The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Golf showcase featured at I-X Center
Upwards of 100 exhibitors at annual golf showcase; thousands come to I-X Center for show opening
Upwards of 100exhibitors are on hand as the Cleveland Golf + Travel Show kicks off at the I-X Center.
With a daytime high in the 20s, the weather outside definitely was not favorable for golf Feb. 14 in Northeast Ohio.
It was another story altogether inside the I-X Center in Cleveland for the opening of the Cleveland Golf + Travel Show.
Upwards of 100 exhibitors are displaying their wares during this annual showcase for all things golf. The show runs through Feb. 16.
Just inside the main entry point is the display area for Let’s Golf, aka LetsGolf. com, an Atlanta, Ga.-based business that promotes golf travel and represents dozens of popular golf destinations in the United States.
Let’s Golf co-owners Pam Shaheen and Mary Beth Ga- briel greeted a steady flow of visitors to their booth in the show’s opening hour.
Shaheen said Cleveland is one of the eight major shows she and Gabriel will work this year. They were in Philadelphia last week. After a week’s respite at home, they’ll be in Chicago.
“Cleveland is a strong market for us,” Shaheen said. “People here love golf and are enthusiastic about traveling to great golf destinations.”
Shaheen explained why cold winters in the upper Midwest work in favor of LetsGolf.com, in particular, and golf travel, in general.
“Y’all can get out and play here if the weather is nice this time of year. Warm winters are not good for us,” Shaheen said, smiling.
While the name of their business reflects the importance of on-line sales, Shaheen said she and Gabriel continue to make substantial investments of time and money in golf shows.
“Golf travel is a touchyfeely experience,” Shaheen said. “People want to hear from you what these places are really like. They want to know about the courses and what the weather is like
The show also features displays of golf clubs, shoes, balls, apparel and accessories.
in March or April so they know what clothes to pack. We guide them through the experience they’ll have.”
On the opposite side of the I-X Center floor, the Northern Ohio Section of the Professional Golfers Association has a large indoor practice area for free lessons.
Bill Germana, a PGA teaching pro and boy’s varsity golf coach at Kenston High School, was working with a show visitor on shoulder position for solid swing mechanics.
“My approach to teaching is to get you in a relaxed mode so you can play your best golf,” Germana said.
A big part of achieving that relaxed mode, Germana added, is taking care of your body in the months when Northeast Ohio’s wintry blasts hold sway.
“You don’t need to get carried away with it, but you want to have on off-season program that includes stretching and, maybe, lifting a little weight,” Germana said. “If there is a place inside where you can hit some balls, that really helps, too.”
The show also features displays of golf clubs, shoes, balls, apparel and accessories.