Golf professionals, national PGA leaders and partners from 17 nationalities came together at Porto Carras Grand Resort in Greece for the 2026 CPG Festival of Golf, four days of learning, connection and golf that combined the Annual Congress, the International Team Championship and the CPG Annual Awards supported by Rolex.
THE CONGRESS · THE FUTURE IS NOW
This year’s programme was shaped by Member Countries themselves, with more practical ideas they could take home and put to work for their own members, and more workshops, peer exchange and working group sessions than ever.
ION 54, CPG’s commercial and strategic partner, set out A Connected Global Future for CPG, showing how the planning behind CPG Ventures, CPG’s new commercial arm, will help connect Member Countries and the people who power golf around the world. A day dedicated to AI, led by AI expert, Gabor Szoard, and Golf Genius, then explored how AI and digital tools are set to be one of the defining shifts for the golf profession, and why PGAs and their members need to embrace them now to shape the future of the game rather than be shaped by it.
Glenn Cundari of COACH+ led delegates in Designing the Future of Professional Learning, starting from a blank page to shape learning for the whole golf workforce, from a first job in golf through to leading it. Working groups on the golf workforce, belonging and engagement, and recognition, alongside sessions from Balance Golf and Cookie Jar Golf, completed the programme, and their output will be shared with Member Countries to take forward at national level.
THE ITC AND THE ANNUAL AWARDS
On the course, the PGA of Holland team of Emilio Meijer, Tim van der Steen and Aydan Verdonk won the International Team Championship and the Sandy Jones Trophy, finishing 33 under par at Porto Carras Golf.
The week closed with the Presentation Dinner and the CPG Annual Awards supported by Rolex, recognising people and projects that strengthen the game and develop others through it, with awards presented in the room and virtually online.
From the conference room to the 18th green, it was a week about the people who power golf: sharing ideas across borders, learning from each other and building a community that reaches well beyond the four days in Greece.
Porto Carras Grand Resort welcomed the Festival for the second year running, with the golf played at Porto Carras Golf, an evening of wine tasting at Domaine Porto Carras, and support from AEGEAN Airlines, Official Air Carrier of the Festival, and Olga Karaververis.
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