Minnesota Is a Hotbed for Golf Apparel Startups
Based on the influx of local emerging golf apparel and accessories brands, you could say Minnesota’s roster shoots well above par. Some are on a mission to create playful, unique design solutions for a game that prioritizes rigid dress rules. Others? To prove quality doesn’t have to cost a fortune, with cost-effective goods that allow you to focus on the game and not what you wear to play it. We’ve rounded up the backyard brands redefining the apparel and accessories game and driving innovation for products for people who think outside the tee box.
Noonan Golf Co.
While on the hunt for a new putter cover, Marcus Dormanen found the choices were too expensive or cheaply made. He responded with Noonan Golf Co., a golf accessories brand he launched with Miles Marmo. Together, Dormanen (a lifelong golfer) and Marmo (who picked up the game during the pandemic) represent opposite ends of the experience spectrum—but both see the game as a way to connect and unplug. “We want to bring a fun, colorful perspective to golf,” says Marmo of the nostalgic, offbeat collection of club covers, hats, and towels priced below the competition. “We’ve found the sweet spot between quality, accessibility, and lighthearted awesomeness. We’d rather see our customers spending their money and time out on the course—not just on gear.” Noongolfco.com
Minny Golf Co.
After years operating an embroidery side hustle out of his garage, Doug Harrington launched Minny Golf Co. “I wasn’t seeing many hats out there that felt original or had any real personality. Most of them looked like they were just trying to check a box—bland, mass-produced, no story.” Now Harrington creates hats that capture the essence of Minnesota, like the vintage-inspired Nice cap, the Ope! perforated flat bill, and the Land of 10,000 Water Hazards snapback. Minnygolfco.com
Midspring
Golf has always been at the heart of Meredith Carmody and Shannon Arniel’s friendship, harking back to their childhood days shuffling between sports like junior golf in Connecticut. The two moved to New York, where they worked across the fashion, finance, and business industries until Arniel found herself in Minnesota via her husband. In 2023, the cross-country besties decided to solve their decades-long frustration with the lack of stylish-yet-functional golf apparel options for women. Enter Midspring, a line of women’s golf clothing that reflects their personal styles. From gingham and micro-floral dresses and skirts to cotton crewneck sweaters to puff-shoulder polos, the preppy and polished collection is designed at the intersection of style and performance. Midspringsport.com
Abendroth Golf
Through her experiences as a working mom in the corporate world and as a PGA professional at various clubs, White Bear Lake resident Emily Farrell noticed a gap in her wardrobe. “I craved comfortable, feminine options I could wear both on and off the course,” she says. “I also grew up playing the game and saw firsthand how much golf can do for women in business.” She created Abendroth Golf to inspire more women to get into the game. The company launched in 2020 with the Peggy, a high-waisted performance fabric jogger with five functioning pockets, and has since grown to include tops, dresses, and accessories—all designed to work with other pieces in your wardrobe and take you from the course to carpool duty. Abendrothgolf.com
Legendary Golf Apparel
Green fees, club memberships, lessons—it’s no secret that the game of golf comes with a hefty price tag. With so much money already invested just to play and high-end brands dominating the fairways, Army veteran Brock Ruiz and Brooks Hitchcock embarked on a mission in 2022 to create a line of accessible, high-quality goods that wouldn’t break the bank. With every purchase of a hat, polo, pullover, or headcover, White Bear Lake-based Legendary Golf Apparel donates a portion of proceeds to the military vets nonprofit Tee It Up for the Troops. Lgndy.co
Pin Hunters Golf Co.
What started as a college side hustle for Matthew Paul and Tyler Bjugan has grown into a nationally recognized golf accessory brand. “Coming out of the pandemic, we were playing golf multiple times a week and had an entrepreneurial itch we wanted to scratch,” says Paul. Initially, the duo focused on selling via Amazon but they’ve since shifted focus to custom-designed golf towels, hats, and accessories for tournaments, corporate events, companies, and country clubs like Interlachen, Bearpath, Wayzata Country Club, and Hazeltine National as well as national organizations TPC Sawgrass, LIV Golf, and the Junior PGA. The company also carries state-themed products, available nationwide in Scheels stores, that tap into local pride. Pinhuntersgolfco.com
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Waggle
The days of stiff, traditional golf attire are fading—just ask Travis Baker, whose Twin Cities apparel startup, Waggle, is on its way to becoming the next Peter Millar or TravisMathew—but cheeky. “Golf became my passion after graduating college, but I never connected with it on a country club or overly serious level,” Baker says. Since launching in 2018, Waggle has grown into a 30-employee operation known for its vibrant apparel for men and women that packs a punch—like the Clawdad lobster polo, Loosey Goosey quarter-zip, and the Feeling’ Cocky rooster cap—as well as towels, bags, and gloves. The brand has its own stores in Maple Grove, Iowa City, and Dallas, and this year marks a significant expansion: Waggle is building a new corporate headquarters in Blaine of nearly 40,000 square feet for a retail store, office, and warehouse space. Getyourwaggleon.com
Swannies
Matt Stand and Adam Iversen may have grown up caddying at fancy country clubs, but they always played golf their way—relaxed and casual at the municipal courses around the Twin Cities. The college pals created Swannies a decade ago with one idea in mind: golf should be fun. The brand’s selection of men’s and women’s apparel and accessories has exploded among like-minded players interested in a more social, laid-back golf game. Today, Swannies sells its products at over 3,000 golf courses and retail stores across North America. Talk about a hole-in-one. Swannies.co
