A 22-year-old from Stone has launched a new golfwear brand, just two months after taking the idea from conversation to reality.
Jacob Dodd, founder of Fairway Apparel, is aiming to create clothing that feels as comfortable off the course as it does on it.
From frustration to follow through
Jacob has been playing golf for more than five years. During that time, he says he noticed something missing.
“Playing golf for over five years and having nothing to wear, seeing the game modernise with technology, but lacking in other places.
We came up with the idea and actually followed through with it.”
Fairway Apparel is an online store, run by Jacob and his business partner George Worgan, but firmly rooted in Stone.
Rather than competing with established local retailers, the pair are carving out their own space online, offering what they describe as a modern, luxurious yet cost effective alternative to traditional golf clothing.
On and off the fairway
For Jacob, the difference is in how the clothes are worn.
“This is where our brand is different to every other golf apparel clothing, most of the golf clothes that you spend a fortune on, you only feel comfortable wearing to the course so that nice £150 polo shirt will be left in the wardrobe apart from the two or three times you hit the course.
“We make clothing that’s comfortable and doesn’t look out of place on or off the course.
“So we are effectively targeting everyone, you don’t need to play golf to wear our apparel.”
It is a shift in thinking that reflects how the sport itself has changed in recent years, with new audiences, younger players and technology reshaping the traditional image of golf.
Fairway Apparel is currently based entirely online at www.fairwayapparel.shop, with social media channels helping to build awareness in its early stages.
Phones, Jacob says, are “always on 24/7”.
A long term vision for Stone
Although trading for just two months, the ambition stretches beyond ecommerce.
Jacob says the dream is to open a small shop in Stone in the future, helping draw people into the town and the surrounding area, particularly given the strength of golf locally.
Stone and its neighbouring villages are home to several well known courses, bringing players into the area throughout the year. The pair hope one day their brand could sit alongside that local sporting identity.
They are also looking to link up with a designer and a social media executive as the business develops.
Teeing off for charity
Alongside launching the brand, Jacob and the team will also be taking part in the Big Golf Race for Prostate Cancer UK in May.
On Friday 22 May, they will attempt to play 100 holes of golf in one day to raise money for the charity.
Every penny of profit made in the week leading up to the challenge will be donated.
It is a significant commitment for a business still in its early weeks, but one that reflects the values the founders say they want the brand to carry.
Just two months in, Fairway Apparel is still finding its footing. But with local roots, a clear idea of what they want to change, and a 100-hole challenge ahead, the Stone start-up has well and truly teed off.
