LAS VEGAS — Golf connects people of all shapes, sizes, genders and ethnicities. That was the message at a Birdies, Bogeys and Banter event last week at Project here.

In recent years – and even more so during the pandemic – the sport has seen an influx of women and young people committed to the game. These groups are also helping to raise the profile of several disruptive new brands offering less conservative clothing, footwear and hard goods to this new generation of golfers.

These include companies like Bad Birdie and Eastside Golf, both of which were part of the panel at the event.

Jason Richardson, founder and CEO of Bad Birdie, grew up caddying on traditional, conservative golf courses, but soon grew tired of the rules – fashion and otherwise – that he considered outdated. So he decided to create an alternative and started printing “crazy prints” on polo shirts to appeal to people like him who were looking for fresh alternatives. Bad Birdie soon found its community, and Richardson has built a $30 million+ business around his vibrant prints.

Eastside Golf has also built a profitable brand that attracts people of color with a product line that spans both the performance golf segment and the golf lifestyle.

Founder and Creative Director Olajuwon Ajanaku started playing golf as a child, excelled as a youngster, and turned pro after college. Although he couldn’t afford that lifestyle and went into corporate finance to pay his bills, he never lost his love for the game. So he designed a logo – an image of himself, a black man in jeans and a sweatshirt with a gold chain – that he wanted to print on his golf bag and clothing. But that logo turned out to be the impetus for the creation of a brand: Eastside Golf.

Since then, the company has become an ambassador for Mercedes-Benz and has collaborated with a number of other companies, including Jordan Brand, with whom it designed nine golf shoes. In October, he announced, Eastside will collaborate with Nike on two shoes.

Collaborations also help TaylorMade, a traditional golf company, expand its reach, says Derick Gallegos, the company’s senior manager of collaborations and partnerships.

For partnerships to be successful, Gallegos says brands must first align and then tell a story in a way that resonates with consumers.

And today, many of those consumers are women. Gallegos said the fastest-growing segment in golf is women, but the sport still has a long way to go to properly serve that market.

Not only do women have different clothing requirements, they also need rackets and other accessories that are specifically tailored to their gender.

Bad Birdie launched a women’s line last year, Richardson said, and Eastside Golf recently started trying its hand at it, too. Ajanaku said it’s important to encourage women to play golf and design clothes that not only work but look good. “That’s how golf will grow,” he said.

Professional golfer and three-time long drive world champion Maurice Allen, who also took part in the discussion, said there are still some private clubs that do not allow women, but he is doing his part to encourage women – especially minority women – to take up golf by including financial support for that market segment in his Adidas sponsorship deal.

It’s no secret that golf is a potentially lucrative business, and speakers cited Augusta National, the prestigious golf course in Georgia that hosts the Masters Tournament each spring, as an example.

The merchandise tent at the event generates more than $25 million in sales in four days from those lucky enough to get a ticket, Gallegos said. Attendees snap up hats, gloves, shirts and other memorabilia bearing the Masters logo, which places them among the select group who have been allowed to attend what he called the Super Bowl of golf.

Interestingly, the prices of goods and food are intentionally kept low because the club is more concerned with maintaining its prestigious status in the golf world than making money. This is a lesson for other businesses seeking similar status.