Everything's Coming Up Mums for William Murray Golf

The Murray brothers' ties to golf go back to their teenage years when they spent their summers as caddies at Indian Hill Club, a private golf course located in the suburbs of Chicago. It was those experiences that would see all six of them—Andy, Ed, Joel, John, Brian and golf brand William Murray's namesake Bill—not only inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame, but also serve as the inspiration for the movie Caddyshack, arguably one of the greatest comedies ever made about a sport. The brothers' love of the sport and the movie, co-written by Brian Murray and co-starring Bill Murray as unhinged groundskeeper Carl Spackler, practically begged for a branded line of golf products. Or at least that was the thinking of William Murray Golf CEO Kerry Michaels and co-founder Brandon Barrett, who serves as president. "If you really squinted your eyes at the golf apparel industry, we like to say that it was a sea of blue-striped polos," Michaels recalled from 2015, when the brand was founded. "We believe golf needed an injection of personality and to lighten up a bit. And so from our perspective, who better to lighten up the game of golf than Bill Murray himself." Riffing off all things Murray brothers While the brand reflects Bill Murray's unique sense of humor, which can be both irreverent and deadpan, it ultimately involves all the brothers, who frequently have input on both design and products. One example of how William Murray Golf incorporates nods to both the Murrays and Caddyshack in its designs is a floral pattern called "Mum's the Word." The print references the "Cinderella Story" scene in Caddyshack, during which Bill Murray pretends to be a competitor in the Masters Tournament with flowers serving as stand-ins for golf balls. "We love to kind of play along that line where things aren't too on the nose," Michaels said. "It's not a print just to be a print. It's a print that is rooted in a story about Bill and his family, and whether that relates to a movie, or their love of golf, it's really very purpose-driven." The brothers also frequently participate in photo shoots that supply much of the imagery for the brand, which now includes a catalog as well as the website, Michaels said. And for Father's Day 2021, Bill Murray himself picked out some gift ideas. Golfing fans connect with brand's irreverence By riffing off all things "Murray," the digitally native brand's sales have exploded, increasing 100% year over year as of early June 2021. That's after growing 90% year over year in 2020, Michaels said. Roughly 90% of sales are online with 10% in physical stores. The brand's largest account is with golf retailer PGA Tour Superstore, which had products in approximately 15 locations last year and is on track to expand to more than 20 this year, she added. The brand has also started to enter into collaborations, such as a recent partnership with Tito's Handmade Vodka announced in April. The mashup of the two Austin-based brands includes clothing that features images ranging from the two brands' logos, to Texas-inspired icons such as longhorns and a silhouette of the Lone Star state, to balls and putters, among others. Proceeds from the sale of the items will go toward a nonprofit of the purchaser's choosing. Some of that growth is, of course, also aided by the growing popularity of golf both during and after the pandemic, as people increasingly seek to get outdoors and see the sport as one of the best ways to do that. According to the National Golf Foundation, about 36.9 million people over the age of 6 participated in golf last year both on- and off-course, an increase of nearly 8% from 34.2 million in 2019. On-course golfing in particular saw the biggest increase since 2003, the organization said. This year the surge looks to be a big one, too, with the number of rounds of golf played in April alone up 81% year over year, the National Golf Foundation added. Merrell’s Newest Campaign is Challenging You to Do Just About Anything Outdoors