👋 Welcome back! 

From my desk: I’m finally back in NYC and throwing together a summary for the book Zero to One — one of the best reads for me in 2023.

Let’s get into this week’s feature…

⛳️ This company is swinging into the golf scene providing female players with proper equipment to play the game comfortably and reliably…

“We recognize the need for specialized equipment that caters to the unique needs of female players” - Club Girl Golf

🎬 Behind the Scenes

• Founder Katie Calderon is taking charge with a few interns & mentors along with an advisory board of ~5 industry experts

• Launched in Houston TX in September 2022

• Has around half a million followers over multiple platforms

• Katie has 5+ years of industry experience 

  • (including multiple internships at Calloway)

• Received funding through various pitch competitions and grants

🌍 Problem

TLDR: Gender-specific club designs often mismatch user needs in sales

When it comes to producing women's clubs, big brands typically go with the "shrink it and pink it" strategy.

This route is not suitable for most players due to various factors that make women's golf swings a lot different than men's.

Some argue that there shouldn’t even be a distinction between men's and women's clubs since some female players are better off playing men's clubs and vice versa.

Overall, labeling the clubs male or female doesn’t make a difference when it comes to finding a particular flex and weight that is optimal for someone's swing.

🏌️‍♀️ Solution

That’s where Club Girl Golf comes into the scene, or should I say course.

Katie has been designing putters for the last few years while documenting her story on TikTok and Instagram which has led to a sizable following.

Her company is starting with a putter that incorporates proprietary technology and manufacturing processes with an anticipated launch date of November 2024

Currently, there is a patent pending on her club design and process which means the specifics of the club itself have to stay on the low.🤫 
(will be giving an update on this ASAP)

📈 Catalysts for Club Girl Golf

Some of the key drivers in Club Girl Golf revolve around Katie's engineering background and experience working at Calloway with club design.

This is also paired with her personal brand that she can leverage for marketing and consumer feedback, and the overall trends in women's golf…

Since 2019, the number of female golfers has increased by 800k, a 14% jump

Overall, Katie has a lot of things going for her, especially through college and social media, and many professionals and experts in the industry have reached out to help.

🛒 Current Market

The golf club production industry is quite different than most due to the higher barrier to entry surrounding the manufacturing process.

There are ~50 golf club manufacturers, four of them being larger than most…

• Calloway (Innovative, diverse range, ideal for beginners, intermediates)

• Titleist (Superior craftsmanship & precision, for experienced golfers)

• Ping (Ergonomic, customizable, comfort-focused design)

• Taylormade (Leading in driver innovation, and advanced technology)

Other independent manufacturers are better known for their focus on women's clubs, these include…

Cobra | Tour Edge | Wilson | Adams Golf

Regardless, Katie's advantage lies in her first-hand experience designing golf clubs and time playing golf, along with her presence on TikTok and Instagram which will come in handy once her clubs hit the market.

🚀 Path Moving Forward

Club Girl Golf is still in the R&D stage of things with local players testing out her putter.

This phase of testing is almost complete so Katie is gearing up for a national, possibly global, period of product testing before her desired launch in November of 2024.

Starting with putters was the best move for her as it is the only club that players use on every hole, and on average accounts for 40% of a golfer's game.

From there, plans are being thought up about releasing a full set of clubs over the next few years  

💡Student‘preneuer’ Insights

“Engineering has helped make me a better golfer, and golfing has made me a better engineer.” - Katie Calderon

As a student founder, we have access to a wealth of resources. These include University offered programs, mentorship, and funding opportunities.

📸 In The Media 

• LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

• Amazon Page | Merch

• Podcast Feature

📫 Glad you stopped by, we hope you enjoyed it!

👀 Join us next week to see how two students from Ontario are changing the game of personalized mass emails through the use of AI…

–Owen