The dreamers, who have came here small to make it big in the golf business, including Callaway and Adams Golf are legendary, and every year there are new golf companies convinced they have the latest and greatest golf answer for the international golf industry.

Roaming the halls of the 2012 PGA Show, it’s clear one of the biggest winners and fast-growing trends for the golf equipment manufactures is the Belly or Long Putter.

While the elongated putter has been around for years mostly used by an older democratic, whose once solid putting skills have left them, the victory by American Keegan Bradley in last summer’s PGA Championship, using the belly putter boosted it into a new level of acceptance and desirability.

‘There is no doubt that was the tipping point for most golfers,” said legendary PGA Tour teacher Hank Haney. “It made it more acceptable and it produced sales in the industry. The one knock on the belly putter if that no one had ever won a major using one. Now that’s gone.”

“Golfers watching Keegan win the PGA and seeing those good college players using it, what it did was give them permission to try it out,” said Texas putting designer David Edel, who has been swamped with long putter orders this week ranging from 41 to 48 inches.

Once a speciality item or a last resort for a desperate golfer, now the putters are a large part of the inventory for mainline companies like TaylorMade, Adams, Callaway and Nike Golf.

“We consider ourselves a cutting-edge company and this is certainly something that is cutting age,” said TaylorMade CEO Mark King.

He spent part of his Thursday, during the first day at the show, working with former PGA champion and putting guru Dave Stockton on the long putter.

“What Keegan did with winning the PGA was to make pros try that putter on the road, instead of just hiding it at home all the time,” Texas Golf Hall of Famer and former PGA Championship winner Rich Beem.

“I think players are sitting at home saying, if it works for a pro in a major tournament, why shouldn’t I give it a shot.”

The putters retail anywhere from $120 to $170, but there is even a new company here, Belly Putter, Inc., which can turn any regular putter into an extra long blade.

“The Belly Putter (so named because you stick the end of the putter in your belly) is the straight line you can putt on. It takes the swing calculation out of the equacation and it’s just simplier for more people,’ Edel said.

“If explained correctly, I think it will be a lasting trend,”

It certainly is a popular one for the 40,000 golf industry leaders at the 59th PGA Golf Show of dreams.