Growing the Game of Golf Through Fashion

Why golf needs to tap into popular culture to grow and appeal to young people

A lot has been said about the outfits on display from Jason Day at The Sentry and they’re splitting opinions.

As someone who works in the cross-section of sport and fashion, I wanted to chime in on this, not to debate whether the outfits are good or not, that’s subjective, but to discuss how important fashion can be for growing the game of golf. Let me explain.

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In a world where fashion is a powerful driver of culture, Jason Day's partnership with Malbon Golf is more than just a style statement—it's a strategic move to bridge the gap between golf and the younger generation. While traditionalists may question the unconventional fashion choices, they might be missing the bigger picture of tapping into what resonates with today's youth.

Fashion hubs like London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and LA dictate and influence much larger global trends and streetwear aligns with the preferences of young people in these cultural centres. To propel golf into the future, we must recognize that appealing to the youth involves more than just perfecting a swing—it involves connecting with the cultural triggers that captivate them.

For many young people, golf can feel like an intimidating environment. There are lots of game rules and etiquette to learn, not to mention the cost of it all and the difficulty of learning to hit the ball where you want it to go. Fashion is one way to help young people relate to the golfers which can keep their interest through some of the early challenges of picking up golf. Golf has to remember it’s competing with other sports for attention while also having one of the more difficult paths to onboarding people.

Without an element like fashion to connect new people, it can be seen as just a bunch of guys and girls in various coloured sports polos hitting a little white ball around a field, for many, that’s not interesting enough.

I know there will be a section reading this that will likely roll their eyes and think it should just be about golf, I assure you it is and it always will be, but we can’t neglect the supporting factors of growing a sport, we have to remember how important fashion and culture are when we’re young. If we want to think of ways to get the next generation on the hook for golf, channelling into fashion and popular culture are sure-fire bets.

Take a look at the success stories of iconic brands like Jordan and the Yankee cap, they are testaments to the impact of culture and fashion. Similarly, the collaboration between Travis Scott and Nike has transcended sneaker culture, one of the hottest sneaker drops of 2023 was a golf shoe, unheard of until now, echoing the potential for Malbon Golf and Jason Day's collaboration to resonate way beyond the golf course.