Signs By the Sea, started by Kathy and Mike Yevchak (a PGA of America Golf Professional) in their New Jersey kitchen in 2011, has come a long way in 15 years with its quaint weathered signs and dozens of other popular products. Now housed in a 5,000-square-foot facility in Wall Township, New Jersey, the company has moved well beyond its regional popularity to a customer base of more than 2,750 golf shops across the nation.
Signs By the Sea’s product selection ranges from awards and gifts to signage, vintage glassware and custom firepits, and co-owner Kathy Yevchak shares news on some of the latest additions that are gaining traction in golf shops and as tournament gifts – promising even more growth in the months and years to come.
1 As you celebrate your 15th anniversary this year, what is the biggest change you’ve seen in the golf accessories market since the start?
Kathy Yevchak: It’s hard to believe it has been 15 years. The biggest shift has been the move toward more curated, design-driven accessories. When we started, the idea of lifestyle and home products as tee gifts and golf shop items was extremely uncommon. This has totally shifted, and today’s customers are looking for pieces that feel elevated, giftable and lifestyle-oriented – items that work both on and off the course.
There’s also been a major increase in demand for customization and one-of-a-kind items that cannot be purchased anywhere else. In other words, the only way to receive a particular product is if you played in a specific event or visited a specific club. Instead of a tee gift being a shirt or something that is already sold in a golf shop, PGA of America Golf Professionals and buyers understand the strategic gifting and exclusivity that comes with one-of-a-kind tee gifts.
2 What types of items are really resonating with PGA of America Professionals and their golf shop customers?
Yevchak: Anything that feels unique to their club or region performs well. We really focus on awards, tee gifts and events, with some of our best-selling retail pieces including license plates, coaster sets, serving trays and lighters. Our wood products are all custom made to order from our facility in Wall Township, New Jersey. Functional items that double as gifts do especially well. Customers love pieces that feel personal but still practical. Our LED light-up products have been very popular, including our new backlit shadow boxes that were launched in January.
3 Have you done any collaborations with other brands? If so, what were they?
Yevchak: Yes, collaborations have been a fun and growing part of our business. We have a great partnership with Zippo, which makes custom lighters. We also just launched a new partnership with Nora Fleming, which is a very cool brand that makes home and entertaining products with interchangeable minis, one of which is a golf ball we can logo for clubs. We partnered with the New Jersey PGA Section for their Surfside Series to design and deliver custom tee markers that look exactly like an actual can of Surfside but are made of wood. We listened to our customers over the years talk about how difficult it is to buy for women members and guests, and after looking for the right fit for a long time, finally found Nora Fleming. All of the Signs By the Sea women love it, and we think it will be a great addition for women’s tee gifts.
4 Tell us about your Tournaments & Outings business, and how it has increased over time?
Yevchak: It has grown significantly over the past several years. Events are looking for elevated tee gifts that feel substantial and memorable. Because we manufacture in-house, we can offer customization with strong turnaround times, which has helped us build repeat business. Many of our tournament partners now come back year after year.
5 What is the most significant product development on the horizon for Signs By the Sea?
Yevchak: We are expanding deeper into very high-end, premium, heirloom-quality gifts as the number of very exclusive golf clubs continues to grow in the United States. For example, look at our hand-built custom replica of the Church Pews at Oakmont – complete with turf and sand – or the custom mini football stadium we made for our PGA Show booth, as well as the new backlit shadow box logoed pieces. These are all very high-end.
We are very proud of our design and production teams that collaborate on new developments like this. We are also in development with several 3D-printed products and components that we expect to be rolling out in the near future.
Relationships have been the biggest constant over these 15 years. The PGA of America Professionals and merchandisers we work with aren’t just customers – they’re long-term partners. That collaboration and feedback loop has shaped our product line from the beginning and continues to guide where we go next.
