Why Does Bad Birdie Always Look Like It Gets It?

I am an average golfer - someone who hopes to break 90.  I’m good enough to play, but not good enough to appreciate unique courses. I have a pretty good swing but definitely could use some work.  My short game is where the strokes pile up. 

What I appreciate the most about golf is the social side.  Getting outside.  Having some laughs.  Trying to lose as few balls as possible per round. 

But of course I pay attention to brands. I do it for a living.  And somewhere over the last few years, I kept seeing Bad Birdie. On the rack at Dick's Sporting Goods. In the pro shop at Pinehurst a few weeks ago. Guys who seem new to golf have a fresh attitude about playing.  Less about breaking par, more about breaking balls with friends. Every time, my reaction was the same. How the hell does Bad Birdie do it? They just get it.

Golf used to be old and stodgy back when I was a caddy. Stiff collars, limited colors, really elitist. Somewhere along the way it’s changed. Golf is younger, more fun and accessible. Bad Birdie seems to have been riding this wave from the beginning.  So I got the founder on the phone and asked him why.

His name is Jason Richardson. He started Bad Birdie as a side hustle in 2017. Maybe you’ve seen the video of him on Shark Tank. The famous putt for equity.  He turned down that money BTW. And he built one of the most recognizable young brands in golf without taking a dime of outside cash. Something I can appreciate. 

Here's our conversation. 

Me: Why does golf apparel need a brand like yours in the first place?

Golf was fun. Golf clothes were not. There was a gap between the experience of playing the game and the experience of getting dressed for it, and nobody was filling it. The vision was simple. Make golf fun for everyone.

What got me is how durable that idea is. "Make golf fun" isn't a 2017 trend that ages out. It evolved and became more than the actual swinging of the golf club. I love their focus on everyone too.

Me: You brought a putter onto Shark Tank and attempted a putt during your pitch. Be honest. Was that a gimmick?

It wasn't a stunt. Taking that risk on national television, in front of the investors, was a literal expression of our core value. Taking risks is what the brand is.

This is the part most people miss about building a great brand. Having the courage to take risks. Not playing it safe. That was the company's values on display. The putt stunt worked because it was true.

Me: What actually got the Sharks to lean in?

The putter was memorable. But what moved the room was revenue. Hitting a million dollars in sales was the proof point that turned a fun pitch into a serious one.

The story you remember is the putt. The thing that closed it was the spreadsheet. There's a lesson in there for any founder. Having charisma opens the door. Numbers are what keeps it open for you.

Me: You took the deal with Robert Herjavec, then walked away from it. Why give up the money?

We worked together for a few months, then dissolved it by mutual agreement. We never took the cash. I'd rather bet on myself and keep full ownership than fulfill sweat equity I'd owe someone else.

The reason the brand has such a clear point of view is that one person gets to decide what that point of view is. I built my own company the same way, no outside money, and I know exactly what he's protecting. You can't fake a point of view by committee.

Me: Why go into Dick's and Golf Galaxy? I'd have guessed a brand like yours would stay online.

About 80% of golf apparel is sold in pro shops and specialty stores, not online. That's National Golf Foundation data. If you want to reach golfers, you have to be where the clothes actually get bought.

So that's why I see them at Dick's and at Pinehurst. Golfers buy their clothes in physical places - like me. The Pinehurst pro shop is exactly where it clicked for me. I wasn't scrolling Instagram when I noticed Bad Birdie. I was standing in a shop holding the shirt. That's not luck. That's them being where I actually was. Jason told me they learned wholesale pricing by calling up other founders and asking, which is the most founder thing I've ever heard.

Me: The women's line. Trend-chasing, or something more?

The women's segment grew fast during the pandemic and the data showed it. But the bigger thing was fit. The options for women on the course weren't good enough. We focused on building better, more appropriate options, not just shrinking the men's line and changing the colors.

That's the main thread of the whole company. Men's or women's, the obsession is fit and quality first. The fun designs get the attention. The reason people keep buying is that the clothes actually fit and feel great. I can attest to that. 

Me: Where does this go from here? Give me the new product roadmap.

We stay focused on our core competencies and use collaborations to enter new categories. We did a beer partnership with Four Peaks in Arizona. You don't have to become a beer company to show up in your customer's life in a new way. You partner with someone who already is one.

I expected a list of new product lines. Most brands lose the plot trying to do everything. Bad Birdie grows by doing one thing well and not being afraid to borrow expertise for the rest.

So why does Bad Birdie always look like it gets it?

Because one person owns the whole vision and never gave it up. Because the brand's best moments are just its actual values on display. Because they put the clothes where golfers actually buy them. And because underneath all the fun and color, they're quietly obsessed with fit and quality in a way most "fun" brands never bother with.

The fun is the part you notice. The structure and discipline is the part that makes it work underneath.

I'm still an average golfer. But these shirts add that layer of fun and a reminder to not take the game so seriously.  We can all relate to that. 

Take a look at what they're up to at badbirdiegolf.com.

— Sean