Golf has strayed a long way from its stuffy, country club roots. Part of that might have to do with things like the movie “Caddy Shack,” or maybe guys like Rickie Fowler who brought in modern streetwear elements into the game’s uniform. Heck, if you follow enough professional skateboarders on social media, you’ll see them hitting the links, too.
But, no matter the root cause, there’s more wiggle room for casual branding and partnerships in golf now, as evidenced by things like TravisMathew partnering with High Noon hard seltzer for a line of branded polos, hats, and tees that work for the course as well as happy hours this summer.
Two polos feature design motifs incorporating the High Noon blue and yellow cans. On the headwear side, there are two snapback hats that touch on the still-popular ’90s nostalgia that has made its way into golf, a straw hat for the somewhat-ironically-traditional, and four cotton T-shirts for the driving range or the bar.
High Noon and TravisMathew are teaming up for a summer-themed collaboration just before the holiday weekend.
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 27, 2023
“As two brands at the top of their game, it was an easy decision to partner with TravisMathew, who shares our passion for delivering the highest-quality product and having fun while doing it,” said Brandon Lieb, vice president of spirits at High Noon’s parent company Gallo, according to Yahoo.
The partnership shows that there are more opportunities with golf products to incorporate fun, rather than just traditional companies or sponsorship partners for events. As the sport evolves, so too does the merchandise.
“Teaming up with High Noon, a fun-loving brand that perfectly complements ours, to celebrate the summer lifestyle that we all love is something we’re thrilled to bring to market,” Lief Sunderland, chief marketing officer for TravisMathew, said, according to Yahoo. “The collection captures the spirit of summer and our laid-back Southern California style — with apparel that can take you from the course to sandy beaches, all while sipping on a High Noon.”
In the recent past, “laid back” and “golf” did not tend to belong in the same sentences. But, with more relaxed attitudes toward the game, and younger generations getting involved in it, there’s room for plenty of brands and companies to do golf-related promos when they otherwise might not think of it.
