This free event brings 180+ manufacturers together with innovations like the Major Championship Pavilion, ESPN 1320 Game Improvement Stage featuring a Caddyshack movie star and PGA Tour winners as well as tour van fitting opportunities.
Named by Golf World, Golf Digest and Golf Range magazines as the best golf promotion in the country, the 40th Annual Haggin Oaks Golf Expo continues to lay claim to the title of “America’s Largest Demo Days.” This year’s event will be from Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26, 2015.
With over 180 different manufacturers and booths scheduled to appear, The Haggin Oaks Golf Expo is truly the show of all shows- hosting golfers from all over California, Oregon and Nevada to see the latest in golf equipment to the best vacation destinations- and everything in between! Best of all, admission is FREE! More than 22,000 golfers traveled to “America’s Largest Demo Day” (Friday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily) to test the hottest equipment and accessories; experience the latest launch monitors & Tour Tech vans; trade in old clubs; and shop in the 15,000+ square foot Haggin Oaks Golf Super Shop. Nowhere else in the country will there be a larger collection of golf vendors available to the general public.
New Initiatives:
• Celebrity Appearances
o Michael O’Keefe (aka Danny Noonan) Appearance & Q&A- For golfers, the holy grail of golf movies is none other than the 1980 comedy film Caddyshack, directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney. It stared Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Cindy Morgan, Bill Murray- as well as great actor and star Michael O’Keefe who played the most famous silver screen caddy ever, Danny Noonan. The Golf Expo is bringing him in for an exclusive Q&A session as well as an opportunity to get autographs and photos taken with. Saturday at 12 Noon, 4/24.
o Roger Cleveland Appearance & Q&A- Sponsored by Callaway Golf- An appearance by legendary club designer Roger Cleveland- on the ESPN 1320 Game Improvement Stage. The Roger Cleveland name is synonymous with great wedges. The high-lofted, short game weapons remain his passion and where his craftsmanship is most widely regarded, although these days his design fingerprints are all over Callaway Golf’s entire line-up of irons- Friday at 11a, 4/24.
o Don Pohl Appearance & Q&A- Sponsored by Hopkins Golf – An appearance by legendary tour player Dan Pohl on the ESPN 1320 Game Improvement Stage. Owner of two PGA Tour wins in the 1986 Colonial National Invitation and NEC World Series of Golf. Career Highlights include: 32 Year Veteran of the PGA Tour, Vardon Trophy Winner in 1986, over 400 career cuts which included over 70 top 10 finishes and over 3 million in career earnings. Friday at 10a, 4/24.
o Kathy Gildersleeve-Jensen Appearance & Q&A- Sponsored by PnP Golf- An appearance by the current PGA of America Teacher of the Year. Fresh off being on the cover of the most recent PGA Magazine, Kathy will have three different sessions up on our ESPN 1320 Game Improvement Stage to talk through practice drills and techniques to lower your score and hit it farther.
o John K. Solheim Appearance & Q&A- Sponsored by PING Golf- Heritage. Tradition. Legacy. Principles. These words are the foundation by which PING Golf and the Haggin Oaks Golf Super Shop both have built their business on. Since the days when PING founder Karsten Solheim sold putters from his car trunk to Tom LoPresti, Haggin Oaks’ first head golf professional, these two companies have partnered together to deliver the highest quality, most custom-fit and highly engineered golf product to golfers everywhere. Now Karsten’s grandson, John K. Solheim, is engineering the design and direction of the company and he’s here at Golf Expo to talk about the future of golf equipment design and what makes PING different from the rest. Friday at 2p, 4/24.
• $25,000 Cleveland Wedge Challenge- On the Arcade putting green- chipping/pitching contest all three days of the show where you’ll chip for points into green targets. The customer with the most points will come back on Sunday for a one-chance pitch across the green and a chance to win $25,000. Cleveland, an industry leader in product innovation with best-selling wedges and technologically advanced woods and irons, has one of the best-selling wedges on the marketplace with their 588 RTX 2.0 wedges in all lofts, finishes and bounces.
• Sacramento Golf Hall of Fame & Junior Commendation Ceremony- An Afternoon of Legends and Junior Leaders- For the first time in Golf Expo’s history, we’ll be hosting the Sacramento Golf Hall of Fame’s Induction Ceremony with this year’s class of former PGA Tour veterans and champions Bob Lunn, Bob E Smith and Dick Lotz as well as Del Paso Country Club head golf professionals Frank Minch, Sr. and Frank Minch, Jr. At 3p on Saturday, ESPN 1320’s Frank LaRosa will do live interviews with Smith and Lotz- along with year 2000 inductee Ken Morton, Sr.- along with a representative from Del Paso to talk about the legacy of Minch Sr and Minch Jr. It will be followed by a special First Tee of Greater Sacramento presentation to this year’s class of graduating seniors headed to college and those that have achieved their Ace and Eagle certification.
• Grand Opening of the Sacramento Hall of Fame display in MacKenzie’s Sports Bar & Grille – And to celebrate the induction of Lunn, Smith, Lotz, Minch, Sr. and Minch, Jr., Morton Golf has worked with the First Tee and made a semi-permanent display featuring all of the worthy individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame over the year. Check out the display in the foyer as you come into the Grille.
• The Big Golf Expo Vehicle Giveaway – To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Haggin Oaks Golf Expo, the team is turning back the clock and is giving away the cutest forty year-old sports car you ever did see. This car will be on display directly behind our registration desk- one lucky attendee will have their name drawn from a free entry registration on Sunday afternoon. (Winner does not have to be present to win.)
• The Amazing Race (at Golf Expo) Game- Race around the Haggin Oaks Golf Expo this year and play a new game for your chance to win an Apple iPad Mini. You’ll be given a scorecard when you come into the event with a map on the back. As you go around and see each special location around Expo, get your card stamped and redeem it for a delicious treat. One of the game cards will be picked for the iPad!
• Golf 2016 Merchandise – Though golf has not been featured in the Olympics since the 1904 Summer Olympics, next year will feature our favorite sport in the games in Rio de Janeiro. To help celebrate a special year and special occasion, we will have red/white/blue Golf 2016 goods on display and for sale in our Major Championship Pavilion.
• FREE MacKenzie Putting Course all three days of the show – A new little paradise of sorts has sprouted- and it’s called the MacKenzie Putting Course. Palm trees, bird of paradise flowers, a bubbling brook, and challenging holes ranging from 25 to 65 feet await the legions of Northern California golfers. It instantly became a favorite with adult, kids, and families alike. Nine challenging holes are what stand in the way of you and putting brilliance. This is no miniature putt-putt, nor simply a putting green. The MacKenzie Putting Course sports water hazards, sand traps, and sneaky breaks that challenge even the most seasoned putting pros. And for all three days of Golf Expo, it will be FREE to play!
• 40 Years of Golf Expo History Collage – Our marketing team has been diving through four decades of old photographs and advertisements and will have a collage of the very best of Golf Expo in the breezeway just outside the MacKenzie’s Sport Bar & Grille. We’ll have photos of the old tents, old advertisements for products and brands long since passed and a fun trip down memory lane for Sacramento’s favorite golf event.
• Fashion Friday Golf Fashion Show – Our merchandising team here at Haggin Oaks is working with the Sacramento Art Institute and will host the very first Fashion Friday Golf Fashion Show at 1p on the 24th. Come see the latest in men’s, women’s and junior fashions with music and excitement galore.
• Travis Mathew Tour Bus – The apparel brand Travis Mathew is committed to pushing the boundaries and thinking outside the box. The Awesome Tour Van was born from that thinking. It features a full rooftop party deck, 5 high definition LED televisions, a fold-out patio, full length awnings for shade and a complete outdoor entertainment system to make shopping for one of the hottest clothing brands fun and fresh.
• Special 2015 US Senior Open at Del Paso Country Club Ticket Offer- Just in case you’ve missed it, Sacramento is hosting a major championship golf tournament this summer and we’ll have representatives on-hand with an event-exclusive ticket purchase opportunity and availability to take your photograph with the actual US Senior Open trophy that this year’s champion will hoist above his head this summer.
• Free Srixon On-Site Ball Personalization – We’ll be offering free golf ball personalization with the purchase of any Srixon branded balls- all while you wait. Pad printing is a fascinating process and it’s done the same way on-site as in the factory. The entire process takes 10-15 minutes and you can watch as your one-of-a-kind balls are made.
Repeat Initiatives:
The Major Championship Pavilion featuring replica Open Championship Claret Jug Trophy
Few golfers get an opportunity to step onto one of golf’s hallowed courses to watch one of golf’s biggest championships- including the British Open, US Open, PGA Championship or Ryder Cup. So, Haggin Oaks is doing it’s best to bring a little taste of those events home to Sacramento. In its second year, the Major Championship Pavilion will have logo goods from some of those events on hand including headwear, polo shirts and other memorabilia. And for the first time, Haggin Oaks has secured a replica of the famed Claret Jug Trophy from the British Open Championship that you’ll be able to take complimentary photos with all this weekend.
The Major Championship Menu and BBQ
Doing all that shopping inside our Major Championship Pavilion is sure to make you hungry. And if you’re going to dress like a tour pro, you might as well eat like one. Our catering team has created a special Major Championship Menu just for this weekend to give you a genuine taste of those special events. Take a bite of our straight-from-Augusta famed Pimento Cheese or Egg-Salad Sandwiches. They’ll be wrapped in green wax paper, just like they are each April along those beautiful azaleas. And if Burgers are more your thing, take advantage of our special Olympic-sized burger similar to what was served at last year’s US Open. It’s a slice of specially seasoned hamburger meat served lengthwise in a hot dog bun.
MacKenzie Shop Club Garage Sale & Value Center
One of the best-kept secrets of the Haggin Oaks Golf Expo is up by the MacKenzie Pro Shop. Those in the know realize that the Haggin Oaks Golf Super Shop puts out tens of thousands of dollars of nearly new golf products at values up to 80% off their original retail. Now it’s your secret to keep!
ESPN 1320 Golf-To- Go Haggin Oaks Game Improvement Stage
The Haggin Oaks Golf Expo is continuing their great new initiative in 2015 called The ESPN 1320 Golf-To-Go Game Improvement Stage! A huge stage on wheels will create a mini-amphitheater right on the range where every hour on the hour, free educational opportunities will be presented on topics such as golf ball fitting, putting clinics, golf shaft education, golf fitness instruction, guest instructors and more!
SGC Putting Championship
After a wildly successful 2014 event, the 50+ year old Sacramento Golf Council Putting Championship (formerly won by multi-time PGA Tour winner Bill Glasson) will be held over the weekend of Golf Expo again. We’ll have three different divisions including Men’s, Women’s and Juniors- and each of the overall winners will receive a very special prize.
100 Beers From Around the World
For the very first time at Haggin Oaks, we’re bringing together an unprecedented collection of longnecks for you to try. Our beer specialist team has been working all spring long to bring an array of 100 different beers that we’ll have on sale during the Expo. You’ll be able to choose from international classic lagers to more obscure local ales- and everything in between. Guests can sip their favorite beer pulled right from our ice-cold coolers right on the driving range.
PGA Tour Van Fitting Opportunities!
The Haggin Oaks Golf Expo is also home to Vendor Tour Fitting Vans normally only reserved by PGA Tour events. These mobile fitting vans on wheels come complete with the latest in fitting equipment technology and many build clubs for the consumer right there on the spot. With vendors like Nike, Titleist, Cobra, Cleveland, Mizuno, UST, TaylorMade, Callaway and Ping already committed, this is just one more reason that makes this event unique. This is by appointment only, so make your call today to 916.808.2531.
Make Your Own Sale
It’s hard to resist the incredible offers being held all weekend long when nearly every single item in our 2.5 million dollar inventory is on promotion! The more you spend that weekend, the more you get back. With the exception of just a vendor or two, any time you spend over $100 that weekend, you’ll receive vouchers back that can be spent on anything on our golf facility beginning in May- even on sale and already-discounted merchandise. The discounts get deeper the more you spend! See the shop for details.
Titleist Golf Ball Fitting Van
The Titleist Mobile Golf Ball Fitting Van is headed to the Golf Expo for all three days and will be fitting over 1700 customers that weekend. This is a great opportunity for you to meet with a Titleist Golf Ball Fitting expert, learn more about Titleist’s green-to-tee methodology and begin the fitting process. This will be done by appointment, so call 916.808.2531 to sign up today or come straight to the booth the first part of each day to sign up for this exciting opportunity.
Trade-In Trade-Up Month
In conjunction with The PGA of America’s national “Free Fitting & Trade Up Month”, the Haggin Oaks Golf Expo also offers free club fitting and equipment trade-in opportunities. Several PGA Tour manufacturer-fitting vans are on hand- making available more than 200 pre-scheduled fittings on these technological marvels and manufacturing plants on wheels. Golfers can even cash in their “retired” golf gear. Haggin Oaks has trade-in specialists on hand, offering maximum dollar for thousands of clubs, staff bags, pull carts and old training aids. Gift certificates are issued on the spot for use in the Haggin Oaks Golf Super Shop. “So few places take them now, and there’s not much that we won’t take in,” says Ken Morton Jr. “Everybody has used equipment in their garages; they can clean it out and buy some new stuff utilizing their old stuff.”
For a list of participating vendors, a schedule of the education seminars and a vendor map, visit www.hagginoaksgolfexpo.com.
Managed by Morton Golf, the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex is located between Interstate 80 and Business 80 in Sacramento, 3645 Fulton Ave. The driving range has 100 stalls under lights and can be reached at 916-481-GOLF or www.hagginoaksgolfexpo.com for additional information.
Contact:
Ken Morton, Jr. – 916-871-2676 – kmortonjr@hagginoaks.com
