Charleston, S.C. – The National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) is pleased to announce the keynotes, tracks, panel sessions, Joint NGCOA+PGA education and Golf Business LIVE presentations within the Golf Business Conference 2025 (GBC25) program. The GBC25 education tracks — Owner, Operations and Research — were chosen in response to attendees’ interests, and each session will provide an opportunity for expert interaction and advice, and meaningful, candid peer discussions. Please visit golfbusinessconference.com/agenda for conference registration, and session times and locations.
Monday, January 20
GBC25 Expedition: The Future of Turf Maintenance — Reimagine Your Facility’s Workload, Workforce and Bottom Line
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Harvey Silverman (Moderator), Contributor, Golf Business, and Founder, Silverback Golf Marketing
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Randy Anderson, Owner, General Manager, Fogg Brook Resort and The Meadows Golf Club
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Michael McVay, CEO, Turflogic
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David Plaster, Vice President, Golf & Sports North America, Husqvarna
Golf Business LIVE
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger, CNN Political Commentator and New York Times Bestselling Author
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Jay Karen, Chief Executive Officer, NGCOA
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Don Rea, PGA, President, PGA of America
Tuesday, January 21
General Session: 2025 Economy, Explained — With a New Administration Comes New Expectations
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Anirban Basu, Chairman & CEO, Sage Policy Group
Breakout Sessions: Owner Track
Selling Hope — An Open Conversation on How to Use Subscription Programming and Dynamic Experience-Creation to Drive Top-Line Revenue
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Pat Kelley, Partner, Advance Golf Partners and President, Deep Dive Golf Consulting
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Chris May, Senior Vice President, Supreme Golf Solutions
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Brooks West, Owner, Franklin Bridge Golf Club
Cost-Effective Renovations vs. Capital Improvements — The Principle of Contribution
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Ben Blake, Executive Vice President of Business Development, KemperSports
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Larry Hirsh, President, Golf Property Analysts
Customer-Facing AI — Where New-Age Hospitality Will Intersect with Your Golfers
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Del Ratcliffe, President, Ratcliffe Golf Services
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Ross Liggett, Founder & Managing Partner, Metolius Golf
Breakout Sessions: Operations Track
Rejuvenate Your Junior Programming — The Positive Ripple Effects of Reeling In (and Retaining) New Golfers
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Kelli Corlett, LPGA, Director of Golf Operations, PGA Junior Golf Camps
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Marc Haddad, Founder, PGA Camps and Owner, H5 Sports Group
Better Experiences Means More Revenue — A Story for Today’s Golf Business
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Ian James, Chief Executive Officer, RetailTribe
F&B Revenue Recipes — Today’s Trends, Challenges, and Best Practices for Success at your Facility
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James Cronk, Founder, Cronk Group and CEO & Co-Founder, Golf Industry Guru
Breakout Sessions: NGCOA Research Track
A Modern Guide to Golf Marketing — Your Back-Office Blueprint
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Adam Jaffe, Partnerships Lead, Google Search
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Alex LaRoche, Director of Marketing + Sales, CourseCo
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Robbie Wooten, President, Impact Golf Marketing
The Doctors Are In — Need-to-Know Results from the 2025 Golf Business Pulse Report
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Cathy Harbin, Owner, Pine Ridge Golf Course and President, NGCOA
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Jon Last, President, Sports & Leisure Research Group
Cyber Risk And Data Protection — Shield Your Golf Business From Greens To Screens
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Joseph Saracino, President & CEO, Cino Security Solution
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Harvey Silverman, Contributor, Golf Business and Founder, Silverback Golf Marketing
Wednesday, January 22
Pledge to Be a Welcoming Golf Course and Welcoming Golf Professional
- Cathy Harbin, Owner, Pine Ridge Golf Course and President, NGCOA
- Jennifer Bermingham, PGA, LPGA, Director of Golf Programming, Invited Clubs
- Richard Brown, PGA, PGA Education Faculty Member, PGA of America
- Blake Jirges, PGA, Director of Golf, Coto De Caza Golf and Racquet
Finding the Sweet Spot in Public/Private Partnership — Success Stories from Four Corners of the Industry
- John Ashworth, Co-Founder and President, Linksoul and GM, Goat Hill Park
- Dan Burke, CEO, First Tee of San Francisco, Golden Gate Park Golf Course
- Damian Cosby, Executive Director, National Links Trust
- Steve Leary, Former Mayor of Winter Park, Managing Partner of Flange Skillets International
- Ed Mate, Executive Director, Colorado Golf Association and CommonGround Golf Course
- Matt Ginella (Moderator), Founder & CEO, Fire Pit Productions
Golf Business LIVE – Tech Talks, hosted by Harvey Silverman
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Segment 1
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Mike Suglich, Founder & President, GreenLight Advisors
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Phillip Martin, Senior Vice President, Operations, Troon
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Mike Williams, Vice President, Landscapes
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Segment 2
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Mike Suglich, Founder & President, GreenLight Advisors
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Chris Goodman, General Manager, Metro Parks Tacoma & Meadow Park Golf Course
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Matthew Kammeyer, Director of Golf, Salt Lake City Golf
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Andrew Peterson, President, Alamo City Golf Trail / San Antonio
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Thursday, January 23
Municipal Methods — Key Trends for Operators to Assess, Adapt, or Avoid
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Josh Heptig, Director of Golf Operations, County of San Luis Obispo
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Andy Staples, Golf Architect and Founder, Staples Golf Resource Group
Case and Point — New-Age Pricing Models with Proven Results
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Jeff Hoag, Co-Owner, Scott Lake Golf & Practice Center
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Shane Riley, Director of Golf, Scott Lake Golf & Practice Center
Leadership Links — Lessons Learned in the Art of Team Building
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Matt Bryant, General Manager & Director of Golf, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club
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Tom Bugbee, Chief Operating Officer, CourseCo, Inc.
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Mike Woods, Director of Golf, Haggin Oaks and Partner, Morton Golf
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Harvey Silverman (Moderator), Contributor, Golf Business and Founder, Silverback Golf Marketing
Golf Business LIVE with Michael Williams
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House Chat
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Jill Walsh, Toptracer
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Clark Burckle, Golf Management Group, Reimagine Golf
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Inside Golf Business
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Michael Breed, Host, CBS Sports “Course Record with Michael Breed”
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About the Golf Business Conference
NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference is the industry’s largest annual gathering of golf course owners, operators, general managers and others who run golf course businesses. Golf Business Conference 2025 will be held from January 20-22 in Orlando, Florida, and is co-located with the 2025 PGA Show. GBC25 attendees can earn continuing education credits from the PGA of America, LPGA, CMAA and GCSAA. See the full education program, speaker lineup, networking activities and more at GolfBusinessConference.com.
About the National Golf Course Owners Association
The NGCOA is the leading authority on the business of golf course ownership and management. The association represents and promotes the interests of golf courses as the principal businesses and economic assets of the game of golf. The not-for-profit organization is the only trade association dedicated exclusively to golf course owners and operators. Through advocacy, education and information resources, purchasing programs and networking opportunities, the NGCOA helps golf course owners and operators run more successful businesses. For more information or to join, visit ngcoa.org or call 800-933-4262. Media Contact: Renée Flowers, Senior Director of Events and Communications, NGCOA, rflowers@ngcoa.org.
