From Golfman to The Vault: Ashworth’s Approach to Heritage and Innovation

Since its founding in 1987, Ashworth helped shape a more relaxed and lifestyle-oriented approach to golf style. While the golf apparel market continues to evolve, the brand’s recent return to North America has brought renewed attention to themes such as heritage, longevity, fabric innovation, and storytelling at retail.

In this Vendor Spotlight, Ashworth CEO Andy Bell discusses the brand’s history, the influence of iconic moments and partnerships, the role of retailer feedback in product development, and how golf shops can balance heritage-inspired products alongside modern performance assortments.

AGM: Looking back on Ashworth’s history, what moments or decisions do you feel were most influential in shaping the brand into what it is today?

Ashworth: Clearly, you need to start at the beginning with John Ashworth and his vision for the brand he launched in 1987. For him, the idea was simple – golf clothing should be relaxed, comfortable, stylish and cool. For an industry trapped in polyester and taking fashion cues from the 70’s and early 80’s, it was a radical departure.

The Golfman. Obviously, I’m biased, but the Golfman is clearly one of the most iconic logos in the game. A symbol of golf culture and community that immediately invokes thoughts of credibility, heritage and authenticity.

I think it’s also easy to say no Ashworth story is complete without including Fred Couples and the alignment of his famously relaxed and easy-going demeanor with John and the Ashworth brand. “Freddie Cool” winning the 1992 Masters in Ashworth style put the brand front and center on the world stage.

Certainly, the many changes to the ownership and management of the brand in the 2010’s and its departure from the North American market is why we are here today.

AGM: What role does longevity and durability play in the way Ashworth thinks about apparel today?

Ashworth: It’s central to who we are. There is a commitment here to timeless style over fleeting trends. Fashion is disposable by design with a planned obsolescence. That’s never been Ashworth. The goal is to build pieces that age with you, that move with you, that get better as you wear them. Longevity isn’t just a construction standard, it’s an integral part of our point of view. Our customer doesn’t casually replace things in his life — he fixes them, keeps them, values them. We make clothing that inspires that kind of loyalty.

AGM: What new product launches or assortment directions are you especially excited about right now, and what influenced that creative direction?

Ashworth: From day one, John Ashworth believed that golf was spiritual and good for the mind, body and soul. He wanted the world to experience the game and feel the magic of the walk as he did. Every golf course in the world has its own unique story and experience. We get inspired by those visuals and sharing those “It’s in the walking” stories. Ultimately, these stories inspire the product and translate to the visual presentation on the retail floor.

We’re excited by the balance we’re creating in our collection and infusing next gen fabric technologies with some old school Ashworth DNA. We’re excited by curated points of view that are clear and will translate to compelling visual presentations on the retail floor. We’re especially excited about launching a limited-edition collection called “The Vault” which leans into our DNA and is a celebration of Vintage 90’s originals…fabrics and silhouettes that defined a generation of golf style. This will include “The 1020” which is the OG of Ashworth polos…IYKYK.

AGM: How can golf shops successfully incorporate heritage-inspired pieces alongside more traditional performance assortments?

AGM: What role does retailer feedback play in shaping future assortments and product decisions?

Ashworth: An enormous one. We work hard not to be transactional and focus on establishing long term relationships step by step. Good communication and listening to your partners is foundational. We believe in serving not just golfers but the game itself, and that means listening to the people closest to the customer every single day. Our job is to gather that intelligence from around the country and all types of facilities and feed that to our design and product development team. The ultimate challenge is to then build a versatile collection that covers North, South, East and West, sport vs clubhouse, and balances what happened yesterday with what we believe will happen tomorrow.

AGM: What factors are most important when balancing comfort, performance, style, and wearability within a collection?

Ashworth: For us, it’s always fabric first. Great style starts with great materials. When the fabric is right, we find everything else falls into place, especially fit. Then fabric and fit drive the performance characteristics. Comfort and wearability are the Ashworth sweet spot.

AGM: How is Ashworth approaching fabric innovation or sustainable sourcing in its current and upcoming collections?

Ashworth: Being a part of Newtimes Group gives us access to an incredibly extensive sourcing network with a truly global footprint. That network is comprised of knitting mills and sewing factories utilizing state-of-the-art technology and adhering to the strictest of standards for sustainable manufacturing. This network ensures we are on the front end of technology and fabric innovation. We are truly spoiled in this area.

AGM: Do you have any specific visual merchandising or storytelling tips for retailers displaying these collections in their shops?

Ashworth: We have a team with really strong visual merchandising skills built upon decades of experience. There are clear merchandising standards that apply to every collection every day which we share regularly with our customers. Beyond the Merchandising 101 list, we’re always ready to share the inspiration behind our seasonal collections and have suggestions how to execute them visually on the floor. It is a collaborative effort and it’s important for us to understand the retailers’ plan for a collection on their floor. They’ve bought it with a purpose and a story they want to tell in their golf shop for the season. Combining our design inspiration with their local knowledge and intent usually creates a clear and compelling visual plan that is emotional and engaging for the customer. A Homegoods credit card helps.

AGM: What message would you like to leave with AGM merchandisers about Ashworth and the future direction of the brand?

Ashworth: Ashworth is back — and we’re not just returning, we’re reclaiming. This brand helped define what golf style looked like for a generation, and we’re here to do it again. We’re building something rooted in quality, craftsmanship, and the kind of timeless style that doesn’t need to shout to be heard. For your customers who value the game, who dress with intention, who want something that lasts — that’s exactly who we’re making this for. We’re just getting started, and we’re glad to be building it alongside you.

Conclusion

Throughout the conversation, one theme appeared consistently: balance. Whether discussing heritage and innovation, cotton and performance fabrics, or product storytelling and visual presentation, Ashworth’s approach centers on creating assortments that reflect the variety of ways golfers engage with the game today.

AGM members are encouraged to learn more about Ashworth by visiting their website at https://www.ashworth-golf.com or by contacting 262-212-2447. For more contact information or AGM Member perks, check out their AGM vendor page.

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