Keynote Case Study: PGA of America — The Game Had A Growth Problem. The Future Was Already Arriving.

In 2010, the PGA of America invited futurist Jim Carroll to open its Annual General Meeting — the first time an external speaker had ever opened the event — as the industry confronted major growth challenges.

The Game Had A Growth Problem. The Future Was Already Arriving.

Demographics, collapsing attention spans and time pressure were already changing how people discover, play and stay with golf. Jim’s keynote made the point that growth depends on seeing the curve early — and acting before the industry’s old assumptions stop working.

Six trends are shaping that shift.

• Demographics. The player base was changing, making recruitment and generational renewal a central growth issue.
• Time Pressure. The time required to play became a bigger barrier in increasingly compressed lifestyles.
• Attention Spans. A faster media environment changed how people discover, sample and stay engaged with activities.
• Participation. The industry needed new paths that could turn interest into sustained participation.
• Technology. Digital tools were beginning to reshape instruction, course experience and player expectations.
• Reinvention. Growth required the industry to adapt the experience without abandoning the game’s core identity.

The growth question was never just about golf, Jim told the PGA of America’s leadership. It was about adapting the game to a changing player.

It’s the reason he was invited back to open the meeting — the first external voice ever asked to do so. Explore more keynote case studies.