From the floor - day 2 at Harrogate

In a sign of how PGA pros have embraced social media, YouTube regulars Peter Finch and Rick Shiels were not just attending the Golf Show but filming it too.

The Vloggers extraordinaire feature in the day two diary from the floor of the Harrogate International Centre.

PGA pros Peter Finch and Rick Shiels are among a new generation using YouTube to make a name for themselves.

The Trafford Golf Centre pair are filming a daily Vlog from the Golf Show and both are big fans of the medium.

They shoot videos together and independently and each has carved out a sizeable following on their respective channels with their content both informative and entertaining.

It’s helped their businesses too, with Shiels revealing he has students come from as far afield as Florida and Europe especially to get coaching with him as a result of his forays into YouTube.

“I started in January 2013 and just wanted to showcase what I had to offer as golf lessons and from that it has spread and just got bigger and bigger. It is very addictive,” said Rick.

“From that teaching diaries are full three or four weeks in advance and I’ve got people travelling from all over the world, I’ve had a guy come over from Florida, a guy comes down from Scotland while a couple come every other week from France.”

With busy coaching schedules on top of the YouTube filming there isn’t much free time left for the pair but it’s definitely worth it says Peter.

“It is something that has really kicked off in the last year,” added Peter, pictured below.

“I saw the potential in it, started doing it and it has just gone crazy. This year we have gone to so many places, visited most of the leading manufacturers and met so many amazing people and gone to so many amazing places.

“We’ve played up at Trump and Carnoustie, it’s opened so many doors and so many avenues, it’s done more than I ever thought it would do.

“At the moment it is mental, Trafford Golf Centre where I’m working, is the second busiest range in the country. I’m averaging about 50 hours a week coaching and then the YouTube stuff is taking probably 30 hours to go to places and film so I don’t really have a day off at the moment but I can’t really complain I’m in an industry I love being involved in so it’s fine by me.

“It’s is amazing how many people I have that come for lessons having watched the videos. It’s almost an introduction, they already know your style, know what you believe in and your coaching philosophy.

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The education programme was again a roaring success – literally in the case of Eddie Bullock’s seminar entitled ‘Move into management – become a leader’.

The former PGA captain and now golf consultant had delegates shouting ‘we are PGA’ and ‘we are a band of brothers’ as he roused delegates to such voluble heights that pros in the neighbouring seminar by Paul Darby were wondering what was going on.

Darby, an ex-Walsall footballer turned physio, delivered a talk on ‘Physical profiling for effective golf performance’.

Another popular seminar was a presentation by Norwood Park Golf Cub & England Golf explaining how to grow an award winning golf business from scratch.

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PGA official supplier Game Golf is starting to make waves in the market with its new wearable technology.

And the Golf Show at Harrogate afforded it a chance to show off a new member of its team – former tour player, PGA pro and record label owner Richard Town.

Town began his golf career began at Trentham Park and he played on the European Tour for four years competing against the likes of Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle before leaving golf to move into the music business where he owned house music label Passion Records.

He still has fond memories of his time on tour.

“I was 18 at the time travelling the world so it was nice. I missed the cut nine times in a row but so did Eamonn Darcy! It was tough but a great experience.”

After 25 years in the record business Town is glad to be back working in golf and has great faith in Game Golf.

“Wearable technology and stats are the future. For the teaching pro to have a student tracked in that way is invaluable to your lesson plan in their development.”

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Bespoke merchandising is giving PGA pros the chance to stamp their mark on their clubs.

That’s the view of Welsh PGA National sponsors Asbri Golf who now export worldwide to as far as New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

“The good thing for pros with bespoke merchandising is that they don’t have to worry about competition from the internet,” said Asbri’s marketing director Paul Williams.

The south Wales company continues to be successful and now sees exports count for nearly 40 percent of its business.

“The UK market is massively important for us but there are a lot of markets overseas that are year round which keeps us busy.”

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Golf coach and self-confessed technology geek Justin Sandler has found the perfect job at Foresights Sports.

PGA pro Justin was showcasing the GC2 launch monitor and HMT (head measurement technology) which is giving pros an added dimension to their custom fitting operations.

It takes 10,000 frames per second and locks onto the dimples of the golf ball to give a wealth of data including carry, launch angle, spin rate and ball path.

“A lot of the pros are using GC2 for all their custom fittings and testing while it also used for long distance drive events so it’s a lot of fun as well as more serious side like the custom fitting.

“The way my coaching goes now I can’t coach without GC2 and HMT because my clients want constant feedback.

“I always loved coaching and the technology side, I’m a bit of a tech-nerd. Always love to back up something I believe in. Now I can back everything up with numbers.”

** And here's the round up from day one.