PGA Fashion and Demo Experience returns to Las Vegas

The golf business world returns to Las Vegas from Aug. 14 to 16 for the annual PGA Fashion and Demo Experience organized by the PGA of America.

The demo experience will be at Topgolf Las Vegas for the first time, while the fashion part of the show at The Venetian will be during Las Vegas Fashion Week.

The event is closed to the public, but golf insiders will get to test the latest clubs and see the latest fashion that soon will be available. Established brands such as Callaway Golf, Ping, Wilson Golf, Cleveland Golf and Travis Mathew are part of the event, as are new brands such as Inputt, a putting training aid company.

“Our space at the PGA Demo Day gives all of the pro shops and trainers a place to see Inputt in action,” said Jason Klinedinst, vice president of operations and manufacturing. “It’s pretty eye opening when people can see their bad putting habits in real time. We expect representatives from those outlets to see the value in the product. The demo also gives those shops and trainers a chance to buy now and have it in-house before their members or students have the chance to buy direct, helping them to be ahead of the curve with the latest putting training aid.”

Former Centennial High School standout Bailey Mosier will host a live fashion show Tuesday. Mosier played at Old Dominion and is now a Golf Channel host, reporter and writer. The runway production will showcase many of the latest golf lifestyle collections by the industry’s top designers.

Mosier received a master’s degree in journalism from Arizona State and is married to Golf Channel host and former PGA Tour player Brandel Chamblee.

Exber, Acker to play U.S. Senior Amateur

Southern Nevada Golf Association members Brady Exber and Frank Acker will play in the U.S. Senior Amateur from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1 at Minikahda Club in Minneapolis.

Exber, who was inducted into the U.S. Senior Amateur Hall of Fame this year, was exempt by his standing as one of the world’s top 500 amateurs.

Acker won the Southern Nevada qualifier Monday at Arroyo to claim his spot. He birdied the final four holes and shot 5-under 67. Doug Pool shot 2-under 70 and is the first alternate.

Golf Channel champ

David Totorri won the Golf Channel Amateur Las Vegas Tour Championship with a 3-over 146 at Spanish Trail and TPC Summerlin.

PGA Tour to have retail presence

A PGA Tour Superstore will open this year, the chain’s 31st location. The 30,000-square-foot space will be in Downtown Summerlin and replaces Golfsmith, which closed late last year after occupying the same location.

PGA Tour Superstore is the PGA Tour’s exclusive off-course/off-airport retail partner in North America. The store will feature five state-of-the-art swing simulators, multiple practice hitting bays, an expansive putting green and a tour van fitting studio.

Deal of the week

The first attempt at the local qualifying events of the Major Series of Putting is free. Weekly events take place Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m. at TaylorMade Golf Experience, 6730 Las Vegas Boulevard South. Re-buys are $10.

Stars on, off course

Craig Barlow, who is playing a limited schedule on the PGA Tour since mostly giving up competitive golf last year to focus on golf instruction, finished tied for 18th at the Barracuda Open in Reno last week. He made an eagle two on the par 4, 14th hole during the final round at Montreux Golf and Country Club.

The golf notebook appears Thursdays. Freelance writer Brian Hurlburt is a two-time author who has covered golf in Las Vegas for more than two decades. He can be reached at bhurlburt5@gmail.com or @LVGolfInsider on Twitter.