On this edition of the 19th hole podcast, Jim talks with Krystal Keith from Swingdish. Swingdish is a women’s luxury golf apparel company. Named after Krystal’s mom “Trish the Dish” a nickname given to her by her husband, and it was actually her idea to create a line of a fashion-forward clothing line for women’s golf. Her love of golf combined with her disappointment in the quality of women’s golf apparel options gave birth to this family-run business.
Krystal shares with Jim that not only did her mom start the business with the idea of a family company that creates vibrant and fashionable women’s golf attire, but also to bring the family closer together and gives them something to do together. Krystal’s sister, Shelly, is the creative director while Krystal handles the brand and marketing of Swingdish. The family held a large launch party in Las Vegas in 2015 to kickoff and introduce the brand to the media and the golf community.
Jim asks Krystal what makes the brand so popular with women. “It’s just different,” says Keith. “We tend to use vibrant colors and we try to stay away from trends that other brands are doing. We try to have something more fashion-centric as opposed to just meeting the needs of the golfer.”
In fact, she reveals to Jim that her mom wears all the pieces first before as a test before they put them out on the market for sale. The focus is on function and form. There are no zippers or buttons on the waistbands. Everything is slip-on and slip-off to allow for the most comfortable feel and performance. All fabrics are moisture-wicking, high-end materials that are designed for both fashion and performance.
Swingdish focuses on filling a void in the market that has been left by most golf apparel companies. They listen to the feedback from their customers and takes the information into consideration when it comes to the designs and make up of the clothing. SPF has become a focus and a selling point that they work into every piece of clothing.
Next, Krystal tells Jim about a large women’s college golf amateur event that they host in their hometown in Oklahoma every year. It is a big blowout and a big party that highlights and brings more awareness to the women’s college game. It is a passion of her mother and has become the highlight of the entire year for them.
As a part of promoting women’s fashion and golf, Krystal explains that part of the idea behind their designs is to allow ladies to feel fashionable while playing golf. “Our clothes are really good at helping women express themselves and show who they are on the golf course. Just like they do in fashion off of the golf course,” said Keith.
More and more golf clubs are putting Swingdish in their golf shops. This trend is leading to some amazing growth at a pace that surprises the family with each club that adds their brand. It is a very exciting time for this thriving family business!
The reach has even made it to the LPGA Tour. Jasmine Suwannapura and Karine Icher are wearing Swingdish on the Tour. This has brought major attention to the brand. The sky seems to be the limit for this young and growing family business as they move their way up the ranks in the apparel world in the game of golf.
For more information about Swingdish you can visit their webpage at swingdish.com.
