On May 12, a horde of eager streetwear enthusiasts swarmed outside 27 Mercer Street, a matte-black columned store in the core of New York’s high-end shopping district. An unwitting passerby would have suspected they were expecting a fashion show, an exclusive sneaker launch, a fashion influence event, anything but the opening of a golf concept store in the heart of SoHo. But that’s precisely what Hypegolf’s new “Clubhouse” pop-up shop is all about: showcasing the game to a whole new audience through a curated experience that fuses streetwear and golf.
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Hypegolf is a separate platform and community from Hypebeast, a digital media company that highlights trends in fashion, culture, art, design, and music. Kevin Ma founded the company in 2005 after his passion sneaker blog project met with widespread success. Today, Hypebeast reaches 26 million social media users and more than 18 million monthly site visitors and is expanding its horizons in streetwear to include golf. Ma says that he started playing golf four years ago and that he enjoys the game very much. Since then, he has worked hard to make golf a part of the Hypebeast ecosystem, especially as the game becomes more inclusive. Hypegolf took off in early 2020, with the help of Hypebeast Senior Editor Ray Mate.
“Hypegolf is about coming together with our community to discover the game of golf through unique experiences,” said Ma. “As golf continues to become more inclusive, most importantly, we believe in building meaningful conversations with experiential activations at different touchpoints of a golfer’s journey.
Hypegolf’s “Clubhouse” pop-up shop is the company’s latest venture to celebrate a modern approach to the game. It will be open in SoHo from May 14 to July 24 and will feature a selection of golf apparel and accessories from 20 brands that are pushing the boundaries of traditional golf apparel.
Brands like Malbon Golf, Bogey Boys, Puttwell and Metalwood Studio will have a physical presence in New York City for the first time at the Clubhouse. Additionally, Hypegolf presents its own capsule collection in the pop-up window, consisting of nine unique unisex pieces, each branded with the Hypegolf text logo.
Hypegolf’s Clubhouse is more than just a store. The space is filled with golf-themed exhibits and art installations. At the rear of the Clubhouse is a TrackMan simulator from Five Iron Golf and a synthetic putting green from LA Golf. The Clubhouse has announced that it will host several programs and discussion panels to further activate the golf and streetwear communities.
“In the short term, we simply want our audience to explore the joy of golf through the lens of Hypebeast,” said Ma. “My team and I are genuinely passionate about golf, and we see a lot of potential in driving diversity and this culture. . Over the years, Hypegolf has become an integral part of our ecosystem for cultural discovery and connection to our community.”
Hypegolf is at the epicenter of the movement to make golf more modern and in turn grow the game. You’re employing a compelling strategy: use fashion, accessories, events, social media, and more to attract newcomers. Celebrities and professional athletes are also on board with this game plan. When people realize that they can look great on the golf course, they may start to think that sports are also a great use of time.
Source: www.golfdigest.com