Issue link: https://digital.insidegolfmedia.com/i/712188
INSIDER Q&A what made you want to become an apparel designer in the first place? It was a series of events that happened along the path of life, starting in the '60s with my father introducing me to the game and quickly becoming a golf nut by age 8. I was glued to every move Arnie made when golf was on TV. Then in high school during the '70s in a little town called Es- condido in Southern California, I played on the golf team when golf just wasn't really cool. The clothing in golf had gone from a classic look and style to this super bright polyester look that just didn't translate to being worn any- where other than at a golf course. If you were a golfer back then you were sort of considered a nerd. I played college golf at the University of Arizona in Tucson in the late '70s early '80s and our golf uniforms were absolutely horrendous! Bulletproof polyester. Couldn't stand wearing them. Then I caddied on the tour in 1984 and was able to witness golf fashion all over the country. It was back in the day of smaller companies making golf apparel, there were no big companies like today but they were all making similar stuff that was just looking tired. After a year caddying on tour I went to work as a buyer and merchandiser at a sporting goods store in Denver, where I got to see all the golf lines and tried to merchandise and sell them. It was soon after that experience that I could see this wide-open niche in the market and felt somebody needed to come up with a better alternative look for guys like me and my friends because everyone was pretty much over what was being offered. So in 1986 I jumped in and moved to L.A. to try and figure things out. ••• it's been said that you revolutionized golf ap- parel. if true, how so? I suppose I went against the grain with a lot of things. My goal was to try to make great quality products and always present the lifestyle of golf in a cool and ap- proachable way. I wanted non-golfers to stop and take notice and view golf as a soulful and worthwhile pastime. ••• what is the history behind your newest ven- ture, linksoul? Linksoul is the evolution of my design sense. It's also a mind melt of design creation from a relationship I have with my nephew and artist Geoff Cunningham and my friend and designer Rebecca Bray. It's been a great opportunity to take my 30 years of experi- ence in making clothing and define a new golf lifestyle that extends beyond the course and is an intersection that includes the surf world and a relaxed coastal lifestyle. The definition C O N T I N U E D ›› soul of thE gAmE click hErE to learn more about Linksoul. scroll through the slideshow to view linksoul looks from matt ginella of golf channel's morning drive, along with pgA tour players geoff ogilvy, lucas glover and ryan moore.