At the beginning of this year, I met Zach for the first time at Mid Pines. He had invited me out for a round with his friend Colin while they were wrapping up a winter golf trip. Within a few holes, it felt like we'd known each other for years.
We talked about everything that makes golf so much more than a scorecard. Great architecture. Favorite courses. Bags and accessories. Good coffee. We shared the same appreciation for the little details that make this game so special. Zach quickly became a friend, and over the months we stayed in touch.
This spring, around Masters week, we released our Spring Looper T shirt. It featured our Feel Golf wordmark filled with azaleas, a caddie leaning against it, and our van tucked into the design as a subtle nod to one of golf's most iconic weeks.
A few weeks later, Zach was at the Knockout at the Cradle in Pinehurst. He had recently moved there for work and was still getting to know people in the area. While walking around the event, he spotted someone wearing the Spring Looper shirt.
That someone was Austin (Catchyaaround).
If you've spent any time around golf social media lately, you've probably come across Austin's story. He left a long career in Arizona, moved to Pinehurst, started looping at Pinehurst Resort, and embraced a much simpler way of living. Along the way, he's built a community of people who appreciate his outlook on life and the game.
Zach walked over because of the shirt.
They started talking about Feel Golf, about golf, about life, and before long they realized they had far more in common than the logo on their chest. Today they're close friends. They play golf together regularly, and just this past weekend they were both at The Matchbox, where Austin somehow made three holes in one over two days.
It all started with a T shirt.
That story has stuck with me because it perfectly captures what Feel Golf has always been about.
The products have never been the point. They're simply an invitation. A quiet way of saying, "I think we see golf the same way."
Our hope has always been to build something centered around community, wellness, adventure, and genuine human connection. We believe golf is one of the greatest vehicles in the world for bringing people together. It creates conversations that otherwise never would have happened. It introduces strangers who end up becoming lifelong friends.
Somewhere along the way, that idea became real.
I don't know exactly when it happened. I don't know if there was a moment where Feel Golf stopped being just a brand and started becoming a community. But hearing stories like this reminds me that it's happening.
And while I never want this to be about me, I feel incredibly grateful to have a front row seat.
Because if a simple T shirt can introduce two people who end up becoming great friends, then maybe we've built something that's always been bigger than golf.