Innovation at the Forefront of Annual PGA Merchandise Show
2 min readEach January, more than 40,000 Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America professionals and golf industry leaders come together in Orlando, FL, for the PGA Merchandise Show. Referred to as the “Major of Golf Business,” the weeklong exhibition consists of 1,000-plus interactive displays, education sessions and equipment demonstrations. This year’s show featured an all-new 2,500-square foot Golf Facility Innovation Center that included Constellation’s innovations. The center was designed to look like a model clubhouse featuring cutting-edge ideas and technologies now available to golf facilities.
As the PGA’s official energy provider and sustainability partner, Constellation works with golf facilities and country clubs to improve energy efficiency with projects like upgrades to LED lighting, building controls and air handlers. PGA professionals work with local Constellation representatives to identify efficiency measures that can be funded with Efficiency Made Easy (EME).
Through EME, clubs install energy solutions with no upfront capital required so planned renovations, building upgrades and new technologies can be implemented with payments toward efficiency measures showing up as a line item on the monthly Constellation power or natural gas bill. Clubs such as Liberty National in New Jersey and the Country Club of Detroit in Michigan have already taken advantage of this program to reduce energy consumption and realize cost savings.
Clubs such as Liberty National in New Jersey and the Country Club of Detroit in Michigan have already taken advantage of this program to reduce energy consumption and realize cost savings.
Constellation also offers clubs access to innovative energy products and services through Constellation Technology Venture’s portfolio of offerings. In the Golf Facility Innovation Center at the PGA Merchandise Show, Constellation demoed a ChargePoint commercial electric vehicle (EV) charging station. As electric vehicles are becoming more popular, more clubs are considering installing EV charging stations in their parking lots so that members can recharge their vehicles while out on the course. This extra benefit offers members an enhanced guest experience that allows them to be more efficient on the road and with their time.
In addition to Constellation, the Golf Facility Innovation Center highlighted Hampton Connect, a digital management solution for clubs, OpenRounds, an on-demand digital scheduling platform for private golf clubs and PepsiCo, who highlighted their latest technologies, trends and solutions that affect customer experience. It also showcased an optimal pro-shop and Tonal Systems, a home-based gym and intelligent personal trainer dubbed the “future of fitness.”
The PGA’s commitment to innovation is showcased by naming Arjun Chowdri to the newly-created role of chief innovation officer, who is responsible for fostering a culture of innovation and idea generation within the PGA and the broader golf industry. Chowdri’s near-term goals include enabling employees and partners to think creatively and try new ideas – an exciting feat for a sport steeped in tradition. The PGA also has what Chowdri describes as “moon shots,” which are long-term bigger picture ideas around leveraging advances in tangential industries like agriculture, robotics and professional learning development and applying them to the golf space.
Constellation is proud to partner with an organization like the PGA that shares similar values around sustainability and innovation, and we will continue to work with them to improve energy efficiency and meet their environmental goals. Constellation evaluates and invests in new technologies and leverages strategic partnerships to deliver the most cutting-edge and sustainable solutions to our customers.
If your business is interested in implementing and funding energy conservation measures and efficiency upgrades with no upfront capital, a program like Constellation’s Efficiency Made Easy (EME) might be the right one for you.