Fox Cities Golf Expo draws a crowd

Attendees got the chance to connect with numerous regional golf industry businesses such as golf courses and equipment companies

Published on February 21, 2012

More than 4,000 people got an early jump on the 2012 golf season by attending the second annual Fox Cities Golf Expo held last weekend at the Player’s Choice Arena in Appleton.

Show promoter Dan Muenchow of DJM Marketing and The Green Card, said this year's attendance surpassed last year by 800. And he thinks he knows why.

"We had a great lineup of vendors, featuring over 30 courses, three retailers (Nevada Bob's, Golf Galaxy and The Golf Outlet) and many reps (Callaway, Srixon/Cleveland, Bridgestone and Olimar)."

On top of that, attendees also had the opportunity for some hands-on experiences, including participating in putting and simulator contests.

Among the first-time exhibitors was Castle at the Bay, located in Arkdale, just north of the Dells. General Manager Chris Paitrick had nothing but good things to say about their experience at the show. “It went very well for us,” he said. “Dan (Muenchow) does a great job running it and keeps people coming in the door, so we were really busy. For us, the Fox Cities area is an untapped market and we saw a lot of new faces. As long as you can get information in people’s hands, it puts it in their minds.”

Muenchow said plans are already in the works for the 2013 Expo. "For next year's show we will be adding a junior golf instructional program, golf lessons from area pros, a celebrity appearance from a pro athlete and 500 free rounds of golf from three courses," he said.

Paitrick has high hopes for the Expo’s future, “It’s only (Dan’s) second year, so if he keeps building it and getting even more courses there and more people keep talking about it, I think it’s going to end up being a really good thing,” he said.

For a listing of upcoming golf shows in Wisconsin and surrounding states, click here.