By Mark Seavy

Golf is expanding through brand licensing.

And while the standard-issue polo shirts, shorts, skirts, and club accessories bearing the Nike, Under Amour, Callaway, TaylorMade, and Titleist brands aren’t being replaced, the sport is now taking a new lifestyle bent.

That means a more fashionable world of limited drops and unique designs that have been championed by brands like CMC Design, Malbon, Sunday Swagger, L.A.B. Golf, Swag Golf, and others that have made a diverse group of IPs (including Betty Boop, Uncrustables, Formula 1, Pennzoil, Guinness, Dole, pro sports leagues, and colleges) par for the course.

The growing number of players is driving part of this change.

There were 47.2 million of them in 2024, up from 34 million in the pre-pandemic days of 2019 and the highest total since 2008. That breaks down to 28.1 million on-course players and 19.1 million at entertainment-oriented facilities like Leonard Green & Partners’ TopGolf (102 locations).

More than half (57%) of them are under 50 years old and the 18-34 age group leads the pack with 6.3 million players, according to the National Golf Foundation. Women now account for 28% of on-course golfers, the core audience of which is in their mid-40s, a generation younger than it was a decade ago. However, there were 13,972 golf courses in the U.S. as of 2024, about 2,000 less than in 2009, according to the foundation.

“Those [younger age groups] are getting more into golf than earlier generations and maybe that had to do with Covid being around when they were graduating high school or college and that was all you could do then and the game boomed as a result,” said Kyle Moloo, Chief Marketing Officer at Sunday Swagger. “They buy a ton of hats, t-shirts, and polos, and are a little more price sensitive.”

And with this younger cohort and an increase in female players came consumers more accustomed to fashion drops, direct-to-consumer sales, and YouTube stars. Instagram influencers have also emerged, with pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau being among the largest (4.6 million followers), and with social media stars Grace Charis (3.5 million) and Paige Spiranac (4 million) not far behind. Those changing trends have spawned smaller companies that are as attuned to lifestyle trends as they may be to scorecards.

Sunday Swagger, for example, launched an apparel collection (polo, hats) with Sazerac Co.’s Fireball brand last year and has since added Dole, J.M. Smucker Co.’s Uncrustables, Guinness, and Shell Oil Co.’s Pennzoil brands. All were released in limited drops of 200-400 units and quickly sold out, creating a sense of urgency with consumers that is typically associated with fashion brands.

Actor Adam Sandler has worn Sunday Swagger shirts and the company has  launched holiday collections with Loudmouth that paired its shirts with the latter’s shorts, pants, and skirts. Loudmouth has previously licensed collections with TSG Consumer Products’ Pabst Blue Ribbon, D.G. Yuengling & Son, and Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants.

L.A.B. Brands, meanwhile, recently launched a limited-edition Uncrustables putter ($2,000), headcover ($100), and accessory pack with divot removers ($40) that quickly sold out, according to Janna Markle, SVP Brand Licensing and Strategic Partnerships at Brand Central, which represents The J.M. Smucker Co. Uncrustables’ ties to golf partly stem from pro golfers, many of whom pack the snacks (which are high in protein and carbohydrates) in their golf bags. And CMC Design has released head covers with the U.S. Postal Service, Barstool Sports, Tootsie Roll, Bazooka and others.

“You have to create urgency with the consumer from an eCommerce perspective because if it always going to be there [then] the only leverage you have is moving price, which isn’t as attractive to brands,” Moloo said. “Product teams need more to work with, and the consumer demands more creativity now in golf apparel than before.”

The uptick in licensing and branding has not gone unnoticed by retailers.

Worldwide Golf’s 10-store Roger Dunn chain in California picked up Sunday Swagger’s Guiness and Uncrustables apparel earlier this year. Dick’s Sporting Goods, meanwhile, has sharpened its focus on its own brands and opened a pop-up boutique in East Hampton, NY. The rotating store carries Walter Hagen, Maxfli (both acquired for private labels in 2008), and Calia brands (launched with singer/songwriter Carrie Underwood in 2015) and runs through October 18.

“Golf is becoming more mainstream and there are more younger consumers golfing, so why not apply the same collabs that are happening in other categories into golf?” Markle said. “Certainly, consumers have been receptive.”