GBR Tuesday | From Frisco To Dubai, St Andrews And Sicily, Golf’s Commercial Map Keeps Moving
PGA Buying Summit Opens For Frisco, IGA Launches Operator Series, GTAA Sets Tournament Master Classes And T-Squared Social’s St Andrews Home Goes Up For Sale
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THE INFORMATION WAS ALWAYS THERE, THE PRO SHOP JUST COULDN’T SEE IT
The pro shop has always been the nerve centre of the golf course. Every question, call, booking enquiry, complaint, compliment and request passes through it. The problem is that almost none of that information is captured. It disappears into phone calls. It disappears into staff memory. It disappears into conversations that are never counted, never categorised, never measured. A member asks the same question every week. A visitor gets confused by the same policy every day. An after-hours caller hangs up and never calls back. A lesson enquiry arrives, gets lost in a busy morning, and is never followed up. The information was always there. The pro shop just had no way to see it.
AI Concierge changes that.
Every call answered by an AI Concierge agent is not just a service interaction. It is a data point. Every question, enquiry, booking attempt, after hours call and member message becomes part of a picture the golf course has never had before. That picture is Pro Shop AI Insights.
What golfers are asking. The questions that repeat most often reveal what the website does not explain, what the booking engine does not make easy, and what members expect but do not find. A course might discover that most calls are about the same three topics and that answering them proactively would free up hours of staff time every week.
When demand is highest. Not just when golfers play, when they call, message, search and enquire. The demand curve does not begin on the tee sheet. It begins in the calls and messages that create bookings. Knowing when enquiries arrive and when they go unanswered is as important as knowing when tee times are full.
Which enquiries are being missed. If a course misses thirty calls in a week, that is not a phone problem. It is a revenue problem, a service problem, and a data problem. AI Concierge captures those calls. Pro Shop AI Insights shows how many, when, and what they were about.
What members need most. Member questions are not noise. They are the clearest signal of what the club is doing well and where the experience has gaps. AI Insights turns those questions into patterns and those patterns into operational decisions.
Where staff time is being lost. If the same question is answered fifteen times a day by the same person behind the same counter, that is not service. That is a system failure. AI Insights identifies which interactions consume the most staff time and which could be handled better and faster by an agent.
Which services can be improved. When a visitor asks about club hire and gets a different answer depending on who picks up the phone, the problem is not the staff. The problem is that the knowledge is not structured. AI Insights reveals where service is inconsistent and where course-approved answers would raise the standard.
What revenue opportunities are appearing. A lesson enquiry that is never followed up is lost revenue. A corporate golf day enquiry that arrives after hours and gets no response is lost revenue. A group booking that abandons mid-flow is lost revenue. AI Insights makes those opportunities visible for the first time.
The shift is structural
For decades, the pro shop has operated as a reactive service desk. Staff respond to whatever comes in, calls, walk ins, emails and messages in whatever order they arrive. The quality of the response depends on who is working, how busy the morning is, and whether someone remembers the answer.
Pro Shop AI Insights turns that reactive model into an intelligent operating centre. The course sees what is happening across all its interactions not in real time alone, but over time. Patterns emerge. Decisions improve. Staff focus shifts from answering everything to answering what matters most.
The first benefit of AI Concierge is answering the call. The larger benefit is understanding the operation.
A golf course that captures every interaction, sees every pattern, identifies every missed opportunity and measures every service moment has a fundamentally different relationship with its own business. It stops guessing. It starts seeing.
That is what Pro Shop AI Insights delivers and it starts the moment a golf course activates its AI Concierge.
GBR readers only: Sign up at GOLF.ai this week and enter our draw to win a free annual AI Concierge subscription — and let Sir Nick Faldo start answering your Pro Shop phone.
REGISTRATION OPENS FOR 2026 PGA BUYING SUMMIT AT FRISCO
Registration has opened for the 2026 PGA Buying Summit, which will take place from July 26-29 at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, bringing together retail buyers, PGA of America Golf Professionals, golf lifestyle brands, and industry leaders.
The event is positioned as an early buying and planning opportunity for Spring 2027 apparel and accessories, with attendees able to meet nearly 200 established and emerging brands as golf retail continues to shift toward lifestyle-led collections, faster product cycles, and product ranges designed for use on and off the course. The program includes an invitation-only day of ONE2ONE Buying Appointments, followed by two days of open ballroom exhibits, while the new “Gwop Meet at the Summit — curated by Troy Aguila” will highlight next-generation lifestyle labels. Education sessions will focus on retail strategy, facility performance, operations, executive management, coaching, artificial intelligence and technology, alongside networking events including a Welcome Reception, Summer Jam in the PGA District, and an upscale Fashion Show.
Event director Lisa Langas said the summit comes “at an opportune moment before the next season’s styles and trends start to take shape,” while organizers said qualified buyers can register free through July 2, 2026, with PGA of America Golf Professionals, LPGA Professionals, and International PGA Members able to attend at no charge throughout the registration period.
IGA TO LAUNCH OPERATOR-FOCUSED PODCAST AND WEBINAR SERIES FOR INDOOR GOLF
The Indoor Golf Alliance will launch Interview with an Operator on July 1, 2026, a new podcast and webinar series aimed at entrepreneurs, owners, and managers in the indoor golf sector.
The program will feature conversations with facility operators, industry executives, and business specialists who have built and scaled simulator-based businesses across the U.S., covering topics including start-up planning, simulator selection, membership growth, marketing, staffing, league management, food-and-beverage integration, and long-term profitability.
The series is targeted at existing indoor golf owners, prospective entrants, golf entertainment operators, simulator investors, PGA professionals, instructors, and hospitality leaders, with episodes and webinars set to include operator interviews, customer acquisition and retention strategies, revenue diversification ideas, simulator and technology trends, facility design advice, operational lessons, and live Q&A sessions. “Operators are looking for more than just equipment recommendations — they want real operational insight from people who have actually built successful facilities,” said Phil Immordino, President of IGA, adding that the series had been created to provide practical knowledge and tested strategies through regular releases across major podcast platforms and live webinar channels.
GTAA TO HOST GOLF TOURNAMENT MASTER CLASS WEBINAR FOR EVENT PLANNERS
The Golf Tournament Association of America will host its Golf Tournament Event Planner Master Classes on June 3 at 9:00 AM PST. The webinar series is aimed at meeting planners, event professionals, and tournament organizers looking to grow revenue and improve golf event delivery.
The online event will feature three sessions: From Prospecting to Partnerships, focused on attracting, converting and retaining tournament clients through prospecting, referral partnerships, consultative sales and outreach strategy; Beyond the Tournament, examining how planners can build more engaging and commercially effective events through sponsorship innovation, player engagement, branding, entertainment and data-led enhancements; and From Planner to Producer, centred on launching and monetising owned golf events through business models, sponsorship development, financial planning, recurring revenue and long-term brand growth.
GTAA said the program will also include hands-on workshops, collaborative brainstorming, case studies, and practical tools and templates for immediate use, with the series aimed at planners, organizers, nonprofit fundraising professionals, hospitality leaders, and others seeking to build their position in the golf events sector.
SELECT GROUP BUYS THREE UK MARRIOTT GOLF RESORTS IN LATEST EXPANSION MOVE
Dubai-based Select Group has acquired three UK Delta Hotels by Marriott golf and country club resorts in a deal that expands its presence in the British golf hospitality market.
The properties are Breadsall Priory in Derby, St Pierre in Chepstow, and Tudor Park in Maidstone, together covering more than 900 acres. Select Group, which bought Old Thorns Hotel & Resort in Hampshire last year and is relaunching Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere this year, said the resorts would continue to be operated by Marriott International while it undertakes a “considered program of operational enhancement” focused on guest experience, leisure facilities, golf operations, events, wellness, and long-term asset performance.
Chief executive Israr Liaqat said the acquisition reflected the company’s belief in the UK golf resort sector as a long-term asset class with scope for operational improvement, while Marriott’s vice president of development, Paul Thomas, said the hotel group looked forward to working with Select Group to strengthen the long-term success of the three country club resorts.
BUILDING LET TO TIGER WOODS’ ST ANDREWS VENUE LISTED FOR SALE
The building housing T-Squared Social in St Andrews, the sports bar and entertainment venue opened by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake in October 2025, has been placed on the market as an investment opportunity with offers over £650,000 ($876,000).
The venue occupies the former New Picture House Cinema on North Street, a redevelopment that drew criticism from some local residents when plans first emerged for a food-and-drink destination with golf simulators and virtual darts. The property is being marketed by Shepherd Chartered Surveyors, with the listing noting that the current tenant has first refusal on any purchase. TS SA Property Holdings, the company backed by Woods and Timberlake, holds a lease on the site until 2049 with an option to extend to 2079, and the current annual rent is £45,000 ($60,000). The sale comes after a difficult early period for the venue, which has received a series of poor reviews, although recently appointed managing director Mark Anand said earlier this month that he wanted to improve performance and address “teething issues”. Andrew Robson, Bunkered.
FIVE IRON GOLF OPENS SECOND DUBAI VENUE IN BUSINESS BAY
Five Iron Golf Dubai has opened its second venue in the emirate, launching a new 6,500 sq ft site in Business Bay at Damac Towers by Paramount, close to DIFC, Burj Khalifa, and Dubai Mall.
The new location is designed to serve professionals, residents, and visitors with a mix of technology-led golf, hospitality, and social entertainment, and includes five Trackman-powered simulators with multi-angle swing analysis and access to hundreds of courses, three multisport simulators for games including football and disc golf, a private simulator room for corporate events and group bookings, and Callaway club fitting experiences.
Five Iron said the venue is intended to meet growing demand in Dubai for indoor, experience-led entertainment that can operate year-round, particularly during the summer. “Business Bay stood out as a natural fit,” said David Zabinsky, Managing Partner of Five Iron Golf UAE, while co-founder and chief executive Jared Solomon said the success of the company’s first Dubai site in Dubai Marina had confirmed demand for a concept that blends “technology, sport, and social connection.”
PGA OF AMERICA REPLACES DON REA WITH NATHAN CHARNES FOR REMAINDER OF TERM
The PGA of America has replaced president Don Rea for the remainder of his term, with vice president Nathan Charnes stepping into the role until the end of the current cycle in November.
Rea, a PGA Master Professional and golf course operator from Mesa, Arizona, had been elected the organization’s 44th president in November 2024, but the association said the board acted after “a series of issues over time” that it judged to be detrimental.
Rea came under scrutiny during his presidency first at the 2025 PGA Championship, when he interrupted chief executive David Sprague during a press conference on the proposed golf ball rollback, and more significantly after the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, where he was criticized for remarks to the BBC appearing to downplay abusive behavior from American fans towards European players, including Rory McIlroy. The backlash intensified after Matt Fitzpatrick publicly condemned the comments, prompting Rea to apologize in a letter to the organization’s 30,000-plus professionals and acknowledge that his remarks had reflected poorly on both himself and the PGA of America.
A separate video of Rea performing karaoke to Eminem’s Lose Yourself during the Ryder Cup weekend also drew attention. Since then, he had been removed from the PGA Tour Policy Board, made only limited public appearances, and was absent from last week’s PGA Championship leadership press conference, where new chief executive Terry Clark said Rea had been asked to focus on member matters. Tod Leonard, Golf Digest.
DETAILS MAKE FIRST MOVE OUTSIDE PORTUGAL WITH DONNAFUGATA MANAGEMENT DEAL
Details – Hospitality, Sports, Leisure, the largest golf course operator in Portugal, has taken over management of Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa in Sicily, in its first project outside Portugal.
The company will oversee the day-to-day running and redevelopment of the 36-hole venue, covering strategy, repositioning, marketing, sales, and communications, and the addition takes the total number of golf venues under its management to 13. Donnafugata, which opened in 2009, features two 18-hole championship courses, the Parkland and the Links, and previously hosted the 2011 Sicilian Open before closing in 2020.
Details said it is targeting a 2027 relaunch, with both courses to undergo a full renovation and redesign as part of plans to reposition the site as an upscale golf and hospitality destination. “Expanding beyond Portugal for the first time is not only a landmark moment for our company but also a reflection of the strength and ambition of our platform,” said co-chief executive Nuno Sepulveda. Located in Ragusa in south-east Sicily, Donnafugata sits alongside the new Costa Ragusa destination operated by Mangia’s, where two five-star properties — Costa Ragusa Borgo and Costa Ragusa Resort — are due to open in 2026, creating an integrated luxury base ahead of the golf relaunch.
PGA TOUR OUTLINES TWO-TRACK MODEL AS 2028 CHANGES TAKE SHAPE
The PGA Tour has begun briefing players on a proposed two-track competition structure that could come into effect around the 2028 season, with the outline presented during a meeting earlier this month at the Truist Championship in Charlotte.
According to sources familiar with the discussion, track one would feature 23 elevated events made up of 16 regular-season PGA Tour tournaments, the three FedExCup Playoff events, and the four majors, with the regular-season events expected to have 120-man fields. The plan also includes at least three new markets, with Boston, Philadelphia, Denver, Nashville, San Francisco, and Seattle all linked to potential expansion, while the Tour is said to be seeking as much as $30 million annually in title sponsorship for the new events.
A second tier, or track two, would include 20 tournaments with 140-man fields, although the relationship between the two tracks and any knock-on effect for the Korn Ferry Tour or PGA Tour Americas remains unclear. The plans are not yet final and could still change, with more player consultations scheduled at last week’s CJ Cup, and this week’s Byron Nelson, and a board meeting due in the week of the Travelers Championship in late June, when chief executive Brian Rolapp is expected to provide a further update.
The Tour is also continuing work on its 2027 schedule, with 13 tournaments, including the majors, already dated through the PGA Championship in May, although the main unresolved area remains the Florida swing, where dates have not yet been confirmed for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Cadillac Championship, Cognizant Classic, or Valspar Championship. Josh Carpenter, Sports Business Journal.
LIV GOLF EXPLORES RESTRUCTURING OPTIONS AS INVESTMENT SEARCH CONTINUES
LIV Golf is laying the groundwork for a possible bankruptcy filing, according to Bloomberg, as the league looks for new capital after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund ended its backing and shifted focus towards Saudi-based initiatives.
PIF is estimated to have invested between $5 billion and $8 billion in LIV since its 2021 launch, and the withdrawal was followed by the resignation of Yasir Al-Rumayyan, with Gene Davis and Jon Zinman appointed to a restructured board. Bloomberg reported that LIV is considering moving its headquarters to the United States to benefit from more favorable restructuring laws, with the league currently operating across the U.K., U.S., and Jersey while its ultimate control remains in Saudi Arabia. The report follows Axios saying LIV is seeking $250 million in new investment, with chief executive Scott O’Neil now projecting profitability within two years despite earlier remarks suggesting break-even could still be a decade away and that funding only ran through the end of 2026.
In response, a LIV spokesperson said the organization was focused on securing a transaction that would support a sustainable long-term future and that “multiple pathways” were under consideration, while Golf Digest reported that agents for several LIV players have already begun contacting the PGA Tour about possible routes back.
BUICK LPGA SHANGHAI TO RELAUNCH AT SHESHAN WITH RECORD $3.2M PURSE
The Buick LPGA Shanghai will relaunch at Sheshan Golf Club from October 15-18, 2026. The return of the tournament will be accompanied by a $3.2 million purse, the highest in Asian women’s professional golf.
The tournament is being staged with support from Chinese golf and Shanghai sports authorities, alongside local organizers in Songjiang and Sheshan.
Presented by Buick and SAIC General Motors, the event will bring LPGA winners, major champions, rising players, and Olympians to compete for the Buick Goddess trophy, while also strengthening the LPGA’s Asia Fall Swing and China’s domestic golf development. At the press conference, IMG Golf APAC executive Winnie Heng said the relaunch at Sheshan marked a return to a familiar venue with a new benchmark purse, while officials from the China Golf Association, LPGA, CLPGA, Songjiang, and Sheshan highlighted the tournament’s role in developing Chinese players, raising the city’s international event profile, and driving wider cultural, tourism, and economic activity.