As an industry leader in innovation and technology, TaylorMade Golf Company has long believed in pushing the envelope. Doing what others dared to in order to bring groundbreaking equipment to the market and reach has many golfers as possible.
In that same spirit, the company announces a partnership with Barstool Sports – the digital media powerhouse focused on creating content centered on sports and pop culture.
The newly formed collaboration makes TaylorMade the Official Golf Equipment and Ball of Barstool in 2021. A growing team of Barstool golf personalities, buoyed by the popular Fore Play Podcast, will use TaylorMade equipment and work in conjunction with the brand to develop captivating golf content for the platform’s intensely engaged audience.
The strategic timing of the partnership aligns with a surge in golf’s popularity amongst a wider, and largely younger, demographic.
During an unprecedented year, rounds of golf exploded as the game was uniquely positioned to provide a safe and fun way to both get outdoors and enjoy the company of others in a socially distanced manner.
Data from the National Golf Foundation shows that October 2020 marked the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year increases in rounds played – a phenomena that was experienced in every state as well as the continental U.S. on a whole. June was up 14% YOY, followed by increases of approximately 20% in July, 21% in August, 26% in September and 32% in October.
Data suggests many of those rounds are attributed to new golfers who do not fall within the game’s traditional demographics.
Tapping Barstool is a natural fit because of the platform’s unprecedented engagement with the desired audience, which features a high concentration of non-traditional golfers.
The alliance with Barstool again positions TaylorMade as an industry leader, acknowledging the shift among golf consumers and proactively developing channels to communicate with the emerging generation of golfers.
There’s a sense of renewed enthusiasm around the game. This wave of newcomers engages with golf and media in fresh ways, so we have to be willing to do things differently in order to reach them.
We’ve never been afraid to do things differently at TaylorMade, that’s something we have in common with Barstool. Partnering up lets us connect to a growing and engaged audience of Stoolies.
Plain and simple, more people are playing more golf. And we need to find more ways to reach them.Bob Maggiore, Chief Marketing Officer
Additional touchpoints between Barstool and TaylorMade include the 2021 Barstool Classic – a new golf tour built for the common golfer.
In 2020, the series featured 16 qualifying events in 14 different cities, culminating at the iconic Pinehurst Resort for a three-day championship. Victors of the 2020 Barstool Classic received $10,000 and had their names etched onto the coveted Commissioner’s Cup.
Sam “Riggs” Bozoian, host of Barstool’s popular “Fore Play” podcast, serves as Commissioner of the event.
Furthermore, customized co-branded products will be made available both on taylormadegolf.com and BarstoolSports.com. Products will include, but not be limited to, golf balls and accessories.