Dublin, Ireland: Business in Golf, the newsletter media company covering the business of the global golf industry, has announced the launch of the Business in Golf 100.

The new annual list will recognise 100 of the most inspiring individuals shaping the future of the game.

Golf already has many ways to measure success. Players are ranked weekly, courses are ranked annually, products win awards, and companies are judged on revenue and growth. But many of the people driving the industry forward don’t fit any of those measures.

They include founders building businesses from scratch, executives transforming major organisations from within, creators reaching new audiences, and operators whose daily decisions shape how golf is experienced. The Business in Golf 100 has been created to recognise them.

Nominations are open to individuals working in every part of the golf industry, worldwide. There are 10 categories: Founders, Executives, Operators, Investors & Dealmakers, Innovators, Designers & Creatives, Brand Builders, Creators, Catalysts, and Rising Stars.

Entry is free, and self-nominations are given the same weight as nominations from others. Applications take around five minutes.

Every nomination will be assessed by an independent panel of senior figures from governing bodies, player management, media, technology, operations and investment. The panel is chaired by Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A from 2015 to 2024.

Nominees will be judged on five criteria:

• Impact on the business of golf.
• Innovation in ideas, models or products.
• Inspiration to others across the industry.
• Future, meaning their contribution to golf’s future.
• Character in keeping with the values of the game.

The panel will focus on achievements from the past 12 to 18 months. Places on the list cannot be bought, and the number of nominations an individual receives has no bearing on selection.

Slumbers said: “Golf’s future is being built by people across every part of the industry, and many of them never appear on a leaderboard or in a ranking. This list is a chance to recognise that work properly, on merit.”

Nominations close on October 30. The full Business in Golf 100 will be revealed in January, 2027.

It will launch across the Business in Golf newsletter, LinkedIn and Instagram on the same day, with no teasers or staggered announcements. No nominee will learn whether they have made the list before publication day.

Nominations can be submitted at https://www.businessingolf.com/the100list