PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- More than 2,400 PGA Professionals, located in Puerto Rico and all states except Alaska, are currently participating in PGA Free Fitting & Trade-Up Month. PGA Professionals participating in PGA Free Fitting & Trade-Up Month can be located via the Internet at both playgolfamerica.com and PGA.com/fit.

"PGA Free Fitting & Trade-Up Month is an extension of our Play Golf America initiatives and will help PGA Professionals reinforce the importance of properly fit equipment as part of the game," said PGA Director of Instruction Rick Martino. "The trade-up dynamic of the promotion will also make buying new clubs more affordable."

During PGA Free Fitting & Trade-Up Month, participating PGA Professionals will provide free 15-minute expert equipment fitting sessions and complete a "Free Fitting & Trade-Up Month Equipment Profile" for every golfer they fit, to ensure that the equipment they currently own, or the new equipment they plan to purchase, is the right fit for their game.

In addition to giving a free fitting, these PGA Professionals are also authorized PGA Trade-In Network participants, allowing golfers to trade up to new, fitted golf clubs more affordably, by accepting their used golf club trade-ins at fair market values based on the PGA.com Value Guide, The National Standard for Golf Club Values.

PGA Free Fitting & Trade-Up Month targets golfers of all skill levels and seeks to increase their participation, performance and enjoyment of the game, while at the same time raising the awareness, relevance and competence of PGA Professionals in the eyes of consumers as equipment technology and fitting experts.

PGA Free Fitting & Trade-Up Month is offered by The PGA of America in partnership with Golf Digest, PGA Trade-In Network, and PGA.com Value Guide. The April issue of Golf Digest includes the consumers’ PGA Free Fitting & Trade-Up Card, which the public can take to any participating PGA Professional to be completed. PGA Professionals participating in the program are being promoted online at playgolfamerica.com and PGA.com/fit.

As an added incentive, every golfer who experiences a free custom-fitting session and sends in a PGA Free Fitting & Trade-Up Card is entered for a chance to win an Ultimate Fitting Experience at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., from The PGA of America and the following golf club manufacturers: Adams Golf, Callaway Golf, Cleveland, Cobra, MacGregor, Mizuno, Nike Golf, PING, TaylorMade and Titleist.

Notable statistics about custom-fitting, trade-ins and sales

* At active trade-in facilities, 70 percent of wood sales involve a trade-in
* At active trade-in facilities, 50 percent of iron set sales involve a trade-in
* Average Driver repurchase cycle time is 2.7 years
* Average Fairway Wood repurchase cycle time is 3.5 years
* Average Iron set repurchase cycle time is 3.3 years
* Average Putter repurchase cycle time is 2.2 years