By Lisa Goulian Twiste, Senior Apparel Writer
As the golf season starts to wind down next month in many areas of the country, another sport will begin to dominate the hearts and minds of countless American golfers. In other words, “Are you ready for some football?” From their favorite NFL franchises to the college teams they celebrate and suffer with each year, these devoted fans have helped make football the nation’s most popular sport, and many golf shops use this fierce loyalty to sell related products during the late summer/fall time period.
“Football is a very big deal and essential to our fall selling season,” says Kristin Friday, AGM, Director of Retail at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club (OCGCC) in Oklahoma. “We are a house divided – although friendly – and a house decisive. Allegiance is split between the two large college teams in Oklahoma, OU and OSU, with a heavier lean towards OU, and member loyalty runs deep to their respective schools.”
Though the football display is something members can look forward to seeing annually, the Oklahoma City staff strives to offer a fresh and exciting look each time, even though they do reuse some of the same props year to year. One favorite is a vintage metal locker painted in school colors: crimson for OU and orange for OSU. In the past, they included one table in addition to the locker, but the display space needed has grown since OU became part of the SEC in July of 2024, according to Friday.
“Last year, we had to add another table and some hanging space for a total of two tables, hang space and the locker,” Friday says. “We will choose a highly visible, heavy traffic area of our shop to launch this year’s collection. This will be close to the cash wrap and along the path that connects the exterior entrance to the main clubhouse.”
With Peter Millar and johnnie-O leading the brand selection, OCGCC likes to carry on-trend styles like hoodies and fun new prints, with logo variations outside of the classic designs. Last year, the shop ran out of some styles and designs within a couple of days, and Friday was able to get replenishment to meet the demand.
“We’ve been fortunate to also sell through the classic pieces; they do take a little more time since they are basic in color and logo design,” she says.
The OCGCC shop usually receives the first shipment of football-related products in June, and with fan enthusiasm starting to build after the July 4th holiday, has its display ready by the end of July.
“We will keep the display up through the fall season or until it sells through to the point it no longer makes an impactful statement,” she adds. “We will also maintain a smaller OU and OSU display through the holidays, which gives us an opportunity to move through remaining items during the gift-giving season.”
Orangebrook Golf Club in Hollywood, Florida, has become something of a destination for football gear in the Broward County area, stocking merchandise not just representing the Miami Dolphins, but the New York Giants, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and, more recently, Kansas City Chiefs.
“I always try to do things to make our golf shop different from the standard shop,” says Kenny Szuch, Orangebrook’s PGA of America Director of Golf and Instruction. “It has always worked, regardless of what area of the country I have worked in. If you are in a city where you have an NFL team or college team, it's a no brainer to stock those team products throughout the year.”
Szuch has a friend who runs a large custom display company in Miami and gives him a heads up when there are used trade show display cases available to purchase for the golf shop. One of these, a large unit from an apparel company at the PGA Show, now covers a corner of the Orangebrook golf shop and holds men’s logoed Dolphin shirts. He has also had great success with logoed golf bags, towels, golf balls, headcovers and headwear.
“Even when we are out of season for football, I keep the display up all year and it creates sales we would not have had,” Szuch says. “I also stock NFL team footballs from Wilson, and we sell them all year long. And any of the New York teams sell fast, plus we keep a large supply of Dolphin items on display that make great impulse gift items throughout the year.”
In addition to football-related gear, Szuch recently ordered Florida Panthers “back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion” merchandise, saying, “Obviously, it is the hottest merchandise around, whether it is at Walmart, the mall or our golf shop. I ordered golf bags, headcovers, putter covers, towels and poker chips that are all Florida Panthers merch. It sells as soon as we get it.”
Another facility that makes a big deal about football is Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minnesota, near the University of Minnesota campus. According to Director of Retail Katie Gates, AGM, her shop’s Golden Gophers display is a highlight, from the time it’s unveiled in August through the month of September. Minnesota graduates make up about 20 percent of Interlachen’s customer base, and while professional teams such as the Minnesota Vikings have gained some traction in the golf shop, they typically get a better response to gear centered around collegiate play.
In addition to men’s apparel from Holderness & Bourne and women’s apparel from J. Lindeberg and Greyson, display accessories have included spirited pom-pom socks, stadium-approved clear bags and “tailgating essentials” like charcuterie boards from Cappai Designs, coolers from Hudson Sutler, wool blankets from Faribault Mills and “Gopher” sunglasses from Goodr.
“Even for those who aren’t Gopher fans, items like cashmere hoodies, apple crisp candles and Yetis appeal to a broader audience,” Gates says. “By capturing the essence of the season, the display creates a sense of excitement that encourages members to spend time in the shop.”
Chris Rowe, PGA of America Director of Golf at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas, has his own approach to cashing in on football fever. Each August, he creates a display with one shirt for each of the members’ top five college teams, and just like with the “member only” merchandise Whispering Pines carries, they can choose their size and place a special order.
“With Texas being a fanatical football state, we introduce merchandise with our logo along with their collegiate logo and create an entire line of merchandise members can choose from without having to carry inventory,” Rowe says.
Whispering Pines has also had great success with hats where the green of the club’s pine tree logo is replaced with the colors of the five schools. For example, one group boasts the pine tree logo in burnt orange with the words “Hook ’Em” for the University of Texas Longhorns’ rallying cry of “Hook ’Em Horns” on the back of the cap.
“Texas and Texas A&M are huge rivals and make up the majority of members at the club,” Rowe says. “Our members are going to buy university-logoed merchandise somewhere, so why not capitalize on the sales and make it unique by having our pine tree logos on the merchandise, as well. Sales are extremely good every year, and it generates a lot of enthusiasm from members.”
Finally, Bryan Nicholson, PGA of America Head Professional at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, brings in football-related products each year in late August, right before college football kickoff weekend. He keeps the display refreshed through early October, rotating in new items and reordering bestsellers to keep it looking full and relevant.
“Football is a huge passion for many of our members both at Cherry Hills and at clubs I’ve worked at previously. The loyalty runs deep, whether it’s supporting the Broncos locally, college football or alma maters across the country,” Nicholson says. “During football season, you’ll see plenty of team colors in the grill room and first tee on Saturdays and Sundays, and it’s not uncommon for members to plan golf around big games. Tapping into that pride has always been an effective way to generate energy and excitement in the golf shop.”
Last year’s display, for example, focused on popular college teams with a strong member following like the Colorado Buffaloes and a few prominent SEC and Big Ten schools. The highly successful presentation featured team-colored apparel from Peter Millar, needlepoint belts from Smathers & Branson, headcovers from EP and branded footballs from Links and Kings, as well as team pennants and even a turf “field” to tie it all together visually.
“I think it resonated because it felt personal: Members loved seeing their team colors represented in quality golf apparel – and no big box brands – they could wear both on and off the course,” Nicolson says. “The timing also helped, as we launched it when enthusiasm was at its peak. It created a fun talking point in the golf shop and led to a lot of impulse purchases and special orders for unique team items.”
This year, Nicholson plans to build on that success with an expanded selection that includes additional Broncos pieces, some Colorado State University gear and custom order options from Peter Millar.
“We’ll again lean into props and merchandising that tie the display together,” he adds. “The goal is to keep the energy high and give members something new to get excited about each week during the start of the football season.”
