Golf Is Thriving
If last week’s PGA Show is any indication, the golf business is booming. It wasn’t that many years ago that I wrote about the impending death of the show [read that HERE], but for 2026 there were so many booths that some had to be set up in the hall. The Plugged In Golf team walked the miles of aisles to bring you the best new products and more.
Biggest Trend: Ecosystems
Golf is a high tech game. From rangefinders and GPS devices to simulators and motion capture systems, technology was all over the show floor. And the biggest theme of the year is making all your technology work together. Two examples stand out. First, Shot Scope’s new LM1 launch monitor will work with their app to provide even more game improvement and strategy data. Second is Bushnell and Foresight working together to put your launch monitor data into your rangefinder. And this is just the start, for both these companies and the industry as a whole.
Best of the Show
If you’re a regular reader, you know the deal. We don’t give awards away like candy at a parade; we save our praise for the products that we’re betting on to make a big impact in 2026. We’re also limiting this to genuinely new products – new colorways, accessories, and gadgets fall under the Cool & Interesting umbrella.
Shot Scope LM1 Launch Monitor
Priced at just $199, the Shot Scope LM1 is a launch monitor that every golfer can afford. Offering five key metrics – club speed, ball speed, smash factor, carry distance, and total distance – it’s built to work together with the Shot Scope app to help you practice more effectively and improve your on-course decision making. You can also use it for speed training, and it sets up fast enough for use during a round.
TRUE Linkswear Antigravity Shoes
Pebax is a highly cushioned, featherlight material that’s finally making its way into golf shoes thanks to TRUE. The Antigravity line is going to include several models so you can walk in comfort in every environment and on every occasion. I can’t wait to get these on my feet.
Bettinardi BB Series
The 2026 Bettinardi BB Series does almost everything I could ask for. It shows the brand committing to their identity – high end, one-piece, milled putters. It’s a comprehensive line with something for everyone. It features a performance element that’s genuinely new for them. And it simplifies their overall lineup, making things more straightforward for the customer.
I’ve had this line in hand for a couple weeks already – find my BB1 review HERE – and I don’t think any other putter maker is going to be able to put out a better series.
Prong Putting Trainer
One of my favorite putting trainers has been reborn! Longtime readers will remember the Putting Fork [review HERE] which is still the high water mark for simplicity and effectiveness. Unfortunately, the Putting Fork has been extinct, available only to a lucky few who find one on eBay, for several years. For 2026, the IP is back in a new improved form – Prong. Be on the lookout for a full review later this year.
Garmin G82
The Garmin G80 was a truly unique product, combining a top shelf GPS with a launch monitor [review HERE]. This cult favorite is getting an update in 2026 with the G82. With a brilliant 5″ touch screen, Garmin’s industry-leading GPS, and strong, essential launch monitor functions, this might be one device that does almost everything you need.
Best Booth: PXG
This was PXG’s first PGA Show, but you’d never guess from the quality of their booth. The reason we named this the best booth can be summed up in one word: taste. This booth was big enough to demonstrate that PXG is a major player, but it wasn’t cavernous. Every square foot was being used, but it wasn’t crowded. They showed off all their clubs and gear without the repetition some brands need to fill their overly-large footprints. There were giveaways for everyone who walked through. You could roll their putters or hit the new clubs on two simulators. And, perhaps best of all, they had a holographic display where Dr. Bob Parsons and others made live appearances throughout the show.
Cool & Interesting
Putt Buddies
After a gentle introduction in 2025 with a few favorites like South Park, SpongeBob, and Barbie, Putt Buddies unveiled the full depth of their accessory universe at the 2026 PGA Show. Through partnerships with Warner Brothers, Mattel, Paramount, HBO, DC, and more, Putt Buddies is bringing all of your favorite pop culture icons and imagery to the course. From Harry Potter to Batman, Game of Thrones to Mortal Kombat, Putt Buddies covers your clubs and lets you fix your ball marks with personality.
Nippon Luxury Black Modus Shafts
Nippon shafts are fixtures in the bags of numerous Plugged In Golf writers, but all those gamers are under threat in 2026…by other Nippon shafts. The vaunted shaft maker will roll out Modus shafts in Luxury Black in two phases this year. Phase 1 launches in April and will cover Tour 105, Tour 120, and the Modus wedge shaft. Tour 110, Tour 115, and Tour 125 players will have to wait until Phase 2 in Fall of 2026. This will be a very limited run, so make sure to keep an eye on NSProShop.com to get yours.
Machine Putters
Putter nerds know the name Dave Billings, and those with some years in the game will remember his Machine Putters. The ultra-customizable brand is now back and better than ever with an intense focus on performance. Look for more from them as they expand their work with top fitters and their direct-to-consumer business.
PAYNTR’s New Shoes & Tour Staff
At their Thursday night event, PAYNTR unveiled a new shoe and new Tour Ambassadors including Min Woo Lee. If you’ve followed my reviews, you know that I think PAYNTR is at the very top of the game when it comes to high performance shoes, and I expect to see that continue and grow in 2026.
Putt Tracking Golf Balls
Two companies – Chip’d and Genius – showed off golf balls that act like launch monitors for your putting. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen golf balls that connect to data-collecting apps, but both of these companies have systems that make the data more functional for everyday golfers. Both are currently in pre-sale, and it will be interesting to see if they deliver on the promise of helping golfers shave strokes off their handicap.
TPT Pulse Putter Shafts
With almost a decade of experience under their belt, TPT is using 2026 to launch a new line of super premium putter shafts. The Pulse family includes three models which allows golfers to choose their preferred feel. What separates Pulse from other putter shafts is that each “flex” has the same extremely low torque, so golfers don’t have to choose between feel and performance.
Caddy Wrap
Golfers love to personalize their clubs, but there hasn’t been anything new in a long time. Stamping? Passé. Fancy ferrules? Seen that before. Paint fill? Meh.
Caddy Wrap is a new product that lets you shrink wrap designs onto your clubs’ shafts. They offer everything from The Woody, which makes your clubs look like they’re hickory shafted, to college logos like Iowa and Kansas. Best of all, you can install the wraps yourself using nothing but a pair of scissors, a hair dryer, and Caddy Wrap’s patented box.
Which products are you most interested in?
What do you want to hit, wear, or use in 2026?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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8 Comments
Do I spy a change in face on the Queen B?!?!?!
Thanks for the writeup. I would love to go someday.
Did you happen to see the LAZRUS golf booth? They have a zero torque putter for about $200.
I have seen this brand before, but I didn’t see the booth at the show.
Best,
Matt
I think most surprising was the racket sport presence with an emphasis on Pickle and Padel.
James,
Unfortunately the presence of pickleball is nothing new; it’s been at the PGA Show for the last several years.
Best,
Matt
Switched from Arccos to Shot Scope for shot tracking last year on Matt’s recommendation of the latter’s watch/tag products and I cannot wait to get my hands on the LM1.
Sorry, but I don’t get why people are so enamoured of Shotscope’s LM1. The same metrics are with the most current PRGR and its got great results. Also, the same is true of The Stack’s proprietary device. If any of the three had AOA or LA for the balls then that would be significant but I don’t know if that’s possible with a radar-based device.
Max,
Speaking for myself, I’m very excited to see how the data integrates with the rest of the Shot Scope ecosystem. Also – and I may be out of date with with PRGR does – I think Shot Scope is the only device at this price where you can capture full sessions, not just one shot at a time.
Best,
Matt