Putting a bow on the 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show 

The 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show is now in the rearview. It was a Herculean effort to pull together a party and show fit for an association celebrating its 100th anniversary.  

And the GCSAA really made it happen. This show was so good on so many levels. I’m thrilled with my trip to Orlando, and I hope you are too. Thank you to all the GCSAA staffers who put in the extra hours to make this event special. You all nailed it! 

Heck, we all nailed it! Hats off to everyone who was there making the event what it was. That includes the attendees, the exhibitors and whoever grilled my steak on Wednesday night. And a big thank you to all the attendees still walking the trade show floor midday Thursday, when there wasn’t much time left in the show … the floor was still busy! A huge difference in crowd/energy this year compared to last year. 

Let me run through a few thoughts on this past GCSAA show while the thoughts are still fresh: 

The 100-year party at ICON Park was legit 

My group grabbed a corner of the bar at Yard House, and I was able to watch as the crowd gathered outside the main entrance at ICON Park. It grew and grew, and I thought, is it going to be a challenge getting in there? 

We waited until a few minutes past opening and then breezed right in. I was immediately handed two drink tickets and a program, and I was on my way — shoutout to whoever made the program; I barely looked at it in the moment, but the next day I realized it was a nice memento of this 100-year anniversary. It’s going in my golf memorabilia collection.   

It was a very cool setup with various GCSAA partners sponsoring different venues. Quali-Pro had The Winery (hmm, I don’t think I’ve ever seen those Texans drink wine, but OK); PBI-Gordon had the ICON Park Bar (now that makes sense to me why I kept seeing them over there! I’m an idiot); JRM and Chemical Dynamics had iCafe De Paris; Jacobsen had one part of Tin Roof, Nufarm the other; ASGCA and GCBAA hosted at Helena Modern Riveria; Envu hosted at Brother Jimmy’s BBQ; Uncle Julios was hosted by USGA (I tried but ran out of time before I could get in there); and of course Toro had to host at Ole Red, that was fun. 

Syngenta hosted the main stage with the Ferris wheel as the backdrop. Great for photos.  

My only regret was I didn’t have more time there. It went by so fast! If anyone can say they hit every party, I’d believe them, but I’d also believe they didn’t actually talk to anyone. There was just so much to see — so many industry pros packed into one big party.  

It was like being in college during homecoming weekend and going house party hopping. Who do we know in this house? Oh, those are the guys from the marching band, they’re fun! What about this house? That’s the men’s swim team, gotta go there, they’re in great shape, there’ll be girls there. 

Except instead of us all being poor college students party hopping, we’re all doing pretty good in this giant fraternity called “GCSAA.” 

GCSAA Opening Session was an emotional masterpiece 

If you missed the Opening Session… I’m sorry.  

Among other classy moments, some highlights: 

• The presentation of the Col. John Morley Award to brothers Bob and Joe Alonzi, 55- and 50-year GCSAA members. So much talk of brotherhood this week… well, these guys personify it. 

• Outgoing GCSAA President T.A. Barker, CGCS, making it a family affair… with his dad, mom, and then bringing his three sons up on the stage for a heartwarming conversation.  

• A panel discussion with some of golf’s most influential people: Jay Monahan, commissioner, PGA Tour; Mike Whan, CEO, USGA; Rhett Evans, CEO, GCSAA. But wait, there’s more… it was moderated by Golf Digest Editor-in-Chief Jerry Tarde, who has worked for Golf Digest for 50 YEARS and forgotten more about golf than many people have ever known.  

I’ll have more on this later… but wow, what a motivational two hours.  

I’m going to save a few of my highlights from this for my column and the next issue… but I think the best moment was when moderator Lauren Thompson asked the Alonzi brothers a general question… essentially, “What do you think?”  

Bob Alonzi looked at her and said, “I don’t think it could have been scripted any better,” and then looked at the crowd and, overwhelmed with emotion, continued, “It’s been a great journey together.” 

Think about that… these guys were hanging out at GCSAA’s 50th anniversary, young up-and-comers. And here they were at the GCSAA’s 100th, on stage.  

Indeed, Bob. It’s been a great journey.  

I’ve got more in my notebook but the next road trip calls.  

I’ll do my best to scribble some more thoughts down soon. I’ve got a notebook full of them. In the meantime, I hope you had as good of a show as I did. 

I saw so many familiar faces. Saw faces I thought were familiar, then realized they weren’t, then laughed it off and made new friends anyway. 

Toward the end of the show, at the Toro party at Cuba Libre, Jim Cummins, our new national sales manager, asked me how I felt. What was my emotion?  

“I’m grateful,” I said.  

It’s been a great journey, I thought to myself. Like Bob said. 

Jim and Scott Hollister went one way — I went the other — for dinner. My dinner wasn’t great, but the company and the memories? A great way to start the next hundred years.  

See you in New Orleans — hopefully sooner. 

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