FRISCO, Texas — At the sold-out 2025 PGA Buying Summit at the massive Omni PGA Frisco Resort, better known as “Summer School,” golf’s latest and greatest companies had a chance to talk to a large national and regional group of buyers, getting a head start on the 2026 buying season while also showing off some exciting fall offerings.
“This is a great place for us to connect with regional buyers,” said Ahead Golf national sales manager Scott Stone. “Since COVID, this show has become even more important as many buyers couldn’t travel or make it to the winter show in Orlando and we can see important clients here and preview our 2026 line.”
More than 1,000 buyers attended with 182 brands on display at the three-day session, mainly focusing on golf apparel, golf accessories and clothing.
Included was a public concert at the expansive facility, style show and putting contest along with the first 100-degree day of the summer in North Texas.
“Our job is to get information to as many people as possible and with our new brand starting in 2026, it’s vital for a show like this to connect people with our new product,” said Will Carswell of Blue Tees golf.
Here are six items that caught my eye while roaming the halls at the Buying Summit:
Shot Scope Pro L5 Rangefinder
One of the leaders in rangefinders unveiled its latest technology-charged models, the Pro L5. The latest version features enhanced readability in all light conditions using the new OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) regardless of bright sunshine or dark, rainy U.K.-like conditions. Among the other features are GPS maps (available via a mobile app), a range of 1,300 yards and a slope feature which can be switched on or off for tournament play, plus a strong magnet for attaching the device to your cart.
Ahead Ryder Cup Gear and Apparel
Though golf’s major championships are done for the year, there is one more highly anticipated event: September's Ryder Cup at Bethpage in Long Island. Longtime Ryder Cup supplier Ahead showcased several special hats for the home team that will be available to the public, among the offerings is a blue camo with large-block USA and or a white version with a U.S. map. While Ahead came to prominence as primarily a headwear line, they sell more shirts and apparel than hats these days and all were on display.
Duca del Cosma Shoes
For those who want comfort and functionality with plenty of style and fashion, Italian golf footwear and apparel company Duca del Cosma has that covered with its Summer Show 2026 collection. The men's and women's footwear line pushes the on-course fashion envelope with bold European styles, striking colors and form-fitting contact with the ground. The newest men’s shoes are titled Rimini and are waterproof, while the women's model is Vieste, lightweight and spikeless for wearing on or off the course.
Tipsy Elves Shirts
One of my favorite companies at the summer show because it proves golf apparel can be fashion forward and still retain a sense of humor. The company sells a wide variety of colorful golf shirts from designs incorporating the American flag to golf designs of all shapes and sizes. But one of their biggest sellers is a blue golf polo featuring plenty of the childhood-dessert favorite Bomb Pop-like popsicles on the shirt ... because you want to hit bombs off the tee.
Blue Tees Golf Tips line
Known for its popular rangefinders, Blue Tees Golf used the summer show to introduce its new Tips line of sleek, customizable golf travel gear.
Greg Norman apparel
The World Golf Hall of Famer's sportswear brand is as strong as ever, with its golf shirts still claiming a large share of the market in public shops and green grass outlets, along with his pants, shorts and signature wide-brim hat. One of his best-selling items was on display at the Buying Summit, a dark blue polo with multiple large sharks swimming across the pattern.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Six Items We Noticed From the ‘Summer School’ of Golf Apparel and Merchandising.