DFW Golf Show back in full swing

By David Mullen

Danielle Cocanougher has gone through a lot in the past year. As co-owner of Texas Golf Shows and show producer of the DFW Golf Show, she had to postpone the event scheduled for March due to COVID-19 concerns while keeping sponsors, vendors and fans motivated. She also found time to have her first child during the break.

But now, everything is as smooth as a freshly mowed green. Mother and daughter are doing well and the DFW Golf Show is finally ready to tee off on Friday, Aug. 6 to Sunday, Aug. 8 at Dallas Market Hall.

Texas Golf Shows, a Richland Hills based family-owned business, has taken over the DFW Golf Show from a national events company. “We want to add a little local flavor,” said Cocanougher. “It is a long-term investment for us. We know that the golf market is huge in Dallas and it is pretty much a year-round golfing season [here].” More than 24 million Americans play golf, and the golf club market alone is estimated at more than $3.6 billion per year.

The ninth annual DFW Golf Show, presented by Corona Premier, will feature more than 60 vendors. Golf enthusiasts can enjoy many golf-centric zones throughout the show, including the “Corona Premier 19th Hole,” the Dallas Golf Testing and Fitting Zone, the Balcones Whiskey Experience and a VIP area for members of the golf industry, sponsored by Canteen Vodka Soda. 

“We have some new interactive elements,” Cocanougher said. “We wanted to add some more experiential things that appeal to the golfing lifestyle.” To that end, the DFW Golf Show will offer a chance to win prizes through interactive games such as the Scheels Short Game Central, the Shop Indoor Golf Long Drive and KP Championships and the 50-foot putting green at the DFW Acura Dealers Putting Championship.

“The ‘Corona Premier 19th Hole and Main Stage’ returns with talks from golf industry professionals, games all weekend and plenty of drinks to go around,” Cocanougher said. “The official whiskey partner, Balcones Distilling, will also host the Balcones Whiskey Experience, featuring tastings all three days, an education series and hand-rolled cigars.”

Cocanougher is introducing changes to the layout of the course. “For example, we have had a long-time whiskey partner. Want to flesh that out a little more. The whiskies will now be next to the hand rolled cigars, which are next to the fine leather goods.”

Attendees can find all the latest clubs and gear such as Titleist, Callaway, Cobra, Mizuno, Ping, TaylorMade, Tour Edge and Wilson at the Dallas Golf Testing and Fitting Zone. “There will be a 100-foot indoor driving range for attendees to test out gear,” Cocanougher said. “Golfers can even bring in their used clubs to have them valued and traded at the show. Sassy Caddy will auction off golf bags, and Swing It Again ‘Golfable Golf Balls For You’ will have 10 thousand recyclable golf balls for sale.”

Saturday is family day. On “Scheels Kids Day” by Scheels All Sports in The Colony, First Tee – Greater Dallas and First Tee – Fort Worth, young duffers will be given a passport card with areas to visit on the show floor supporting junior golf and a healthy lifestyle. Kids can get their passports stamped throughout the show, and children under the age of 12 get in free.

For $59, a 2021 Players Tour Pass will be available, which includes free golf rounds at local courses such as RB Golf Club & Resort, the Texas Golf Center and Tanglewood Golf Club. It is a value worth more than $150. RB Golf Club & Resort is owned by Texas Golf Shows and located in Runaway Bay near Decatur. 

“One of the reasons that we were interested in this golf show — besides the fact that we own a golf course and that syncs into our overall strategy — is that we had a business that worked for our clients on the technology side,” Cocanougher said. “You found out quickly why people want to go to these shows. It is being in a space with other people that like the same stuff as you. There is a real energy to being there and sharing this interest with somebody. We want to bring that energy to the golf show.”

The DFW Gold Show will be at Dallas Market Hall, at 2200 N. Stemmons Freeway, and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 7, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 8. General admission tickets cost $15. VIPs can receive free food and drinks, an indoor golf simulator and a private space for the industry to mingle for an additional fee. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit dfwgolfshow.com. 

Cocanougher, who studied journalism and worked in broadcast media at Fox4 in Dallas, insists that her pregnancy was not timed around the upcoming show. “It just worked out that way,” Cocanougher insisted. 

“Dallas is quickly becoming the epicenter of the golf industry business,” Cocanougher said, “with ClubCorp and TopGolf both calling the city home.” 

Cocanougher said the ideal mix for a successful show is to split revenues in thirds between sponsorships, exhibitors and patrons. “The event companies that really have staying power are really thinking about the next step.” After an unscheduled break that included the birth of a baby girl, Cocanougher hopes to deliver an all-new event with staying power to attract Dallas area golfers while preparing for her baby’s first steps. 

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