Staff WriterThe IAGTO Golf Convention teed off in style this year as more than 300 delegates from 33 countries descended on Birmingham, Alabama – the Deep South city tucked along the legendary Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
This wasn’t just a convention. It was a cultural handshake wrapped in Southern charm, gospel choirs, and a whole lot of world-class golf.
Now in its 16th year, the North America Golf Tourism Convention—run by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO)—drew a crowd where nearly 70% hailed from North and Latin America, with the rest jetting in from Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The spotlight was squarely on Alabama’s golfing assets and its unsung allure as a top-tier destination.
“It was an absolute pleasure to welcome IAGTO and its global members to Birmingham,” said Dan Williams, President & CEO of the Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“It was such a fun and energising week, and we were proud to showcase our city, our golf and our Southern hospitality.”
There’s no doubting the hospitality. Delegates were greeted with open arms and full plates, treated to local cuisine, live music, and two rounds of golf at RTJ Golf Trail’s Oxmoor Valley and Ross Bridge—courses that could give Augusta a run for its money, minus the azaleas.
“Birmingham was the perfect venue for the NAC because it lies at the heart of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which spans the state of Alabama with some 22 amazing golf courses,” said IAGTO Chief Executive Peter Walton.
“We were also able to showcase much of the state from Mobile in the south to Huntsville and Muscle Shoals in the north on pre- and post-convention trips for dozens of tour operators – many of whom had never previously visited Alabama.”
But it wasn’t just golf on offer. Attendees were treated to a rousing gospel performance from Allen Pruitt Jr and the Called to Worship Ensemble during the Opening Address.
Later events saw a blend of blues, soul, classical and rock musicians serenading the crowd—proof that Alabama doesn’t do background music, it does a soundtrack.
The convention’s keynotes, receptions, and meetups were anything but dull. A welcome reception at the futuristic Protective Stadium was followed by a show-stopping Farewell Dinner at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum—an eclectic temple of speed boasting one of the world’s finest collections of motorcycles and race cars.
According to Walton, it’s “one of the most spectacular car and motorcycle marvels of the 21st century!”
And while delegates were there to talk business—two days of buyer-supplier meetings confirmed that—Alabama made sure they felt something too.
“We have been telling the story of golf in Sweet Home Alabama over the past few years at previous NACs, emphasising our theme of ‘this is Alabama’,” said Kerry Teague, Golf Marketing Director of the Alabama Tourism Department.
“Now we have been able to have IAGTO members truly experience what that looks, feels, tastes and sounds like… from our great food and variety of music to our one-of-a-kind attractions and the one-and-only original golf trail of world-class RTJ golf courses.”
It wasn’t just a moment in the sun for Birmingham—it was a declaration. The IAGTO Golf Convention didn’t just put the city on the global golf map. It circled it in red ink.
“That was the most fun we have had while also showing up for our day job,” Walton added. “The RTJ Golf Trail, many other courses and the hotel and hospitality industry in Alabama and beyond will all reap the rewards of NAC 2025 over the coming 18 months.”
For a city that calls itself the “Dinner Table of the South,” Birmingham just served up a banquet to the world of golf. And by all accounts, everyone went home full.
