Ideas We Love Issue no.7

Sounder's Club Collection

This week’s issue is a love-letter to Sounder Golf’s Sounder Club Collection.

Before we get into why we love this, it’s probably worth saying that there is loads of interesting stuff happening around Golf brands at the moment. Over the last few years a number of companies have emerged that are trying to challenge the pre-conceived notions of what it means to play Golf and what it means to be a Golfer.

Malbon asks what Skaters would wear if they played Golf. Manors Golf wants to remind people that Golf is about the fun of playing, that “golf is a sport to be explored, not mastered”. Whilst Random Golf Club is trying to reimagine a Golf Club as a global community of people, not a physical place.

All of these brands are united by a modern, design-led aesthetic that is closer to streetwear than you’d expect in a sport with a reputation for some truly dodgy outfits. All are unashamedly pointed at a younger (in mind or body), more diverse and altogether ‘less stuffy’ golfer than your average golf brand. The scene has infact become so vibrant that it recently drew the attention of Hypebeast.

Sounder is no different. It is the brain child of Cathal McAteer and James Day who having built cult clothing brand Folk and set up Urban Golf respectively, launched Sounder in 2020 as a way of creating the kind of clothes they wanted to wear to play golf in.

Recently they launched 'The Sounder Club Collection’: an online Aladdin’s cave of vintage golf equipment, with all of the clubs for sale coming from ‘nerd in chief’ James Day’s personal collection once he has lovingly restored, refurbished and re-conditioned them ready for new owners.

Why we love this idea

On the face of it, this seems like such a simple thing: selling second hand clubs. But, it’s that simplicity and the layer of personality which makes it so powerful as a lever for attracting new customers to Sounder.

#1 For Golfers, by Golfers

Like cyclists, golfers are obsessed with kit. The potential for nerding out is vast (Tom will save his views on putters for another time). Sounder might be a new brand (though it’s name comes from another brand which used to be used by the late, great Seve Ballesteros), but in selling and editorialising upcycled gear from a bygone era, it’s demonstrating it’s credentials as a brand and a business and a group of people deeply ensconced in the community around the game. As a customer you’re not just buying golf stuff, you’re buying from golfers just like yourself.

#2 ‘Always in beta’

McAteer and Day have talked about ‘selling golf equipment’ as a part of their dream for the company. But obviously, for a fledgling business, the resources required to do that to a high standard are significant. We like this project as a way of testing an idea, taking a small but significant first step toward that long-term goal. Not only that, but they’ve done it in a way that is true to the brand they’re building. A minimum viable product in the form of a small experiment, the result of which can help inform the future choices the brand makes.

#3 Not so new News

Sure, we all like new stuff. But we also know that there is alot of waste in producing new things all the time - especially in Fashion. Here, the brand is selling something other than new news. A golfer’s relationship with the club that he or she uses is a strong one. The clubs sold here are only available in limited numbers as they are out of production and come with bags of history attached. This idea sells the teams’s experience, their passion and their knowledge. Monetising editorial and curatorial prowess, rather than just selling stuff that might end up in landfill.

What we’d love to have done with this idea…

Storytelling is such a big part of the sport of golf. Stories about the courses and places you visit. The shots you make (or don’t). The characters you meet. The clubs on sale here are loaded with stories. As a result, the opportunity to stretch this idea relies mostly on techniques for continuing and developing the narrative of the clubs themselves….

#1 Coffee Table Content

An obvious opportunity seems to be the creation of a beautiful, glossy Coffee Table book documenting the clubs in Day’s collection, the stories of their production and subsequent refurbishment. Bringing more history and legend to the fore, adding more insight to the stories behind the equipment. Just what Golf nerds love.

#2 Capsule Collection

Given the specific provinence of the clubs on sale (year of production, country of origin etc) how might you leverage that information to build extended ‘capsule collections’ for each of the clubs/sets you sell? Not only more things to sell, potentially, but a neat creative and comms wrapper to stick around the initative and use as a means of marketing the service.

#3 ‘Whats in the Bag’

One of the big tropes in Golf journalism and social media is ‘Whats in the bag’ (or #WITB). Typically, we’ll get a glimpse at the equipment that the tour professionals like Rory McIlroy are using or perhaps an enthusiastic amateur might choose to post a run down of their own equipment as a way of bragging about who’s got the most desirable clubs. Once Sounder have sent the clubs they sell to their new homes, the opportunity is to do a #WITB with the new owner; what other clubs are they marrying to their new sets? What ball do they play? What bag do they use…. We like the idea of giving a small platform to the new owners and showing the clubs in their new home.

If you like this, you’ll love this

As we write these newsletters, I think the thing we’re realising is that the stronger the idea, the quicker and easier it is to recognise other ideas which are in the same family. This is no exception - and the list of ‘tasting notes’ comes from quite a diverse set of places and sources….

Hiut Denim’s ‘Do one thing well’ List

Each year Welsh Denim brand Hiut publish their ‘Do One Thing Well’ list - a celebration of the brands and businesses who, like them, dedicate their time and effort to perfecting one product or service. It’s a great example of what Adam Morgan might describe as building a ‘brand neighbourhood’. A focus on identifying the brands and businesses who share a common philosophy or unifying idea. Like the Sounder example, this curatorial approach creates values for customers beyond a simple transaction.

Kitsugi

Broken things don’t have to go in the bin. This is upcycling on another level. The Japanese art of ‘Kitsugi’, which sees craftsmen repair broken pottery with Gold, is a wonder to behold.

The Rise of the ‘Closet-Sale’

According to men’s style guide Sprazza, the hot ticket in New York menswear at the moment are the various ‘closet sales’ taking place in the city. These are being hosted by Fashion Influencers, streamers and TikTokers. At these events, the influencers give the public access to their wardrobes and sell the items they no longer need. A high end thrift store essentially, but with built in media distribution.

East London Liquor Project Refill

As part of an effort to reduce their environmental impact and reduce the need to produce costly bottles, the East London Liquor company’s Project Refill invited customers to bring any empty spirits bottle they owned back and get it refilled with their choice of Gin, Vodka or Rum from the London distilliery. A neat way to de-position the compeition, upcycle old bottles and sell some liquid in the process, all whilst minimising their impact on the environment.

Marr’s Guitars

Smith’s Guitarist Johnny Marr is one of the most influential guitarists of the last 40 years. Late last year he published a beautiful book cataloguing his vast Guitar collection in super-hi-definition detail, talking about the music they produced, where he bought them, who he’d lent them to….

All the gear, mo’ idea

We realise that in the grand scheme of things Golf is a bit niche. But, we think it’s an interesting one to keep your eyes on. There is a load of creativity on display with new brands trying to dislodge some of the ‘dust’ that might exist in people’s minds about what it means to be a golfer. Sounder is one of those brands. As always we’d love to know what you think!

Until next time. Cheerio.

Tom and Matt