MINNEAPOLIS — At the 2023 Choice Bank Minnesota Golf Show held within the Minneapolis Convention Center, golfers like Andrew Lovick are thinking of spring, especially after this week's winter storm.
"It's been a long winter," Lovick said.
"They've dug out of their driveways just to get here," added Dylan Lane of Disturbed Soil Event Solutions, which produces the golf show each year.
Admission is free for those 17 and under and $14 for adults. Tickets include free lessons from Minnesota PGA professionals. According to the event website, each online ticket purchase also includes 14 free greens fee passes courtesy of Twin Cities Golf. There are also hundreds of vendors with the latest clubs, apparel and tech.
"Couple jackets, couple sweatshirts," Lovick said, describing his purchases.
A popular attraction within the golf show has been the $100,000 Pontoon Putt Challenge. The prize package includes a new pontoon and cash.
"We spend Friday and Saturday doing the qualifying putt," Lane explained. "Sunday is the big show where they shoot from a yellow line that is about 100 feet."
At $5 for three balls, proceeds go to First Tee Minnesota.
"They try to teach children the lessons of life through the game of golf to get as many people from a bunch of diverse communities into the game of golf," Lane said. "It's interesting. I think that there is a big effort by golf nationally to diversify and to appeal to communities that have historically been marginalized. Golf courses going through their neighborhood, things like that."
The golf show runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. It just might tide you over until it's warm enough to get on the green.
"Anything over 45 degrees, and under 110," Lovick said.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist: