Who Should Be on the Business in Golf 100? Help Us Find Them

More people are playing golf than ever before. The National Golf Foundation reports that total participation passed 48 million in 2025, and Americans played a record number of rounds. The headlines go to the players. The business behind that growth is built by people most golfers never meet.

That is the idea behind the Business in Golf 100, a new list recognizing 100 people shaping the future of the global golf industry. RepSpark is proud to partner on the inaugural list, and nominations are open now through October 30, 2026.

We have an unusual view of the business of golf. RepSpark is the ecommerce platform golf shops use to order from more than 250 brands. In Circana's 2025 AGM Membership Study, 80 percent of AGM member shops surveyed reported using RepSpark, the most used technology platform in the study. And this year we formalized a strategic alignment with the PGA of America to support PGA Professionals and green grass facilities.

From that seat, we see the work that rarely makes a highlight reel. The head professional who rebuilt a shop's buying plan and turned the shop into one of the club's best performing departments. The merchandiser who knows which colors sell in which month, and orders accordingly. The founder who took a brand from a single style to racks across the country. The rep who drives a territory every season and knows every buyer by name. The operations lead who made tournament ordering feel easy for everyone involved.

Most of them will never nominate themselves. That is why we are asking you to.

The list is judged by a panel chaired by Martin Slumbers OBE, former CEO of The R&A, with judges including Catriona Matthew OBE, Rick Shiels, Vicky Cuming of IMG, Sal Syed of Arccos Golf, Steve Skinner of KemperSports, and Jared Solomon of Five Iron Golf. Nominees are assessed on five qualities, impact, innovation, inspiration, future, and character. Nominating is free, self nominations and third party nominations carry equal weight, and nominations are welcome from anywhere in the world. The finished list will be revealed in January 2027.

There are ten categories, and several of them fit the people who keep golf retail running.

Operators covers the people running courses, clubs, resorts, and golf experiences, which Business in Golf describes as the place where strategy meets execution. That is the head professional, the general manager, and the merchandiser who turns a pro shop into a destination.

Founders and Brand Builders cover the people creating golf companies and turning them into names golfers seek out. Many of them started with a single product and a handful of green grass accounts.

Catalysts covers the connectors and advocates who broaden access and move the industry forward. Think of the section leader who mentors young professionals, or the person who brought a new group of golfers into the game.

Rising Stars covers people early in their careers who are already making serious impact. The assistant professional running half the shop, or the young buyer whose instincts have already paid off, belongs here.

The remaining categories are Executives, Investors and Dealmakers, Innovators, Designers and Creatives, and Creators, so there is room for nearly everyone who shapes the game.

A strong nomination does not need to be long, 500 words or less. It needs to be specific. Focus on the last 12 to 18 months. Name what changed because of this person, whether that is a shop that grew, a brand that found its market, or a team that got better. Describe who they influenced along the way. Judges are looking for demonstrated results, so a few honest sentences about real outcomes will carry more weight than a list of titles.

Golf is having a remarkable moment, and the people who made it possible deserve to be seen. Take five minutes before October 30 and nominate someone for the Business in Golf 100. If the right person is you, nominate yourself!