GROW
THE GAME.
Participation, changing players, intelligent equipment and the future of golf as a business.
Golf-industry keynotesThe future of golf & sportJimCarroll.golf
Futurist Jim Carroll
THE GAME
IS CHANGING.
What the future of golf and sport reveals about the future of business.
New players. New technology. New experiences. New opportunities—and a keynote that connects them to your next move.
INSIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE LEADING THE GAMEPGA of AmericaPGA Merchandise ShowSFIAYMCA Canada
Three audiences / One changing game
WHAT’S YOUR
NEXT MOVE?
Golf is the opening story. The implications reach sport, recreation and business leadership.
GROW
SEE WHAT’S
NEXT.
Connected products, new experiences and the forces changing how people play, move and engage.
Sports & recreation keynotesDRIVE
THE FUTURE.
A business and leadership keynote with a golf spin, customized for your customers or executive team.
Corporate & resort eventsThe big idea
TRADITION
MEETS
TOMORROW.
Even a tradition-rich game can be transformed by technology, changing customers and new ways to participate.
The leadership challenge is to understand what people value—and what needs to evolve so the next generation can discover it.
That is a golf story. It is also a business story.
Jim connects developments in sport to the questions facing your organization: who your future customers are, what they expect, where growth comes from and how quickly you need to respond.
Proof / From JimCarroll.com
FROM THE
MAIN STAGE.
Original case-study images and the strategic questions behind the engagements. Select an image to view it full size.
2010 / Golf
PGA of America
The game had a growth problem. The future was already arriving.The Annual General Meeting opened with a challenge: understand the changing player, and adapt how the game attracts and retains participants.
Explore the case study
2015 / Sports & Fitness
Sports & Fitness Industry Association
Some people saw a baseball bat. Jim saw the future.A customized opening keynote in New Orleans on connected sporting goods, interactive experiences and changing consumers. Roger Goodell followed Jim onstage.
Explore the case studyThe flagship keynote
THE GAME
IS CHANGING.
Golf, Sport and the Next Wave of Innovation
A future-focused keynote on the forces reshaping participation, products, experiences and growth—and what leaders should do about them.
01
The next participant
New generations bring different expectations about time, access, learning and experience.
02
New places to play
Simulators, entertainment formats and interactive experiences create additional doors into the game.
03
Intelligent equipment
Sensors, connected products and performance data reshape what sporting goods can do.
04
The experience economy
Convenience, social connection and personalization change how people engage with sport.
05
New models for growth
Products become services. Data opens opportunities. Partnerships expand what organizations can offer.
06
Leading through change
Respect tradition while testing new approaches to participation, innovation and growth.
The leadership question
PROTECT WHAT MATTERS.
REINVENT WHAT’S NEXT.
The trends scorecard
CALL THE SHOT.
CHECK THE RESULT.
Look back at Jim’s golf forecasts—including the slower adoption and ideas that remain on the horizon.
Entertainment-led golf
Social formats can create a new doorway into participation.
The digital golfer
Interactive tools and digital experiences change how new players engage.
Connected equipment
Sensors and shot tracking add feedback—but broad adoption can take longer than the hype.
Simulators & immersive play
Golf can reach beyond the traditional course and into indoor experiences.
Drones & precision operations
Mapping and course services offer practical applications; some consumer ideas remain speculative.
Autonomous carts & future turf
The direction is worth watching. The timetable deserves continued scrutiny.
A retrospective of Jim’s own published forecasts and assessments—not an independent industry rating.
A corporate event with a golf spin
BUSINESS FIRST.
A ROUND
ON THE SIDE.
A leadership meeting at a resort. A customer conference with a tournament. A partner event where the conversation continues on the course.
Driving the Future connects the changing game to your industry’s challenges. The result is a business keynote that fits the setting and gives people something substantial to discuss.
Explore Driving the FutureThe golfer behind the futurist
A LOVE OF
THE GAME.
A BAG FULL
OF QUESTIONS.
Jim’s interest in golf extends beyond the keynote. He plays, tracks his rounds, experiments with the technology and keeps asking what comes next.
It is an enthusiasm that makes the stories personal—and a professional perspective that turns them into useful questions for leaders.
Think Big. Start Small. Scale Fast. It works for innovation. Your next golf gadget might qualify as the experiment.
Meet Jim
Your next event
LET’S TALK ABOUT
YOUR NEXT MOVE.
A golf-industry conference. A sports and recreation meeting. A corporate event with a round on the side. One keynote researched for your room.