This past weekend I had the opportunity to join the Ralph Lauren crew — and an insane list of ambassadors — for a weekend at Pebble Beach. Ralph Lauren was hosting a grand opening for their new on-site shop, and turned the entire weekend into something I will truly never forget.
The only problem? I had virtually zero knowledge of Ralph Lauren as a company other than thinking they were for very high-end people living very high-end lives. Thankfully, the weekend, the team, the events, and the memories showed me just what Ralph Lauren really is, and why their new store at Pebble Beach makes so much sense.
Some of you may be wondering how a gear creator ended up at a Ralph Lauren event. Thankfully, in my role, there’s lots of opportunities to snatch up invites that come along, and I happened to get this one. I was told that Ralph Lauren was hosting an event at Pebble Beach, which included getting to play the course, and I didn’t really listen to anything else; just an immediate yes. Even working in golf, having the chance to tee it up at Pebble Beach is a rare opportunity.
The only worry I really had was that Ralph Lauren seemed … out of my reach. I’m by no means the most fashionable person anyone has ever met. I had to ask my cousin and my sisters what I should even wear to the event, which was fun for them but admittedly an anxiety-inducing experience for me. Thankfully, the Ralph Lauren team was kind enough to send some options, as well as an I think Billy Horschel usually looks good-inspired outfit for our round of golf at Pebble. I also was walking in with no real expectation of what the company was really about, and whether or not I would fit in with the people. That was, until I showed up for the very first event, a cocktail party outside the brand new store, and a dinner with some very very cool guests.
As I checked out the new store and talked to some of the employees, I began to get the first glimpse at what makes Ralph Lauren such a legendary brand. Everyone was excited to be there, and the curation of products in the store wasn’t just stuff you could buy anywhere else. Most of it was was only available at the store at Pebble Beach, and that’s the first indication of the “why” behind the success of Ralph Lauren as a brand. They want every experience and every touchpoint that a customer might have with the brand to feel curated and unique. While there was some amazing product in the new shop, there was one thing missing: golf apparel. Which, funny enough, was something that most of the attending folks there didn’t even notice. Of course I did, because I wasn’t there as a Ralph Lauren fan, but as a golfer. The reasoning however, is what shifted my entire mindset about the brand.
Ralph Lauren aims to partner with high-end brands and experiences. Having never stepped foot on property at Pebble Beach, I was unsure of how much of a luxury experience the facility actually was. When you shop at the other stores in the small shopping area near the Lodge, you’ll start to realize that this was more than exclusive real estate; it was sought after. Both Pebble Beach and Ralph Lauren limit the brands that they work with, and they both tailor experiences to be special, and not something you can do anywhere else. The new shop positions Ralph Lauren as the official lifestyle apparel company of Pebble Beach and includes some co-branded pieces as well. So in a way, Ralph Lauren’s new shop at Pebble Beach is as much about them showcasing that partnership as it is to sell high-end merchandise for exclusive customers.
“Exclusive customers” isn’t a category I would necessarily say I belonged in, but hat changed the minute I sat down for dinner, seated next to legendary hall of fame golfer, Ryder Cup captain, President’s Cup captain, and golf course architect Davis Love III.
After about five minutes of being absolutely terrified to say something to him, things warmed up and we started to chat about the little things. Where am I from? Why am I at the event? Etc. When I told him what I did however, the entire night shifted and Love and I became best friends. I wouldn’t say he’s a tinkerer, but he definitely has a fascination with gear and performance. I shared some, admittedly wild, opinions on gear and we got to talking about his newly acquired AP2 irons from eBay, the issue of low-spin in modern equipment, and the idea that I think most people hit their driver way too low. That specific comment sparked a nice talk about spin and launch properties and what turned out to be one of Love’s all-time favorite clubs, the TaylorMade SLDR. After a brief conversation about our love for a good bourbon the conversation and the rest of the table sort of opened up. On the other side of the table was PGA Tour winner Nick Watney, and on the other side of the room were Olympic athletes Jagger Eaton, Jack Hughes, and Hillary Knight, along with other Ralph Lauren ambassadors. It was a special room to be in with members of the Ralph Lauren team as well.
A few of the team members from Ralph Lauren sat across from us and as the dinner went on and the “stranger” aspect of the night went away, we had some really pleasant conversations about Ralph Lauren, the new store, and how the cast of people in that room came to be. If there’s one thing that I want you to leave this article remembering it’s something I learned: that Ralph Lauren is meant to be aspirational for everyone. There might not be another brand in America that can truly do what Ralph Lauren does. They just cast such a wide net. From their high-end Purple Label, to the core of the brand in Polo, the extension of the brand in RLX, and even into the home with RL Home, they do everything with intense purpose and intention. That’s how models, fashion creators, lifestyle writers, hall of fame golfers, Olympic athletes, and a golf equipment writer can all end up in the same place sharing the same wonderful memories.
Talking with Love and Watney at dinner reaffirmed this feeling, with both of them sharing that they had been with Ralph Lauren for a long period of time, and the brand feels like family, not a partnership. That sentiment seemed to be shared by everyone present. Several of us were up fairly late into the night chatting away. I have to give a special shout to the Ralph Lauren team for their incredible company and hospitality. The weekend wouldn’t have been the same without the laughs we all shared, and the experience they helped to create — not to mention the comfort they instilled for a guy who was never completely confident that he was wearing the right thing at any point during the weekend.
The next morning we had a chance to play Pebble Beach Golf Links. Nick Watney was in my group, and we shared the same sentiment for our 5:00 a.m. wake up call: joyful regret. Thankfully, we got to hit some balls (in the dark) before our round. I have to be honest, I was shaking for about the first five holes of play. Just praying that I didn’t do anything dumb in front of Watney. That aspiration lasted for three shots. Then, I hit the equator of my golf ball out of a bunker and out of play before dropping another in the bunker and getting up and down for a nice double-bogey on the very first hole. And that was even after I kept it cool with my mini driver, finding the fairway off the first tee. I’ll dedicate some writing to the full experience on course, but Watney was amazing to be around. He too started to get into the equipment weeds with me as well as conversations about the job, my travels, and other things in life as well. By the 13th hole, it was just like playing with a group of friends. Although I’d be missing a chance to brag if I didn’t say that I hit the closest shot of the group on No. 7.
The rest of the day was full of more wonderful interaction with the team and Ralph Lauren ambassadors. I spent some time with Jagger Eaton talking about his clubs on the range, and found out that we both share our Titleist TPI fitter Hunter Brown. I sat for lunch on the pier with Nick and talked more about our love for the game, what equipment trends we’re seeing, and some impact in his round of 68 that morning. At lunch, Jayson Tatum and Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams also joined us, which was rather insane and added to the lore of Ralph Lauren’s very wide umbrella of touchpoints. I also got to talk to Jack Hughes for a minute about his Olympic heroism and the brand.
“I just think, honestly, they are like, the all-American brand,” he said. “I love everything they do, and on top of that, they always have such fun events for us to go to. It’s just such a cool brand to be a part of. I love it. This was another great event by the team, and to be at Pebble Beach is really special.”
After lunch we were treated to a nice clinic on the range from Smylie Kaufman, Love, and Watney as they shared some Tiger stories, showed off an old Butch Harmon drill, gave Jagger Eaton a live lesson, and of course Smylie had to show off and hit some bombs with his Srixon ZXi driver setup. Emily Burack of Town & Country was also in attendance for the event and she caught an amazing moment from Love in her interview with him where Love gave me a little bit of credit for some success on the course that morning by adding a bit of loft to his driver. You can read that here.
We ended our trip with another amazing dinner on the back patio of the Lodge overlooking the 18th green, including a nice serenade from the legendary bagpipers of Pebble Beach; who definitely distracted a golfer from making a putt. I got to chat more with Watney, spent a good amount of time talking about women’s sports and the growth of the Professional Women’s Hockey League with Hillary Knight, and wussed out on shaking hands with Tatum and Williams, and had a special Pebble Beach beer with some new friends. It was an ideal cap to a wonderful experience that all seemed to revolve around one thing: good company. I can’t describe how much joy and laughter was spread across this weekend.
I learned a lot about both Pebble Beach and Ralph Lauren during the course of the weekend. I now fully understand their desire to open the lifestyle store at Pebble Beach and to create an exclusive curated collection for the shop, and why the RLX offerings are in the golf shop. Ralph Lauren is about cultivating an experience that sticks with you. Their team members embody the joy, happiness and laughter that comes from the brand, their ambassadors brag about the family feel from the American brand, and the level of care and attention to detail through every single part of the event leads by example.
Ralph Lauren isn’t just a high-end fashion or lifestyle brand. It’s a community where elegance, luxury, class, and fun are celebrated through high-quality products. By the end of the weekend, there wasn’t just a group of writers, a group of celebs, and a group of employees. It was simply one big Ralph Lauren family gathering, where everyone was sort of on the same level, sharing stories, food, wine, and laughs. I can’t wait for the chance to see them all again and make new memories.
