Beyond the Polo: How Yardage Company Is Bringing Custom Graphics to Golf Shops

After more than 25 years representing brands across the golf industry, the team behind Yardage Company noticed an opportunity hiding in plain sight: golfers wanted something beyond the traditional polo. What began with co-branded T-shirts used to support golf shop displays eventually grew into a brand of its own, built around custom graphics, casual apparel, and designs unique to each golf property. In this Vendor Spotlight, Yardage Company shares how decades of industry experience shaped the brand, the creative process behind its course-specific artwork, and why T-shirts and hoodies can offer golf shops more than another piece of apparel.

AGM: What gap did you see in the golf shop marketplace that Yardage was uniquely positioned to fill?  

Yardage Company: We see golf shops all looking similar and concentrating on mostly selling polos. It’s our opinion that golfers only wear polo’s when required on a golf course. Also, polos are expensive and have become cost prohibitive in many instances. When hanging out, working out, going to a party, or going anywhere, dressing casually and comfortably is not dressing in a performance polo. People who play their own course or travel to other courses are looking to take home something to wear that they like and that fits their own casual vibe.

AGM: How do you approach creating designs that resonate across a wide range of  golf environments, from private clubs to municipal courses and resorts?  

AGM: What role does storytelling and a sense of place play when developing custom artwork for a golf facility?  

Yardage Company: We’re mostly about golf and creating designs that are unique yet consistent for a particular golf course. What works for a Private Course that is 100 years old, won’t usually work for a Resort or Daily Fee Course that was built in recent years. We research courses when coming up with designs and want to know as much as we can about them and their history. We put that all together and come up with a Book of Designs for each customer. It’s super fulfilling to see the final results from our artists. 

AGM: Golf has been a family business for the Ashworth brothers for decades. How has working alongside family influenced the way you approach building brands and serving the golf industry? 

Yardage Company: Working with my brother all these years has been a dream. More than anything, we both feel super lucky to be involved in the golf industry. The people we’ve met, worked with, and known over the years in golf could never be matched if we had landed in any other industry. 

Our dad was an avid golfer and a sports enthusiast. He was a school teacher and our mom a nurse. Somehow, they raised a family of six, and golf was always part of our lives. The love for golf and everything the game brings is what motivates both my brother and me. Our sister Mary has been with us for the entire time, and at every stop. She’s been a little behind the scenes but always plays a very important role. She is the rock! We try to bring the values and lessons of golf when building a brand in a way similar to how our father always visualized golf intersecting life.

The Ashworth Brothers 2MAN events have become an important part of the Yardage brand. How have those tournaments influenced your understanding of today’s golfer? 

Yardage Company: The LS2MAN Tournaments and now the Ashworth Brothers 2MAN started on a whim in 2009. We’ve now had more than 60 events and over 1500 different people playing in our tournaments over the last 18 years. I think most golfers are very similar to the guys and gals that come to our tournaments. Our people love the game of golf, understand the game, and are always trying to improve their game. They all like friendly competition and it turns out they all enjoy the social component of golf. For as long as we can remember, the tag line for our tournaments has been “Shotmaking & Socializing.” 

Over time we unknowingly created a community of people that frequent our tournaments and have made lifelong friendships with one another. In a time when socializing in society is scarce, golf is undefeated.  

Our team at Yardage Company has made so many friends along the way that we see no end in sight. We have four tournaments annually, and each stop is a reunion. We can’t wait to see and be with friends that normally we only get to see once a year.

AGM: After decades in golf retail and apparel, what is something about golfers purchasing habits that has remained surprisingly consistent?

Yardage Company: The “golfer” is the constant. Once a person becomes a bona fide part of the golf community, I don’t think their buying habits change much. That golfer has his or her own habits and is forever looking for the next best thing to make them play or look better. A true golfer is a customer for life, and new golfers are coming everyday.

AGM: What final message would you like to leave with the AGM audience about the value of partnering with Yardage Company? 

Yardage Company: Don’t be afraid of this category. Not only will you increase shop sales, but it’s also an amazing way to further brand your golf course and property. Other than when Ashworth was in its hay day, as a group we’ve never experienced the sell through and reorder business that is happening with Yardage Company. Combined, our group has over 100 years of experience in the golf industry, and we just reached our 2nd anniversary shipping Yardage Gear to top golf properties around the US and in Mexico. Our list of accounts is quite astonishing.

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