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Twilio and PGA of America announce strategic multi-year partnership to transform the lifelong journey for golfers. Published on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 The PGA of America and Twilio, the customer engagement platform that drives real-time, personalized experiences for today's leading brands, today announced a new multi-year strategic partnership. The agreement designates Twilio as the "Exclusive Cloud Communications Partner" of the PGA of America, PGA Championship, KPMG Women's PGA Championship, and Senior PGA Championship through 2028. An existing Twilio customer, the PGA of America uses Twilio's technology to connect with its 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals and the broader golf community through personalized conversations powered by contextual data and unified member profiles. With this new partnership, the PGA of America will extend its use of Twilio's platform and products - including Twilio Segment (Customer Data Platform), Twilio SendGrid (Email), and Twilio Flex (Cloud Contact Center) - to better use contextual data to deepen relationships and optimize communications across every member touchpoint. "Today, the PGA of America uses Twilio's communication tools as the backbone for serving our 30,000 members," said Kevin Scott, CTO, PGA of America. "As we build our centralized, bespoke CRM and lifecycle marketing platform, Twilio's infrastructure and technology will help us move beyond transactional communications, to deep connections with full visibility into each member's lifelong journey in golf." The strategic partnership builds on Twilio's sports and entertainment partnerships with AEG and Chelsea Football Club, both focused on creating meaningful, data-driven connections with audiences. "By unifying communications and contextual data, Twilio's platform provides the infrastructure that turns every interaction between PGA Professionals and golfers into a memorable moment," said Chris Koehler, Chief Marketing Officer, Twilio. "Imagine a golfer receiving a personalized message from their PGA Coach with detailed swing analysis, a tailored practice plan, and a word of encouragement for an upcoming round. That's the kind of seamless, human-to-human engagement that builds passionate golfers and lifelong customers." As part of the strategic collaboration, the PGA of America will implement Twilio's technology to: * Personalize Member Journeys: Create unique member profiles that tap into real-time, contextual data for personalized communications across channels throughout their lifelong journeys as PGA Professionals. * Innovate Coaching Experiences: Develop a smart matching engine with real-time data and communication tools that connects every golfer to the right coaching offering, ensuring a successful journey with golf. * Connect the Golf Community: By creating a single, unified profile for millions of players, parents, coaches, and fans, the PGA of America will eliminate digital friction, making it easier than ever for the community to register for events, access coaching resources, and follow the sport they love. * Drive Champ Chirps Messaging Experience: Enable PGA Championship officials to communicate effectively with staff via priority SMS messages throughout Championship week. The partnership will feature hospitality and prominent brand visibility for Twilio at the PGA of America's flagship events, including: * The 2026 Senior PGA Championship scheduled for April 16-19 at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. * The 2026 PGA Championship played May 11-17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. * The 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship contested June 25-28 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Kevin Scott, CTO, PGA of America will also participate in a keynote fireside chat at Twilio's flagship customer event, SIGNAL - taking place in San Francisco on May 6-7, 2026. SIGNAL brings together developers, business leaders, and innovators from industry-leading companies for two days of networking and hands-on learning.

Dunedin Golf Club restored to its Golden Age glory. Nearly a century after Donald Ross first designed Dunedin Golf Club, the historic city-owned municipal course just north of Tampa in Dunedin, Fla. has reclaimed its place among the great American munis - following a $6 million restoration, guided by Ross specialist Kris Spence. Ross said the course - which opened in 1927 as Dunedin Isles Golf Club - was one of his finest works, praising its "ideal combination of rolling hills, waterways, and natural hazards." When the city approved a full restoration, the goal was clear - to return the course to its Golden Age roots. For Spence, that meant uncovering the past in a very literal sense. Over the years, several renovations took the course further away from what Ross had created. This included the green complexes shrinking 35 to 50 percent, reducing the strategy Ross intended. Now, thanks to this latest and meticulous restoration of the green complexes, bunkers, fairways and tees, every golfer can experience the course as Ross intended - right down to the actual original greens. "At Dunedin, the most pleasant surprise was that I could see the old greens extending out beneath those renovations," Spence explained. "They had never been destroyed - just buried. We were able to excavate, expose and restore them exactly as Ross designed them." The discovery allowed Spence's team to rebuild the original greens, bunkers, and fairway contours with remarkable accuracy. "It was almost an archaeological dig," he added. "Once we peeled away the newer material, we found the original greens that had been buried for 75 years." The restoration brought back the bold contours, subtle movement, and strategic options that made Ross's work legendary. Golfers now face complex green shapes, deep bunkering, and a return to shot values that reward creativity and precision. "Players are going to experience the greens and bunkers as he envisioned them," Spence said. "There are some difficulties and depth to it all, and the bunkers are very challenging. That's what's so unique about Ross - he brought the Scottish style of golf to America, with bump-and-runs and low approaches that you can now experience again at Dunedin." For Blair Kline, Dunedin's General Manager of Golf Operations, the restoration balances historical accuracy with modern playability. "If Ross saw how far the ball goes today and how fast greens are, I don't think he'd design exactly the same course," Kline said. "Now we have the course that we believe he would design. The routing is original, but we adjusted a few bunkers for modern distances and recaptured all the original pin placements." Dunedin's influence in American golf runs deep. In 1945, the PGA of America relocated its headquarters from Chicago to Dunedin, leasing the course and renaming it PGA National Golf Club. It went on to host 18 consecutive Senior PGA Championships and the inaugural PGA Merchandise Show in 1954. During those years, legends such as Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Louise Suggs, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, and Byron Nelson all played its fairways. The course became a hub of professional golf and a landmark for the community. When it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, that legacy was formally preserved - but the restoration gave it renewed purpose. Today, Dunedin Golf Club is among Florida's top munis, joining Winter Park Golf Course in Orlando and The Park in West Palm Beach. Eighteen-hole rates range from $85 to $140, with discounted green fees for local residents. For Dunedin, the restoration was never just about aesthetics - it was about revitalizing a community asset that connects the city's past with its future. The project's success has generated new attention, tourism, and pride within the city limits. "It's been an overwhelming success, said Kline. "People are going out of their way to come here and play it. From that respect, it is helping to put Dunedin in front of some people who may not be aware of this community and how great it is. Our rates are very competitive compared to many of the top courses and destination golf resorts in the region, and some of them have already started sending us golfers." Nearly a century after Ross first walked these grounds, his "masterpiece" once again embodies the timeless beauty and strategic brilliance that defined his work. Thanks to the City of Dunedin's commitment and vision, the course that once shaped golf history is now shaping it again.

PGA president Rea Jr. visits UCO to inspire next generation of golf professionals. By John Rohde The University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond is one of only 16 accredited schools nationwide offering a PGA Golf Management (PGM), which provides extensive classroom courses, internship experience and opportunities in player development for aspiring PGA Professionals. Led by Director Dr. Anthony "Tony" Luczak, UCO offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A) degree in PGM. It is designed to integrate hands-on experiences to prepare students for careers in the golf industry in hopes of producing experts in areas such as golf operations, player development, tournament management and hospitality. Students also have access to advanced training technologies. Graduation requires passing the PGA of America's Playing Ability Test (PAT). PGM assistant director Farmer Schaeffer coined the term, "Make golf your major," which has since become somewhat of a rallying cry for the program. On Wednesday, UCO welcomed PGA of America President Don Rea, Jr. to campus in an event hosted by UCO President Todd G. Lamb. Rea shared remarks and celebrated the school's PGM program and its impact on the next generation of golf industry leaders. In conjunction, the PGA of America also launched the PGA Coach website (pga.coach). "Don has found what works best," Luczak said. "First, he's going directly to the PGM schools. You introduce them to PGA Coach and get them excited about teaching and coaching and really playing the game with the customers and stop just being in the shop all the time. The second component is to see how well the universities are doing and figure out what is the best practice to get PGA professionals to think differently. It's a combination of education and pitching PGA Coach. Don wanted to get to all the universities personally while he was president because generally the (PGA) president doesn't do that." Luczak said Rea joined forces with inspirational speaker and coach Will Robins to help spread the initiative. "It's getting students to realize, 'Hey, it's not just golf swing lessons. It's golf game lessons,' " Luczak explained. "Teaching the golf swing is important, but it's also that relationship you build with that individual. It's more of a holistic approach, more of a coach aspect." The PGM program began at UCO in 2001 and became accredited by the PGA of America in 2008. At its peak (between 2012-15), the program had 65-70 students. In 2017, an interim dean for the College of Business decided the program was not wanted, director Bob Phelps left and its enrollment plummeted. In April of 2021, Jeremy Oller became the permanent dean. Oller, along with management department chair Dr. Holly Osburn, hired Luczak on Aug. 1, 2023. "When we started, we had 19 students in the program," Luczak said. "The PGA of America was not happy with the university. This was the last chance to get it right." The culture swiftly changed with Luczak. "It's not just because of me," Luczak said. "It has to do with having all the right people and spreading the word. 'You want this program? Hey, this is something special at UCO. We're the only (PGM) entity in the state.'" There are now 75 people in the program, an increase of 300 percent since Luczak's arrival. New equipment soon was purchased. Fundraising tournaments led to purchasing more equipment. Nearing completion is a 25-by-35-foot room added onto the College of Business building featuring a 20-foot ceiling, glass windows and cameras mounted above. Also available will be three simulators and high-tech GEARS Sports, which provides an advanced optical 3D motion capture system designed to analyze and optimize athletic movements in real-time. "As far as I know, we're the only entity that has the GEARS system in Oklahoma," Luczak said. The uber-educated Luczak brings an impressive resume that includes the following degrees: B.B.A. - Marketing, Professional Golf Management (1986); M.S. - Exercise Science, Department of Kinesiology (2015-17); Ph.D. - Industrial and Systems Engineering, Human Factors & Ergonomics (2017-20). "But I turn around all the technology provided and try to teach that in a very simple way," Luczak said. "It allows you to take away some of those cliché golf tips that really don't work." Luczak said the scheduled move-in date for UCO's new "Golf Lab" is April 6. "We're a little bit in the DYI phase with the new lab," Luczak said with a chuckle, "but now we're going to get things cleaned up and it's going to be really, really special." Rea's visit also included a field trip to 3bird Golf Park (371 NE 70th St.) in Oklahoma City. Among the 50-plus who attended were UCO team members Ty Hyatt, Faith Principato and Reagan Plank. 3bird is an innovative 20-acre practice facility designed to hone the skills of every level of golfer, from professionals to beginners. It will be featured in the upcoming April-May issue of Golf Oklahoma Magazine. The PGM program and the uniquely designed 3bird facility complement each other perfectly. Luczak became aware of 3bird through its Director of Golf Landon Hendrix, a former Southern Nazarene golfer who previously took lessons from Luczak. "What 3bird has is amazing," Luczak said. Loading...