Peter Broome, a highly respected long-time executive with Acushnet (Titleist, FootJoy), passed away on Thursday after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
While his name might not be well known by the average golf fan, what he accomplished and how he did it helped to grow golf in Canada, the United States, and around the world.
He was a tireless worker who always seemed at ease. He never forgot a name, always had time for you and was a friend to all in the business.
I got to know Broome in the early days of my career in golf. We met many times over the years, at golf courses, tournaments, and the annual trade show in Orlando. It was easy to see how well respected he was as no matter where I saw him, there were industry types ready to say hello, shake a hand and find out how he was. Most times, he turned that around and made the conversation about the other person.
To no surprise, Broome, who was born and raised in Montreal, was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame last month.
He grew up playing at Royal Montreal and Mount Bruno golf clubs, where he gained an appreciation for the role of the golf professional. While attending McGill University, he worked under head professional Bob Hogarth, who, along with Broome’s father, influenced what would be a long career in the golf industry.
Broome worked for Acushnet for 30 years, eventually moving to Fairhaven, CT., the site of the company’s headquarters. During his time there, he held many senior roles, at one point taking over as senior vice president of Titleist brand management and industry relations. He became highly respected throughout the golf industry and especially among golf professionals.
In 2025, he was named as an honourary member of the PGA of America, a recognition which has only been bestowed 13 times since the association was created in 1916. It has usually been reserved for U.S. presidents and other notables of that order. But so well regarded was Broome for his work in the golf industry that he joined that distinguished group.
The honours didn’t stop at the border. The PGA of Canada named him a recipient of the George Cumming Award, that association’s highest honour and the Golf Canada Foundation gave him the prestigious Legacy Award.
After retiring, Broome joined the board of Golf Canada, giving back to his home country. He worked to help build Canadian golf, taking on various roles, offing up a wealth of experience.
At the Presidents Cup in Montreal two years ago, I sat beside Broome at a dinner held by Golf Canada. I noticed that he wasn’t his usual self. He didn’t talk as smoothly as he usually did and he seemed off just a bit with his body movements. He told me almost as soon as we sat down that he had been recently diagnosed with ALS.
My mother passed away from that dreaded disease, so I knew what he was facing. It was a life sentence and not an easy one through which to battle. Yet he never showed an ounce of fear or self-pity. He told me of the foundation he was starting to raise money to help others who were inflicted.
The ALS Bridge Foundation has a mandate to accelerate the development of effective treatments for ALS, by providing crucial funding for early-stage drug trials and improving access to early diagnostics for individuals living with the disease in Canada and the United States.
Anyone who knew Broome wasn’t surprised in the least that he was determined to use his voice and reach to leave a legacy. That is just who he was.
The last time I saw Broome was at the RBC Canadian Open. He was walking from the main clubhouse out to a meeting at a facility on the other side of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. His movement was hampered by his disease and when I saw him, I was in a cart. I picked him up and we drove out to the building, talking about golf and families.
When we reached the destination, he thanked me and got out of the cart and started to head to the meeting. Then I did something I had never done before – I called to him, went over and gave him the biggest hug I could. I wasn’t sure when I would see him again and I wanted him to know just how much he meant to me and how much I cared. It turned out to be our last meeting.
Broome leaves behind his wife, Sandy, children Valerie (Jon), Matt (Caroline) and Brad (Juliette). He was a grandfather to Peter, George and Jack.
Matt Broome has continued the family legacy of working in the golf business as an agent to Canadian players such as Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith and Sudarshan Yellamaraju.