Despite coming up in what has been a sea of new golf brands emerging over the past five years, MUNICIPAL has managed to stand out and make a few waves in the process. And sure, it helped that the company was created not long before COVID pushed millions of new people into golf, and that a movie star like Mark Wahlberg is a co-founder, and that their first big player signing, Wyndham Clark, is now a U.S. Open champion and a top five player on the planet.
But it’s something more. Because at the core of all that is a very clear vision of what they are trying to do and, more importantly, how they want people to feel. Harry Arnett, MUNICIPAL’s CEO and Co-founder, broke down for FairwayStyles just how he and Wahlberg aligned with their vision to create the brand, and why he thinks it will continue to stand above the rest of the popular golf and lifestyle companies that are popping up every other week, or so it seems.
Betting on Yourself
After noticing a gap in the broader activewear market for the combination of athletic performance and street style, Arnett and Wahlberg got the wheels turning. Looking to add comfort and versatility while also bringing a strong health and wellness commitment, the pair zeroed in on the types of products they wanted to make, which was essentially a wardrobe for Wahlberg to do all things he does in a day as a golf addict, actor/producer, entrepreneur and all-around health nut. On the course. Off the course. In the office. In the gym.
However, producing clothes was just a part of their plan.
“More important than the world class products we were going to make, we wanted to use the success of MUNICIPAL as a platform to inspire people to tap into self-belief to make big things happen for themselves, the people they love, and for their communities,” Arnett said via email. “We are an innovation brand, first and foremost. We aren’t just about style. We aren’t just about how our things look. We are about what it does. How it performs. How it makes you feel. And about taking that look and performance with you wherever you go and for whatever you need it for.”
And Arnett is confident that this approach is unique, and that the things they’re doing are original ideas that will help them continue to stand out.
“We don’t want to ever just knock something off. Or do our version of something someone else has already done,” he said. “We’re driven by creating the best things. The best experiences. That drives us to be innovative in our approach because we can’t just be derivative of something else. To push the category in directions we think it should. To bring influences to the game that are natural fits. Things that work. Things that enhance. Not just stuff that’s different.”
Betting on Golfers Being More Than Just Golfers
When it comes to designing golf clothes, Arnett said that they want people to think the game is cooler and better because MUNICIPAL is in it, and to trust that MUNICIPAL has a deep appreciation for and understanding of the people who play the game. So they wanted to make clothes that work for all the different situations that arise while golfing, and beyond.
“There’s a tangible outdoor sport performance association to the experience. Climbing into scraggly bunkers. Trudging through fescue. Cutting through to the next hole on the trail. Or just walking up a hill to the tee box. Golf’s a stylish game, but it’s also a game that demands hard core function,” Arnett said. “Take away the golf specific scenes I just described and you’d want your gear to do all of that stuff away from the golf course too. And look cool in the process.”
Accomplishing a lot of these things has been made easier for MUNICIPAL thanks to the popular crossover of lifestyle elements in golf clothing over the past few years. And while quality and value have been essential to the early success of MUNICIPAL, there’s more to it.
“We aren’t just a golf brand. But because we aren’t only a golf brand, we’ve been able to bring things into the game that people have really fallen in love with and that have enhanced their own experience and relationship with the game we all love.”
Betting on Wyndham
One of the big standouts from season two of Full Swing on Netflix was Wyndham Clark, in part because of what went into his recent rise to stardom, but also because of the MUNICIPAL gear he was sporting throughout, especially off the course.
Arnett said he first met Clark in 2021 and was inspired by the golfer’s plan to strip everything in his game – and his life – down to the studs so he could rededicate himself in an effort to maximize his full potential. At the time Clark was hovering around 100th in the world ranking and had zero wins on the PGA Tour.
“It's surreal actually. And its testament to that power of self-belief and the Dream→Plan→Hustle→Repeat mantra,” Arnett said of Clark’s success this past year. “We said we were committed to helping him get there, from his training in the gym to performing on the course and everywhere in between. Not just cool clothes he’d wear, but we’d be a true partner for him for that journey to the top. He’d consider us all as a part of his team.”
Three years later Clark is a major champion with multiple PGA Tour wins, ranked number three in the world and appeared on his first Ryder Cup team. And with every win and the added camera time that comes when he’s in contention on Sunday afternoons, MUNICIPAL is right there with him.
“It's pretty incredible,” Arnett said. “And I can tell you he feels like he’s just getting started. And so are we!”