By Lisa Goulian Twiste, Senior Apparel Writer
Western styling has risen dramatically as a fashion statement in recent years, driven by a number of factors. Since its initial airdate in 2018, Taylor Sheridan’s TV series “Yellowstone” has become something of a cultural phenomenon, spawning multiple spinoffs; Country Western music is enjoying unprecedented popularity and crossover appeal (witness Beyonce’s Grammy Award-winning country album!); and even New Jersey’s favorite son, Bruce Springsteen, titled one of his most recent albums Western Stars.
The golf industry has taken note of the trend and responded with apparel collections and other items that celebrate the West and its very specific associations. Many golf shops based in Montana, Idaho, the Dakotas, Texas, Oklahoma and other nearby states have decorated their shops with Western and cowboy-related décor, just as shops across the nation have done Western-themed Tournaments & Outings that have been big hits with members and guests.
At Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana, for example, the golf shop carries brands like Sphinx Mountain Saddlery out of Ennis, Montana, which makes stirrup wine holders and boot top bottle holders; Rocky Mountain Hat Company, Bozeman, Montana (cowboy hats); Mountain Arts Pottery, Bozeman (beer steins); New West Knifeworks, Jackson, Wyoming (chef arete sets); and Firestarter Forge, Bozeman (fireplace sets).
“When people come to Montana, they want to look like John Dutton. You’ve got to have pieces that cater to that,” says Drew Glover, Yellowstone’s PGA of America Director of Golf, referring to “Yellowstone’s” main character. “We try to promote local companies and curate a selection of merchandise that exemplifies the Montana way of life.”
Western styling is also popular at Big Cedar Lodge in the Southern Missouri town of Ridgedale, whose Top of the Rock golf shop carries brands like Ariat, Kimes Ranch and Pendelton, and has created headcovers, headwear, towels and other accessories with an Aztec flair. At this year’s PGA Show, PGA Director of Retail Jared Henzlik found a new Western brand called Hooey and brought in a small group to test this season.
“We are in cowboy country and sell a bunch of Western wear to begin with, but golf shops have just recently started to sell this – and with success,” he says. “We get comments like, ‘So nice to find a Kimes Ranch hat at a golf facility,’ or women who come up from Dallas find a group of women’s Ariat items and are surprised because they have never seen this before. We like this trend and will carefully capitalize on it as best we can.”
Texas is another hotbed for Western themes, and Briggs Ranch in San Antonio has taken full advantage of that. “Since the club frequently welcomes guests from outside the state, we have designed the shop to reflect a Texas-themed aesthetic with a unique Briggs Ranch twist that truly captures the spirit of the area,” says Penelope Cisneros, AGM, Merchandise Manager. “Our logo, inspired by a traditional cattle branding, nods to the markings historically used on livestock.”
The Briggs Ranch golf shop is filled with Texas-inspired elements, such as a large wooden wagon display, spurs, horseshoes, wagon wheels and other decorative items that celebrate the local culture. At the turn of the course, there’s a truck stop with a rustic theme, highlighted by longhorn horns and Western designs, and on hole 6, guests can interact with live longhorns and even feed them.
To complement this atmosphere, the shop offers a range of themed merchandise, including mini stuffed longhorn plushies, truck stop-inspired items and accessories such as cowhide headcovers, cowboy boot putter covers and longhorn-themed belts and hats.
“While Western wear is not sold in the shop, we do incorporate these elements into our tournament gifting,” Cisneros adds. “Our signature events, Texas Legends and Round-Up, have featured exciting activities like cowboy boot and hat fittings, cowhide shoe bags, Texas Trophy belt buckles and even a mechanical bull for entertainment. We also enhance the atmosphere with live mariachi music during these special events.”
For one tournament, Briggs Ranch worked with a local company called Tecovas, which brought out several styles of cowboy boots for people to choose from and drop shipped them to their address. Aleeja Stanley, AGM, who used to work at Briggs Ranch and is now Merchandise Manager at Austin (Texas) Country Club, decided to tap on Tecovas again for her new club’s Waterloo member-guest this month.
“This is the most popular tournament and has one of the larger budgets for tee gifts,” she says. “One of our members, James Mann, is the CFO of Tecovas and has been working with us to create a great tee gift package that includes some boot socks, as well. We will be branding the boots on-site once selected by the player with the Austin Country Club logo.”
Also in the area of Tournaments & Outings, Wichita (Kansas) Country Club gives a Western flair to its September member-guest event called “Round Up,” also using its impact table in the shop to underscore the theme.
“When buying for the fall, we try to keep this event in mind to bring in any Western prints to play on the theme,” says Riley Sherwood, AGM, Wichita’s Golf Shop Manager & Merchandiser. “In using Western-printed apparel along with Western-themed props, we really get our membership excited for the Member-Guest and thinking about team uniforms. And if nothing else, it gets people talking about Round Up and gets the conversation going.”
The three-day member-guest, which involves 60 two-person teams, begins with “Stag Night” events, followed by two days of golf and a party to conclude the weekend. In 2023, the staff took Wichita’s traditional “Round Up” logo, shrunk it down and put it on leather patches that went inside a cowboy hat and on Yeti coolers gifted to participants. For an added touch, during one of the rounds, a participant’s friend arrived on a horse and made a loop around the course.
“This was a bit impromptu and a surprise to all of the participants but made for some good laughs and something exciting to see,” Sherwood says. “Furthermore, the decorations at the party at the end of the weekend played into the Western theme with plaid and twine table runners, sunflower arrangements and more.”
As for the shop’s impact table, Sherwood sets it up a couple of weeks before the event so members get excited anticipating it. In 2023, the table featured johnnie-O, which she says had “just the right fall line with a few fun Western-themed prints we incorporated,” as well as props like a hay bale, cowboy boots and a saddle with a stand.
“Some of the prints we chose to bring in for the event included microprints with cowboy hats, rope, cactus, boots and more,” Sherwood adds. “Peter Millar had a fun Western print polo last fall, as well, so that was incorporated, too.”
Many golf companies are capitalizing on the Western phenomenon, presenting a variety of items that conjure up images of horses, cowboys and similar themes. Western golf style often presents a rugged, stylish look that includes elements like denim, cowboy boots, yokes on polos, pearl snap buttons and related prints. There are also hand-stitched Argentine leather belts, soft cotton blended T-shirts with a signature bootstitch pocket, and a range of accessories that celebrate the cowboy lifestyle.
Some of the brands/styles that have become popular in recent seasons include:
• Maverix, designed for “those who refuse to follow the herd.” Pieces have a slim, modern fit and prints have included bulls, cows and antlers.
• Hooey Cowboy Golf, a Texas-based brand showing Aztec, cactus and rodeo pattern polos and shorts.
• Donald Ross Western Pocket Performance Pants, made from a premium four-way stretch fabric and featuring a comfortable fit through the hips with a tapered leg and tailored ankle opening for a sharp, polished look.
• Texas Standard, a high-end Texas/Western-inspired line with items like a sheep skin vest, Western field shirt, Mexican Tejas Guayabera shirts and a collection of flannels.
• Puma’s Wild West collection with bold prints inspired by the cacti and colors that salute the desert terrain of Arizona’s TPC Scottsdale.
• Raised by Coyotes, offering a range of Western-inspired apparel, including jackets, T-shirts and belts.
• Cowboy Country Club, which aims to shake up traditional golf norms with a focus on a “country” club vibe, featuring items like woven leather belts, roped hats and polos with cowboy hat and cactus prints.
• Devereux Golf, whose Western Style Polo Shirt features distinctive paneling and pearl snap buttons. And to honor the Masters this year, the company released the Journey to Georgia collection, “inspired by the charm, traditions and style of the South,” Devereux Co-Founder Robert Brunner says.