, and further resources that will continue to be added, with courses encouraged to work with their national federation and bodies such as BIGGA for region-specific support.
CONCERT GOLF PARTNERS ADDS PEBBLE CREEK COUNTRY CLUB IN TEXAS TO GROWING PRIVATE-CLUB PORTFOLIO
Concert Golf Partners has added Pebble Creek Country Club in College Station, Texas, to its portfolio, giving the private-club operator a third property in the state and extending its national network to more than 40 upscale clubs.
Pebble Creek, previously owned by Triumph Golf, is located near Texas A&M University and joins Concert’s other Texas-area clubs, including Northgate Country Club and Walden on Lake Conroe Golf Club. Built in 1991, the club includes a 60,000-square-foot clubhouse and an 18-hole, par-72 championship course designed by Ken Dye, stretching to nearly 6,900 yards with a 73.4 rating and 131 slope, alongside practice facilities, tennis, aquatics, fitness and dining amenities. Concert said the acquisition reflects its long-term investment model and focus on preserving club culture, while Triumph Golf co-founder Billy Sitton said the handover was made with confidence that Concert would continue investing in the club and maintaining its character.
LEGACY HOTELS APPOINTS RTJ II TO REDEVELOP HISTORIC MENA HOUSE GOLF COURSE
Legacy Hotels has partnered with Robert Trent Jones II to redevelop the golf course at Mena House, Cairo, Egypt, in a project aimed at modernizing the century-old layout and adding luxury-standard facilities at one of Egypt’s best-known golf sites.
The agreement was signed by Omar Hisham Talaat, chief business development officer at Talaat Moustafa Group, and architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., with Talaat saying the course’s location directly in front of the Giza Pyramids gives it a distinctive heritage and tourism appeal beyond its sporting role. The redevelopment is intended to strengthen Egypt’s position in luxury and sports tourism, while extending TMG’s broader golf investment strategy, which already includes Madinaty Golf Club and courses under development at SouthMED on the North Coast and Sharm Bay overlooking the Red Sea.
Talaat said the deal builds on TMG’s previous work with RTJ II at Madinaty and SouthMED, while Trent Jones said the goal was to revive one of the region’s most significant golf courses and turn it into a world-class destination combining sport, heritage and history. Legacy Hotels, owner of Mena House, is 51% owned by ICON, the hospitality arm of TMG.
SENTRY TO BECOME TITLE SPONSOR OF PGA TOUR’S TORREY PINES EVENT
Sentry Insurance will become title sponsor of the PGA Tour’s long-running San Diego event at Torrey Pines, with the tournament to be renamed The Sentry from January 25-30, 2027, when it returns to the course for the 60th time and opens the Tour’s new network arrangement with CBS.
PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp said the Tour was proud to build on 75 years of elite golf in San Diego, including the last 60 at Torrey Pines, while Sentry chief executive Pete McPartland said the company looked forward to continuing its investment in the game and working with the local community.
The announcement was made jointly by the PGA Tour, Sentry Insurance and the Century Club of San Diego, whose chief executive, Marty Gorsich, said the partnership would help build on the event’s reputation while showcasing San Diego internationally. Earlier this year, Justin Rose won at Torrey Pines with a record 23-under-par, finishing seven shots clear for his 13th PGA Tour title, his second victory at the venue, and the event’s first wire-to-wire win since Tommy Bolt in 1955.
LIV GOLF RESHUFFLES EXECUTIVE TEAM AS “LIV 2.0” FUNDRAISING PUSH BEGINS
LIV Golf has made a series of executive changes as it begins a new fundraising effort following the exit of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, according to an internal memo seen by Sports Business Journal. which said the league was going to market this week with “LIV 2.0.”
The changes include the appointment of Richard Marsh as adviser to chief executive Scott O’Neil, with LIV saying his long involvement since the league’s launch and experience in player recruitment would now be used on high-priority projects and executive-level strategy. Ollie Banks, previously co-general manager of Majesticks GC, has been named EVP and Chief Championships Officer and will serve as the senior authority on player recruitment and the championship product, reporting to Katie O’Reilly, head of team business operations.
James Dunkley, who had co-managed the Majesticks alongside Banks, becomes the team’s sole general manager and also takes on the role of Regional Managing Director for the U.K., while Chris Bentley, previously regional managing director for South Africa, has been appointed Global Managing Director, overseeing the league’s regional managing directors.
USGA SETS OUT EXPANDED FAN EXPERIENCE FOR U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN AT RIVIERA
The USGA has outlined an expanded fan experience program for the 81st U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally, which starts on Thursday at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.
The line-up includes GOLFZON simulators in Fan Central and the Champions Pavilion where fans can play Riviera’s par-three 14th hole, a USGA Experience featuring the championship’s history, the GHIN Putting Experience presented by Sentry, the USGA and Deloitte’s Rules AI demonstration, and a Junior Experience running daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday with LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, a nine-hole scavenger hunt, and an autograph and selfie zone.
Other activations include the U.S. Women’s Open Trophy Experience hosted by Lexus at hole 14, the T-Mobile Benefits Hub, SeatGeek’s ticket office mural, Sun Cruiser’s 19th Hole in Fan Central, mini print stations featuring Anastasia Inciardi’s artwork, and the Hero Pavilion for military members and first responders. "We’re grateful to our partners for helping us provide fans plenty to experience in addition to watching the world’s best compete on an iconic stage." said Jon Podany, the USGA’s chief commercial officer. The USGA added that fans aged 17 and under will be admitted free with a ticketed or credentialed adult, with up to four juniors per adult.