Sunday Golf: San Diego's $15 Million Golf Brand
Co-Founder Ronan Galvin discusses how Sunday Golf Is redefining the golf bag category, expanding into retail, and the journey to raise a $1.5 million seed round.
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Sunday Golf, a San Diego-based golf brand is making waves in the golf bag business.
Today, the fast-growing lifestyle brand is sold in over 1,200 stores in major retailers including Dicks Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, and PGA Tour Superstore.
The 14-employee golf startup hit $5 million in annual revenues last year. To scale up, is raising a $1.5 million seed round from investors using WeFunder, a crowdfunding platform, which valued the golf startup at $15 million.
Please enjoy this breakdown of Sunday Golf.
High-Level Overview
Sunday Golf aims to serve consumers who spend the weekend at the driving range.
What makes it special? Its golf bags weigh 2 pounds and are designed specifically for par 3 courses and driving ranges.
Launched in 2020, the startup has seen 40% year-over-year growth, propelled by the resurgence of golf. It projects $7.1 million this year with plans to hit $20 million over the next five years.
Founding Story
Sunday Golf was launched in August 2020 by Ronan Galvin and Casey Mathews.
After spotting the opportunity to provide the next generation of players a modern golf bag alternative to showcase their individuality.
“We launched the company right when the pandemic hit and we couldn’t keep our products in stock. At first it was a bit scary but the lockdown created a huge resurgence in golf. We’ve been riding the wave ever since,” said Ronan Galvin, co-founder and president at Sunday Golf.
Galvin spent 10 years in the bag industry as an independent broker connecting large companies with a network of factories in China.
Matthews, Sunday Golf’s co-founder and chief financial executive, worked as an accountant and previously led finance operations at San Diego-based Kicksta, a $6 million-dollar Instagram marketing firm.
The Product Line
The Loma Bag, its flagship product, carries up to six clubs.
Its product line also includes the mid-size Loma XL and El Camino bags as well as a full-sized bag called the Ryder 23.
The bags have pockets on the outside that can safely hold a cell phone or wallet.
“The par 3 golf bag helped us get our initial customers because it’s truly a unique product,” said Galvin. “We've now seen those same customers purchase larger sized bags simply because they liked the style and quality.”
Its products range between $119 and $169. The most popular bag colors are black, heather gray and cobalt blue.
Selling in Major Retailers
Sunday Golf primarily caters to the next generation of players and the Gen Z audience.
It generates awareness through various marketing campaigns on social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok as well as paid advertisements. Today, the company has roughly 47,000 followers on Instagram.
Roughly 50% of sales come from its direct-to-consumer channels, 25% from golf courses and pro shops and 25% from big box retailers.
The brand has sold more than 100,000 bags in the last three years. Remaining hyper-focused on golf bags and accessories, Galvin said there are no plans to expand outside of the golf category anytime soon.
“There is a big market there when it comes to expanding into adjacent sports down the road,” said Galvin. “I caveat that by saying we have our head down fully focused on making the best golf bags possible for the next three to four years.”
The Golf Market
The total market includes roughly 40 million golfers.
In 2022, more than 3 million people played on a golf course for the first time, which was 50% higher than the previous record of 2.4 million during Tiger Woods historic season in 2000.
Off-course participation eclipsed on-course play for the first time ever for a total of 27.9 million players, driven by TopGolf and other indoor golf simulators.
Golf Companies in San Diego
San Diego is known as a key city revolutionizing the golf industry.
There are several large and medium-sized companies in the local ecosystem including:
Topgolf Callaway Golf, a publicly-traded golf equipment company.
Cobra Golf, San Diego’s oldest sports equipment manufacturing company.
Dryvebox, a SF-based golf simulator that recently expanded in San Diego.
Vessel Bags, a maker of luxury golf bags and accessories.
Gallus Golf, a golf startup that develops apps for golf courses.
Indi Golf Clubs, a developer of premium wedges and putters.
Tomo Golf, a San Diego-based golf footwear brand.
The Takeaway
Sunday Golf seems well positioned to grow alongside the sport of golf.
The fundraise has collected roughly $1 million from over 550 investors so far.
The capital will go towards hiring sales reps, and expanding its retail footprint.
“We're trying to make a good bag, at a good price, that you can enjoy playing with, and obviously people have resonated with that,” said Galvin. “We want to become the leading brand in the golf bag space.”
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