From 100 courses in a year to a brand built on personality, self-expression, and a new generation of golfers.
Golf is changing and not quietly.
Across courses in North America and beyond, a new generation of players is reshaping the sport’s culture. Younger, more diverse, and more expressive, they are bringing a different energy to a game long defined by tradition. But while the players have evolved, the products have not always kept pace.
That disconnect is exactly what Emily Yang set out to solve with Funday Golf. After playing more than 100 courses in a single year during a deeply personal reset, Yang saw firsthand how modern golfers were showing up and how little the industry reflected that reality.
The result is a brand built not just on design, but on a broader idea that golf can be taken seriously without taking yourself too seriously.
In this interview, Yang shares how Funday Golf came to life, what she learned from her immersion in the sport, and where she sees golf culture heading next.
An Interview with Emily Yang
For readers discovering Funday Golf for the first time, how would you describe the brand and what inspired you to create it?
Emily: Funday Golf is a modern golf lifestyle brand built around the idea that you can take your game seriously without taking yourself too seriously. We design headcovers and accessories that bring personality, humor, and self-expression onto the course.
The brand came out of a very personal reset. I went through a major transition in my life and ended up spending a year playing more than 100 golf courses. During that time, golf became something grounding and genuinely joyful for me.
What stood out was not just the game, but the experience around it. Most products in golf still follow a very consistent aesthetic. Muted colors, logo-driven designs, and a more formal, heritage-focused look. It felt polished, but slightly disconnected from how people were actually showing up to play.
On the course, people felt relaxed, expressive, and social. But when it came to their gear, there were not many options that reflected that. Funday Golf was created to bridge that gap.
Playing more than 100 courses in a year is a unique lens into the sport. What did that experience reveal about today’s golfers versus the products available to them?
Emily: That year gave me a very real, on-the-ground view of how much golf is evolving. I played with people from all different backgrounds. New golfers, younger players, more women, more first-generation players. The energy felt very different from what golf has traditionally been known for.
Especially coming out of 2020, the sport started attracting a broader audience. People were discovering golf through social media, through friends, or simply looking for something social and outdoors.
But when it came to products, that shift was not really reflected. Most gear still leans heavily into legacy aesthetics. More formal, more uniform, and not always aligned with how this new generation sees themselves.
The modern golfer has evolved, but the products serving them have not fully caught up yet.
Funday Golf leans into personality in a category traditionally focused on performance. How do you balance playfulness with credibility?
Emily: For us, it is never about choosing between fun and credibility. Performance and quality are the baseline.
A headcover still needs to do its job. It needs to protect the club, be easy to use, and make it intuitive to identify what you are reaching for. Our design process always starts there.
Once that foundation is solid, we build on top of it through expression. Whether that is humor, cultural references, or visual storytelling.
The goal is not to make something gimmicky. It is to design something that works exactly as expected, but also adds meaning or emotion to the experience.
Serious golfers do not need to look serious to be taken seriously.
As a first-generation immigrant and female founder, how has your perspective shaped the brand’s mission and aesthetic?
Emily: Coming into golf from that background made me more aware of the moments where the sport can feel structured or slightly exclusive for people who do not immediately see themselves reflected in it.
Golf has historically followed a very specific image, but the players today do not all fit that mold anymore. You see a much broader mix of people across backgrounds and cultures.
That perspective shows up in both the design and the mission behind Funday Golf. Some of our collections draw from traditional Chinese art, which brings part of my background into the game. More broadly, it is about expanding what belongs in golf visually and culturally.
I want people to feel like they do not have to fit into golf. Golf can expand to include them.
Looking ahead, how do you see golf culture evolving and what role will Funday Golf play in that shift?
Emily: Golf is becoming more expressive, social, and accessible, especially with the influence of younger players and platforms like TikTok.
It is not just about performance anymore. It is about the experience. People are picking up the game to enjoy the process, spend time with friends, and be part of something social.
I think the future of golf is a mix of tradition and individuality. The game stays the same. How people experience it is what is evolving.
Funday Golf fits into that shift by giving players more ways to express themselves throughout that journey. We are not trying to change what golf is. We are helping expand what it can look like.
Looking Ahead
Funday Golf does not position itself as a disruption to the sport. It is an expansion.
In an industry long defined by heritage and uniformity, Emily Yang is building something that reflects how golf is actually being played today. More social, more diverse, and more personal. The brand’s success is not rooted in rejecting tradition, but in making space alongside it.
As the next generation continues to reshape the game, that balance between respect for the past and openness to change may define the future of golf itself.
And if Yang is right, the players coming in will not just adapt to the sport. They will help redefine what it looks like.
