Meet the Tee Party
Hello there and welcome to AGA’s first Cup of Tee blog post! You might be wondering, who are we and what we will bring to you? Well, we are a couple of Arizona golf dweebs wanting to bring attention and conversation to golf happenings. Regarding content, we’ll keep it snackable and broken down into two parts: “Spilling the Tee” (dedicated to discussion) and “Brewing In AZ” (a list of recent and upcoming events). Our aim is to hit on major events, topics, and stories ranging from a state to an international level, depending on which one is taking over the internet. Posts will come out once a month so mark your calendars.
First off, a Travis Scott/Brooks Koepka photoshoot was definitely not on my 2023 bingo card*, but we’re here for it. Also, we have to acknowledge the thousands upon thousands of Ls taken on the SNKRS app as it may be the most haunting thing to come out of this spooky season. (I literally do not know one person who hit). We digress. In similar news… we need to discuss what Pitch, an indoor golf club based in England, did to make sure the shoes were going to those who actually play golf. TRENDYGOLF explained that Pitch London held a raffle which was intended for those who wanted to purchase the shoe. But, this was only the first step. In order to even be considered to purchase a pair, male participants had two attempts to hit a ball 200+ yards and women needed to hit it at least 150+ yards.
You might be asking yourself, why would any business go to this length for selling a golf shoe? Well, because this is a limited edition and highly sought after sneaker, it was to prevent the shoes getting into the hands of resellers. ICONIC. Given the competitive nature within the sneakerhead* community, this gives people who will actually wear the shoes a chance to get them. As streetwear continues to take over the golf community, we can expect to see more creative initiatives similar to this one within footwear brands.
The transformation from traditional golf apparel to streetwear comes as a byproduct of a widespread increase in golf participation. New adopters are seeking their way into golf not only through fashion, but also through putting facilities, courses and venues with Top Tracer technology, and sometimes even a good ol’ fashion driving range. It comes at no surprise that the younger generation is injecting their own personal style into the golf industry and moving away from the traditional clean cut, country club style.
Local Arizona brands like Devereux Golf Apparel and Bad Birdie are just a fraction of the creators who are pioneering this apparel movement. These brands in addition to others incorporate models with tattoo sleeves and facial piercings, paired with a wild and colorful printed collared shirt creating a trendy but classic look that has never been done.
We have also seen a revamp of more traditional golf apparel like the Phoenix-based Grass Clippings as well as national brands like Malbon and Macklemore’s Bogey Boys. These brands have a different approach of taking old school looks and giving them new life with patterns that look like they were pulled out of your cool grandpa’s closet. Although it would be groovy to see some Sun City West residents rocking a Bogey Boy bomber jacket, the demographic we typically see in this apparel belong to the younger generation.
In my opinion, this shift in golf apparel is one of the best things that could happen to the game. It allows for the engagement of more players (of various age groups, and backgrounds) and creates an environment that feels inclusive for everyone. Also, the traditional Ralph Lauren preppy look is not going anywhere, nor do we want it to, it’s classic. The beauty of this, you ask? There is room for both the traditional and nontraditional looks to coexist in the game. Let’s see where the future of golf fashion will go from here.
Tee will be refilled next month. We recommend you hydrate other ways in the meantime.
Appendix
“On my bingo card”: Slang. A list of possible, expected, or likely scenarios
Sneakerhead: *noun Slang. A person who obsessively collects and acquires knowledge on a variety of expensive shoes.