You can hear the lifts close; the last of the mountain riders are removing their skis or snowboards and getting ready for the next event of the experience. That is right, the snowsport is only the beginning. Now, you get to get dressed into something a little more comfortable and enjoy the social part of the experience: après-ski. Sometimes it is a huge party. Sometimes it is a quiet time by the fire. But the after event is just as fun as the event itself. But why should skiing have all the glory? Tommy Bahama is seemingly taking that idea to the golf course, albeit unintentionally. No, they are just becoming quite popular with the golf crowd, and that means we’re right up against the time of après-golf becoming a thing. This is more than simply the 19th hole. This is a budding culture shift focused on clothing as much as golf. At least, that’s what I think when I talk to Doug Wood, CEO of Tommy Bahama.
Tommy Bahama is sold in golf-adjacent and golf-friendly shops – and we like it that way. Golf shops traditionally mark their product down and we don’t like product markdowns. – Doug Wood, CEO of Tommy Bahama
Unintentionally fitting in with golf gear
I mean, golfers love a good functional outfit. At the end of the day, golf is a sport that requires a lot of movement, comfort, and temperature regulation, which all of a sudden makes sense for Tommy Bahama to be on the golfer’s radar. So that is how this happened. Golfers started showing up for the brand, and the brand noticed. They love the tech, and they love the fabric. So, TB got their feet in the golf world.
“We make the best tech shirt in the market (the Palm Coast Pro Polo) and the best shorts on the golf course (the Chip Shot Short), and because they’ll buy directly from Tommy Bahama, we are able to provide the best pieces for on or off the course.”
Are we seeing Apres-golf develop in real time?
I know, the 19th hole is already a thing. After you have shot your dreadful round that makes you want to quit, your kick ass round that rewards your tenacity, or the one in the middle where you had a dreadful round but that one shot that makes you think you have some tour ability in you after all, there is the social gathering at the clubhouse to talk about the round and regale the others with tales of the fairway. But, have you thought of changing? That is the point I am making here. Ditch the sweaty golf polo and don something more intentional. Maybe TB can get Scotty Schefter in some of their clothing to jump-start the après-golf shift!
“We’ve thought about sponsoring, and have sponsored, some players on the tour. However, it’s very expensive, and at the end of the day, I’m not sure that it moves the brand forward. Especially for us, as we look at ourselves as sportswear, not just golf wear.”
But why golfers?
Is this a targeted thing? No, not really. But could it be? Absolutely. The golfer is a guy who knows what he likes to wear and why it works for him. He is ready to drop money on anything that makes him comfortable to swing the 7 iron. That is why they have started to drift towards Tommy Bahama. They are functionally similar to the golf gear you find on the course, but elevated enough that they work beyond it. I will never be a guy that will tell you to wear a golf polo to dinner, but if you can find a shirt that feels like one and looks better, then more power to you.
“Golfers like our brand because of its versatility, comfort and performance, so besides wearing it on the course, they can wear it out to dinner or to the in-law’s house.”
Après-golf is more than the clothes
Look, just like après-ski is more than the clothes, so is après-golf (is it a thing yet? We’re gonna get there. We’re coming for you 19th hole). This is about getting together with the people you enjoy swinging the clubs with and talking about everything from the day’s round to the next round. The clothes are not the point, but they make it better. Packing some Tommy Bahama into a bag and putting it in the trunk next to the golf bag is a great way to take an afternoon round to an all-day social affair.
“Our restaurants are absolutely the best location for after the round – you can drop in for a drink at the Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar post-round. Or take your wife out to dinner at one of our restaurants or Marlin Bars to make up for being gone for 6 hours playing a round of golf.”
Have a drink. Go to dinner. Get cocktails and cigars afterwards. This isn’t a sport. It is a lifestyle. Apres-golf is on the way, and Tommy Bahama is ready for it. Oh, and so am I.
