GBR Tuesday | GOLF.AI Launches an AI Concierge for Golf Travel — Plus Hawaii's $3.4bn Golf Economy and the Asian Tour Reset
GOLF.AI targets the future of golf travel, ZEN Golf and Karl Morris rethink coach education, Hawaii mobilises its $3.4 billion golf economy, and the Asian Tour secures a new pathway.
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Hello GBR community,
Today’s GBR reflects how new technology, partnerships and commercial alliances are reshaping different parts of golf.
GOLF.AI is launching a conversational platform designed to simplify the planning and booking of golf trips, while a separate market forecast expects global golf tourism to grow from $69.1 billion in 2024 to $98.7 billion by 2035. Elsewhere, ZEN Golf and Karl Morris are expanding their coach education partnership around performance psychology and adaptable practice, Hawaii’s leading resorts have formed a new tourism alliance, and the Asian Tour is preparing to establish closer pathways into the DP World Tour and PGA Tour ecosystem.
Writing this in late July, it seems strange to think that this year’s major season is over. Did anybody have Aaron Rai and Ryan Fox down as major winners this year?
After the U.S. Open, I commented that Sam Burns was somebody I thought would be in with a shout of winning The Open, and that looked good on Saturday evening. Alas, we’ll have to wait till next April to see if he can finally win his first major.
Enjoy today’s edition of GBR.
GOLF.AI LAUNCHES GOLF.AI TRAVEL: THE GOLF TRIP BECOMES A CONVERSATION
“Plan me a six day golf trip to Ireland next September for four golfers. We want links golf, luxury accommodation, a hire car, one hidden gem the locals love, and a budget under US$6,000 a head.”
For twenty years, that request has meant a dozen browser tabs and days of work. Search the destinations. Compare the courses. Check tee times, price the hotels, sort the flights, the transfers, the restaurants, the group, the budget. Then hope nothing changes.
Over the next five years, golf travel will move from searching to a single conversation. GOLF.AI Travel is built to answer it in seconds. Its AI concierge compares thousands of courses, hotels, flights and local experiences. It knows the group’s handicaps, preferred course styles, budget and past trips. It coordinates the party, books the golf, manages changes, reserves the dinners and finds sightseeing for whoever came along without clubs. The booking process turns invisible. The conversation is the interface.
The starting point is different from a travel website with a chatbot bolted on. The platform begins with intent: where you want to go, who is coming, what kind of golf you enjoy, what you want to spend. Then it assembles the parts into one plan, and it stays live after the deposit clears. It recommends courses by handicap, reshuffles the itinerary when the weather turns, books a lesson with a local pro, adds a fourth round midweek. The effect is closer to traveling with a companion who knows every course, and everyone in the group.
Where the specialists fit
The world’s golf tour operators, destination specialists and resorts have spent decades building supplier relationships and local knowledge, and the customer trust that comes with both. No technology replicates the judgment of a specialist who knows which courses are worth the detour, where a group should stay, how much driving a day can absorb, and how to rescue a trip when plans fall apart.
AI does not replace that expertise. It amplifies it.
That is the model behind the launch. GOLF.AI builds the conversational intelligence, the orchestration tools, the global golf data and the AI itself. Partners bring destination expertise, inventory, supplier relationships and the service that makes a trip memorable. The company says it has no interest in becoming another online travel agency. The ambition is the intelligent infrastructure underneath the next generation of golf travel.
An open door — including to sellers
GOLF.AI is inviting conversations with tour operators, travel agencies, destination specialists, resorts, hotel groups, tourism bodies, airlines, transport providers, travel technology companies and entrepreneurs building new golf travel products. The models on the table run from strategic partnerships and technology licensing to joint ventures, distribution deals and commercial collaborations.
And where the strategic and cultural fit is right, acquisition. Golf travel remains deeply fragmented, full of strong businesses built around a single destination or a single kind of customer. The stated objective is to connect that expertise through one global conversational platform, while partners keep the relationships and local knowledge that make their businesses valuable.
The size of the prize
The timing tracks the market. Market Research Future values golf tourism at $69.1 billion in 2024 and expects it to climb from $71.37 billion in 2025 to $98.67 billion by 2035 — a compound annual growth rate of 3.29%. The firm credits the growth to improved international connectivity, specialist golf travel companies, personalized packages, digital booking platforms, AI-led travel recommendations, mobile apps and virtual course previews, with sustainability — water conservation, renewable energy, biodiversity protection and eco-friendly resort development — emerging as a competitive factor.
The demand is spread across every region. North America remains a major market on the strength of its golf culture, professional tournaments, corporate events and resort network; Europe leans on heritage courses and cultural tourism; Asia-Pacific is growing through investment in Japan, South Korea, China, Thailand and Australia; and the Middle East and Africa are expanding through luxury resorts, international events and destination golf. It is a large, fast-moving, deeply fragmented market — the kind that rewards whoever can organize it.
The vertical AI thesis
The most valuable AI companies will pair powerful models with deep knowledge of one industry. Golf is unusually well placed for it. The sport connects travel, hospitality, tee times, resorts, transport, coaching, tournaments, retail and experiences in a single global market. The winners will build better trips, and the edge will belong to whoever offers the most intelligent and most trusted way of planning one.
The next great golf trip will start with a sentence.
Golfers can start that conversation now at golf.ai.
Operators, resorts and destinations interested in building it: Clive Mayhew is taking partnership conversations directly at clive@golf.ai.
And any course or resort ready for an agent of its own can build one at courses.golf.ai.
ZEN GOLF AND KARL MORRIS BUILD COACH EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
ZEN Golf and performance coach Karl Morris have announced an expanded coach education partnership built around performance psychology, representative practice design and ZEN Golf’s patented Active Terrain Technology.
The collaboration, which includes educational content, guided player experiences and the forthcoming ZEN Master Coach Certification program, will use ZEN’s programmable Green Stage and Swing Stage to help coaches create practice environments shaped by slope, lie, target, pressure, decision-making and adaptability rather than repeated technique from flat, predictable surfaces. Morris, whose principles were evident in Ryan Fox’s Open Championship victory at Royal Birkdale, said “the search for a perfect state is a myth” and that players must learn to “return to the present” by asking, “What is the task right now?” ZEN Golf founder Nick Middleton said performance comes from a golfer’s ability to “see the situation, select a shot and commit to it”, adding that Morris can help golfers develop that capability while ZEN creates “the stage on which they experience it”.
Coaches, academies and performance centers are now being invited to register interest in the certification program, online broadcasts, live ZEN Stage experiences and early education partnerships through ZEN Golf.
59CLUB CONFIRMS TPC SAWGRASS EDUCATION AND NETWORKING EVENT
59club will host its Education & Networking Event at TPC Sawgrass on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The complimentary morning session is open to club managers, golf professionals and hospitality leaders, with up to two free delegate places per club, limited availability on a first-come, first-served basis and additional places available at $50 per person. The featured 59club masterclass, Customer Service & Operational Excellence, will examine “what truly separates a good club experience from a great one”, using mystery shopping data from golf operations, food and beverage, and retail to highlight service standards, common gaps, upselling opportunities and practical steps to improve member satisfaction, team performance and commercial results.
Guest speakers will include Bryant Shuford of Turtleson on intentional experiences and customer loyalty, PGA Master Professional John Mousley, appearing as a Power Tee guest, on the changing role of practice facilities, and Rachel Carter of the NGCOA on the Golf Business Pulse Report, with the program running from registration at 8.30 am to departure at 1.30 pm before further USA roadshow venues and dates are announced.
HAWAII RESORTS FORM PLAY HAWAII GOLF TOURISM ALLIANCE
Twelve resort golf facilities across Hawaii have launched Play Hawaii Golf. The alliance is designed to promote the state as a global golf destination, support local communities and raise funds for junior golf programmes, with founding members including Mauna Lani Golf, Waikoloa Beach Resort Golf and Mauna Kea Golf Course on Hawaii Island; Po‘ipū Bay Golf Course, Princeville Makai Golf Club and the Ocean Course at Hōkūala on Kaua‘i; Manele Golf Course on Lana‘i; Kapalua Golf, Ka‘anapali Golf Courses and Wailea Golf Club on Maui; and Ko Olina Golf Club and Turtle Bay Golf Course on Oahu. Kapalua Golf general manager Alex Nakajima said Hawaii has “more than 70 golf courses” with Pacific Ocean backdrops, volcanic landscapes and tropical settings, adding that recent PGA Tour and state legislature decisions could affect the golf community and economy. “Play Hawaii Golf was formed to promote this incredible golf destination, our courses and all the good golf does for the Aloha State,” he said.
The initiative will be funded through annual contributions from participating resorts and supporting partners. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau is backing the group in 2026 by funding content capture and broadcast production for television, digital storytelling and paid social media, with the aim of keeping Hawaii’s golf offering in front of a national audience. Play Hawaii Golf represents 315 holes across the islands and will use digital campaigns, public relations, influencer partnerships, broadcast media, events and traditional marketing to promote golf travel in the U.S., Asia and beyond. The wider economic case is also clear, with golf contributing an estimated $3.4 billion annually to Hawaii’s economy, including more than $1 billion from golf tourism and related retail spending.
INDOOR GOLF ALLIANCE TO FEATURE GOLF COAST, INDOOR OPERATOR
The free session will feature Steve Deffenbaugh, owner of Golf Coast Indoor, a one-year-old, 24-hour unmanned indoor golf facility with a partially staffed pro shop, and will cover his experience launching the business, first-year lessons, and strategies for building a sustainable indoor golf operation. The series is aimed at existing indoor golf facility owners, prospective operators, golf entertainment venues, simulator investors, PGA professionals, instructors and hospitality leaders, with topics including startup planning, simulator selection, membership growth, marketing, staffing, leagues, food and beverage, revenue diversification and long-term profitability. “Operators are looking for more than just equipment recommendations—they want real operational insight from people who have actually built successful facilities,” said IGA president Phil Immordino, adding that the series is designed to provide practical knowledge, honest discussion and strategies to help operators avoid costly mistakes.
PROAGENDA TO POWER TRUMP TURNBERRY ACADEMY BOOKINGS
ProAgenda has agreed a new partnership with Trump Turnberry. The golf academy management and booking software provider will support the resort’s Golf Academy booking systems, covering golf lessons, covered driving range bays, Trackman Range facilities and Trackman iO simulators.
The move is designed to give members and visiting guests a more streamlined digital booking process, whether reserving PGA tuition, using the interactive range or playing simulated versions of the Ailsa course and King Robert the Bruce. ProAgenda CEO Jordy Hagedooren called the partnership “an incredible milestone” and said the platform would help Turnberry “deliver a frictionless booking journey”, while academy manager Alistair Kyle said the rollout would make it easier for golfers to access the resort’s coaching, range and simulator facilities through a technology partner that understands the needs of a modern golf academy.
FORETHOUGHT GOLF REVIVES YES! PUTTER BRAND
Forethought Golf has announced the return of YES! putters. The relaunched line brings back the brand’s familiar shapes while retaining Arc Face® Technology, which is designed to promote faster forward roll, reduce skid after impact and improve distance control, accuracy and putting consistency. The new range is aimed at golfers from amateur to professional level, with models built around feel, stability, alignment and roll performance. “YES! putters have always been about making better putting possible for golfers of every level,” said Tom Rath, owner of Forethought Golf. “We’re excited to bring the brand back with classic YES! designs combined with modern performance.”
ASIAN TOUR SET TO REJOIN PGA TOUR AND DP WORLD TOUR ECOSYSTEM
The Asian Tour is set to enter a formal partnership with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
The agreement, expected to be announced on Tuesday evening after talks during The Open at Royal Birkdale, will include at least two co-sanctioned Asian Tour and DP World Tour events in each of the 2027, 2028 and 2029 seasons, plus pathways from the Asian Tour Order of Merit to the DP World Tour and HotelPlanner Tour.
Players who progress to the DP World Tour will then be able to compete for one of 10 PGA Tour cards available through the existing Strategic Alliance, while the move also means the Asian Tour will no longer serve as LIV Golf’s effective second tier through the International Series, which had been central to LIV’s promotion and relegation system. Asian Tour CEO Cho Minn Thant said “the timing is just right now” and that “pathways to different tours are very important for our members”, with the agreement also reducing LIV’s ability to use Asian Tour events in future investor proposals or as a second-tier structure for Official World Golf Ranking accreditation. Evin Priest’s full article for Golf Digest Australia can be read here.
LIV GOLF SUED OVER UNPAID TECHNOLOGY FEES
LIV Golf has been sued by Mobii Systems Group Ltd. in U.S. District Court in Miami.
The Canada-based technology company, which supplied LIV’s “Any Shot, Any Time” broadcast feature, is seeking about $1.13 million, including an $820,600 licensing fee, a $104,500 usage fee and $209,531 in lost revenue after LIV said it would stop using the product for the final six events of the 2026 season. The lawsuit says LIV had paid all 2025 fees under a two-year agreement due to run until Dec. 31, 2026, but Mobii sent a demand for payment on May 8 before LIV senior vice president of technology Nick Connor notified the company on May 25 that the league would discontinue the service, starting with its South Korea event. “We recognize that delays in payment have caused strain in our relationship,” Connor wrote, while adding that the decision was “not reflective of the quality of work or services provided”; Mobii terminated the agreement the same day. Lead Story by Mark Schlabach at ESPN.
TITLEIST ADDS MORE FORGIVING GTS300 MINI DRIVER TO LINEUP
Titleist has introduced the GTS300 mini driver. The new 305cc model, available in golf shops worldwide from July 23, was shaped by tour feedback from players including Justin Thomas and Cameron Young and is designed to offer more forgiveness than the GT280 while retaining performance from the turf.
The larger footprint, deeper center of gravity and composite crown help increase inertia by about 15-20%, while the club keeps the same face height as the GT280, uses a forged L-Cup face with an ATI 425 titanium insert to protect ball speed on low-face strikes, and includes a dual-weighting system to fine-tune launch and spin. “The main goal in development was to make GTS300 a more forgiving mini driver,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s Senior Director of Metalwood Development, with the club offered in 13 degrees, right- and left-handed options, and priced at $549 with feature shafts or $749 with premium shafts.