A golfer dressed in Radmor gear prepares to escape a fairway bunker
Golf is a sport of strategic decision-making: conservative course management can dictate a certain or “safe” play on some holes, while on others bold risk-taking can pay huge dividends.
Mindful choices tend to pay off, and Seattle-based sustainable golf fashion startup Radmor is banking on those conscious choices extending to the tees golfers choose to wear on their backs. By designing tops and bottoms that will either biodegrade or come from a renewable or recycled source, Radmor hopes to reduce the environmental impact of the estimated 81 kilograms of textile waste the average American throws away each year that is then either burned or found road to a landfill.
Company founders Scott Morrison and Bob Conrad both played college golf for the University of Washington in the 1990s, the same program that propelled Joel Dahmen and Nick Taylor to PGA Tour stardom. A veteran of the fashion industry, Morrison has spent the past two decades making waves in the denim world. He launched a trio of brands: 3 X 1, Earnest Sewing and Denim and Cloth, all of which he has since left. Meanwhile, Conrad kept his golf career going after his time with the Huskies. He participated in development tours for six years, working his way up to what was then known as the statewide circuit before settling into a career selling commercial real estate.
The idea of partnering in a golf string venture had first come up when the teammates were living in the same dorm, but at the time it was just a fanciful notion. In early 2020, when Morrison returned to the Pacific Northwest, the wheels began to turn.
“We wanted to be something unique, something different. We loved fashion, but in the golf world, we hadn’t seen anyone talk about durability, which Scott taught me over the last six years of his denim career,” says Conrad.
“The whole fashion industry, not just premium denim and haute couture, but Levi’s, Gap’s
GPS
The pair were surprised that for the most part, the golf industry had largely avoided those uncomfortable conversations about the high carbon footprint of petroleum-based, micro-plastic virgin fabrics. A major offender is the sweat-wicking polyester and spandex polos that dominate the golf apparel market.
Just as the mission-driven brand got the ball rolling, Covid and related sourcing and supply chain strains hit hard and Radmor ended up delaying their debut until February 2021, but two years into the game they’ve now refined their approach. them and have begun to carve a niche.
Striving to be a better steward of the environment, Radmor is committed to sustainable practices and doing more than just talking the talk. Their garments use natural shell buttons and are made from cellulose fibers such as very long Peruvian pima cotton. When using synthetics, such as in their rainproof clothing, recyclable material is used whenever possible. The ethos extends to their packaging, choosing to go the extra mile to ship their product in reusable poly bags and their labels and string that tie them together are made from 100% recycled paper.
The vast majority of golf apparel brands that have emerged in the last couple of years have used prints or streetwear designs to appeal to the new generation of golfers who have recently taken up the game. While Radmor also plays to that attractive and niche demographic, they set themselves apart by not being another loud polo brand. Instead, the look is much more muted and rooted in 1990s nostalgia. Morrison believes their contrasting design aesthetic, the opposite of what their fast-fashion competitors offer, caters to those who appreciate the quality that goes into producing products designed to last a long time and feel confident enough to be able to wear something more. subtle atmosphere that does not draw attention to itself.
A golfer models selections from Radmor’s new women’s line
“More than anything else, what we really value is golf apparel that doesn’t necessarily feel or look like golf apparel. Our color palette tends to come from men’s fashion and European fashions more than your traditional red, white and blue brand Americana that the golf industry is quite familiar with,” he says.
“Our shirts, polos, pants and sweatshirts are almost seasonless. This is also part of sustainability, making something that is high quality that lasts a long, long time and that they won’t be upset about when the next bright color comes next season. We hope our polo lasts for years to come [our customers’] closets,” adds Conrad
Just under half of Radmor’s sales are direct-to-consumer with the balance coming from 75-100 pro shops nationwide, as well as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and several third-party online retailers that also carry the brand.
Radmor hired three full-time sales associates a few months ago to focus on growing their green grass footprint, which they expect to reach 200-250 accounts by the end of 2023. In the months of Next, their newly launched women’s collection will take center stage at the upcoming PGA Merchandise Show in January and become a key focus in all of their regional markets.
“There really isn’t a specific women’s golf brand that uses natural fibers. Almost every single brand is polyester, nylon or synthetic based. So there wasn’t an option in the pro shops and we learned that along the way from different buyers,” says Conrad.
Radmor hopes that the mission-driven example they have set will create a profound shift within the industry, so that brands no longer simply pay a simple service to sustainable clothing, but decide to make it a more meaningful part of their their publications.
“I think what you’re really going to start to see is the bigger brands start to adopt more sustainable practices and materials in their collections,” says Morrison. He hopes that all the practices they have implemented set a gold standard for what the industry could look like in fifteen years.
