PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Golfers nationwide have traditionally received the best advice on their golf swing through PGA Professionals. Beginning at the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show & Convention, golfers will discover how PGA Professionals are also an invaluable resource for selecting the right equipment.

The inaugural PGA/USA TODAY Golf Equipment Hotline will be conducted Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.

The Hotline, co-sponsored by The PGA of America and USA TODAY, the nation's largest newspaper, is held in conjunction with the 53rd PGA Merchandise Show & Convention, Jan. 26-29, 2006, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

USA TODAY will publish the Golf Equipment Hotline toll free number in its Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006 issue.

The Hotline at the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show & Convention follows in the tradition of the popular PGA/USA TODAY Golf Tips Hotline, which has been a fixture of the biennial PGA Teaching & Coaching Summit. The 2004 PGA/USA TODAY Golf Tips Hotline attracted more than 2,000 callers nationwide and more than 600 responses via the Internet.

"For the first time, callers throughout the nation can take advantage of the wealth of knowledge of PGA Professionals on the best available advice today for their needs, as reflected in golf's ever-changing equipment industry," said PGA of America President Roger Warren. "This is one of those rare opportunities that benefit amateur golfers, by allowing them to talk directly with PGA Professionals and receive answers to their equipment needs that will enable them to play better golf."

The USA TODAY/PGA Golf Equipment Hotline will feature approximately 120 PGA Professionals answering calls from around the nation at the PGA Member Business Center in the Orange County Convention Center.

In addition, golfers nationwide may also take advantage of the online PGA/USA TODAY Golf Equipment Hotline by visiting www.pga.com and following instructions on the home page for sending questions to PGA Professionals at the PGA Merchandise Show & Convention.

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.

The PGA Merchandise Show…& Convention, the world's most influential gathering of PGA Professionals, retailers, golf manufacturers and industry leaders, hosts some 45,000 industry professionals from more than 70 countries to test the latest products, find the hottest trends, learn cutting-edge business techniques and grow participation in the game. More than 1,200 golf-related manufacturers showcase their newest products and services within more than 500,000 net square feet of exhibit space in the Orange County Convention Center. While the PGA Merchandise Show is open only to industry professionals, the PGA/USA TODAY Golf Equipment Hotline adds to other consumer elements, including Golfweek's Golfest, a consumer demo weekend, Jan. 21-22, 2006, and the daily live broadcast from the Show floor by The Golf Channel, Jan. 26-28, 2006.