Golf is Evolving
In recent years we have certainly recognised a wider audience and appeal to a sport that perhaps in recent memory has lacked the spark and excitement required to attract individuals who are ready to pick up a club for the first time.
According to recent statistics, the number of people playing golf in England has been holding rather steady with many playing regularly (at least twice a month). When it comes to the younger generation playing, there has been more of a decline, with only 3.6% of 11- 15-year-old kids playing on a monthly basis – this is the lowest it’s been for the past 8 years!
However, recently there has been a new wave of high-profile celebrity players and upstart brands who are looking to bring a bigger interest to the world of golf. Notorious for being one of the worst dressed sports, it’s about time fresh eyes looked over the golf-chic style and disrupt the fashion trends.
We are now in a movement toward bringing more options to the course, from the established brands to the rise of the micro-brands. It is refreshing to see golf challenge the tired and dated perception of a golfer’s attire.
Tyrell Hatton and his adidas hoodie. Are we ok with that now? Absolutely and not a moment too soon.
We are seeing more collaborations – a cross pollination of brands who can share values and audiences to generate more interest in the sport and attract more members.
Puma recently dropped a collaboration seen in the main image of this blog post after they teamed up with First Mile (https://uk.puma.com/uk/en/first-mile), a people-focused network that strengthens micro-economies in Taiwan, Haiti, and Honduras, by collecting plastic bottles to create sustainable jobs and reduce environmental waste. The collection uses sustainable yarn made from recycled plastic to positively impact communities within the first mile network.
Only recently we saw Macklemore with his thrifty range of apparel, Bogey Boys (https://bogeyboys.com/). Born from a frustration and genuine passion to create a unique on-course style. Not only this, but the new wave of golf clothing is starting to leak into every day attire for some, meaning that you can go and play 9 holes and go out to the pub straight after without the need for changing or feeling a little silly!
While here in the UK we saw Eagle Apparel Golf (https://www.eagleapparelgolf.co.uk/ ) launch their range of clothing to celebrate the Masters in the US. These extra efforts keep our game progressing and always attract new interest to those thinking of picking up a club for the first time.
We fully believe that we can go further still, not least with extended ranges for ladies’ apparel– and for brands out there, be sure to give us a call – we LOVE a collaboration.
At GSHQ we are big fans of the extraordinary, we celebrate those who take a risk. Golf is evolving and we are very excited to be part of that.
Happy golfing