Equipment
How Dunning Changed Golf Apparel

He’s called “The Dunning Player,” and he does everything most golfers want to do. He takes golf trips to the UK with friends; he plays once per week and shoots in the 70s or better; he relishes opportunities to carry his own bag and uses a Scotty Cameron putter. Surprisingly, this man isn’t an avatar constructed by Dunning’s marketing team; it’s a profile of the company’s actual customers based on survey results.
The Dunning Player
- 20% Travel to play golf in Scotland/Ireland
- 34% Scratch or single-digit handicap
- 30% Carry their own bag
- 30% Use a Scotty Cameron
- 56% Play 50+ rounds per year
Company founder Ralph Dunning, 52, fits the Dunning Player profile, but not as well as most of his customers. He developed a passion for golf later in life. His 12 handicap might never dip to scratch or even single digits, but the six-time Ironman knows firsthand why someone would make a sport a key part of their life.
In 1989 Dunning founded “Rip N Hammer,” a premium, performance-apparel maker for endurance athletes: namely triathletes, cyclists and fellow Ironmen. Most serious athletes want the best-performing clothes for their sport; it’s these athletes who truly need them. The best Ironmen spend 8-9 hours swimming, biking and running a distance of 26.2 miles. The not-so-good ones can take twice as long. Rip N Hammer’s apparel was enjoyed by both pros and regular joes. It was also appreciated by other companies in the space; Dunning created private-label apparel for Saucony and Cervelo, enthusiast brands for runners and cyclists, respectively.
In 2000, Dunning sold his company. That same year, he attended the annual Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, but just as an observer, so he said yes to an invitation to play golf. It was then he says he developed a staying passion for golf. Adding to his passion was the realization that he could improve on the trendy golf clothes he was wearing that week, which didn’t stand up to the 90-degree temperatures on the Big Island.
“When I finished playing that week, I told my wife I was going back to Toronto to meet with my engineering team and start engineering golf apparel,” Dunning says.
In Toronto, Dunning developed the prototypes for what would become major championship-winning apparel less than a decade later. He leveraged his background in fabric engineering to create a head-to-toe, performance-apparel line that would impress serious golfers. Key to his process was knowing exactly what serious golfers wanted, so he spent a lot of time talking to them, especially good golfers.
When he asked golfers what they wanted from their wind shirts and rain jackets, for example, it was clear that they didn’t want jackets with high collars that could distract them during shots. It was also important for them to be able to pull their sleeves over their forearms when they were hitting finesse shots around the greens.
Dunning continues to focus on details that matter to golfers, like how the company’s golf clothes adapt to the golf posture and move during the swing. He also eschews the common practice of purchasing off-the-rack fabrics, opting instead to engineer his own fabric with natural fibers that can provide performance benefits without the use of chemical treatments.

David Hearn in Dunning’s 5-Pocket Stretch Woven pants ($99) and Player Merino V-Neck sweater ($125).
“There’s a difference between fabrics that are inherently breathable and products that are chemically treated,” Dunning says. “You want fabrics that feel good, and by that I mean on your skin and when you reach for them in your closet. At the same time, you want them to feel good on your body, and they have to perform.”
In 2007, Dunning had its big break when Zach Johnson won the Masters wearing the brand. Johnson (who now endorses Oakley apparel) doesn’t fit the mold of golfers who generally win at Augusta National. He’s not long off the tee, so he’s at a disadvantage on the course’s famous par-5 holes. The weather was unseasonably cold that year, however, putting the par-5s out of reach for many in the field. Johnson went the whole week without hitting a par-5 in two, relying on his wedge game to take him to the top of the leaderboard.

Zach Johnson at the 2007 Masters.
Johnson’s other advantage, according to Dunning, was his clothes. Whereas many golfers in the field were wearing bulky sweaters to stay warm, Johnson was wearing the three-layer system Dunning developed seven years prior in Toronto: a next-to-skin, mock turtleneck “base layer” kept Johnson’s core temperature up and two more slim layers of apparel — a golf shirt and vest — offered a freedom of motion that kept Johnson’s mind on his game and off the temperatures and his clothes.
Even to casual golf fans, it was easy to see the difference between Johnson’s clothes and those being worn that week by Tiger Woods, who dressed in a short sleeve polo and a thick sweater at Augusta.
Dunning doesn’t claim to have invented performance apparel, but he is widely credited for being the first to bring it to golf. It wasn’t an easy sell. In the early 2000s, he was told many times at golf trade shows in the U.S. and Canada that golf was “a cotton industry.” Johnson’s win lifted Dunning’s company to new heights, and as a result buyers from major retailers started calling: Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Dillards. Who would say no to an opportunity to be in those stores? Dunning didn’t, but it’s now clear to him why they weren’t a good fit for his company.
“It’s very difficult [for employees] to talk about our products the way we want them to at a department store … or at stores like Dicks [Sporting Goods] and Golf Galaxy,” Dunning says. “That’s why we don’t really want to be there.”
Dunning is currently sold at 1,200 golf shops worldwide, a number that’s rising. Growth is especially brisk in the UK, he says, where golfers are asking for the brand after being exposed to it by Americans and Canadians on golf vacations.
“I know a lot of brands that want to earn [our] reputation,” Dunning says. “When we say we offer the best performance, we can say that based on 30 years of experience in the performance space … and that matters.”
A tenet of the running and cycling product worlds is that athletes purchase their gear from specialty shops, behavior driven by the seriousness with which runners and cyclists approach their gear. These athletic boutiques pride themselves on advanced product knowledge and fitting, and because their customers demand it, they stock only the best-performing products. In the golf world, the model translates to what are known green-grass shops — golf stores generally located on golf course properties that are usually run by PGA Professionals. It’s in these kinds of stores that Dunning wants golfers to learn about his apparel, and then hopefully purchase it.
“We made a very conscious decision in 2011 to really just focus on the green-grass community,” Dunning says. “We’re going to deliver the best player-specific product while protecting our game, our industry and the golf professional. That’s what matters to us.”
Learn more about Dunning and its apparel on its website.
- LIKE119
- LEGIT10
- WOW6
- LOL5
- IDHT2
- FLOP5
- OB3
- SHANK59
Equipment
2021 Virtual PGA Show: Things we loved, Day 1

As promised, we’re checking out all the digital booths at the 2021 Virtual PGA Show for items of intrigue and note, and we’ve found no shortage of interesting items.
Here are a few of our favorites from our first day of browsing.
(More on the 2021 Virtual PGA Show here)
Altaz rangefinder
That’s not a flip screen video camera—it’s an alternative to playing pirate with a telescope to acquire distances.
Product description: Our rangefinder adds an external 3″ LCD screen which makes it much easier to search the target. No more twitching eye, sunglass in the way, or shakey hand, our rangefinder eliminates all the problems that many golfers experience. It is simple as using similar to digital camcorders, just point, and press. Golf will get the right distance to help them select the right club to improve their scores.
Website: www.altaz.golf
Sik Component Bag
We like this presentation of the buffet of options for Sik putters both for the fitting capabilities and the minimal use of shop square footage for retailers…and of course, if you’re a real gearhead, you just buy the thing for personal use.
Product description: Become a SIK Golf retailer with SIK Golf’s Component Bag, a complete matrix of interchangeable heads, hosels, and gripped shafts that are ready to assemble into every possible SIK putter combination. The Component Bag also includes multiple standard shaft lengths and Armlock setups for your customers to test drive. Displayed and stored in a classic SIK Golf Staff Bag, featuring organized and compartmentalized drawers.
Website: www.sikgolf.com
Custom Golf Bag Hoods
We’ve seen specialty bag hoods before, but nothing on the level that Custom Golf Bag Hoods is doing.
Company info: Custom Golf Bag Hoods was created so that golfers around the world could dress their bag up from the ugly black rain hood you get when you buy the golf bag which eventually you’ll end up losing or miss placing it. CGBH are made of water-resistant nylon fabric with a 24-inch zipper and vinyl leather piping to keep the hood upright and sturdy, velcro straps to secure it to the bag, and DIY button snaps to make your own buttons in the position of your existing snaps on your bag.
Website: customgolfbaghoods.com
View this post on Instagram
Areso Golf: RW Design Wedge
While we can’t speak to the feel or performance, the materials story is compelling and the aesthetics would definitely earn these wedges a test at a traditional PGA Show Demo Day!
Product info: RW Design Wedges are made from forging carbon steel and milled face for maximum spin around the greens. Grooves and face are machined for spin and face variable thickness controlled for performance.
Ecco: Biom H4 shoe
An enhanced, improved, and even more stylish version of one of the most popular designs on the market. What’s not to love?
Product description: The ECCO BIOM H4 is made in durable ECCO leather with a slick, micro-perforated embossing and GORE-TEX waterproof technology to keep your feet dry even in wet conditions. The new ECCO MTN GRIP outsole features our signature FLUIDFORM™ Technology, as well as an eye-catching PU midsole with TPU inserts on either side that securely hug your foot and offer added stability and support while you’re on the green.
Website: www.us.ecco.com
Puttist Putting Meter 
We may be biased, as our James Chang covered the Puttist back in November, but this is one of the most unique training aids on the market.
Product description: Puttist Inc. was established in 2009 for “PUTTIST”, the first putting meter in the world. Don’t practice, just have fun with distance-metering game up to 50ft. Your score will go up so naturally and no more suffering from 3-putt. That is why people call “PUTTIST” 3-putt Killer! Rechargeable and Plug-in model available for meter and feet. Just Putt & Win!
Website: www.puttist.com
PuttView: The Book
There are plenty of green book vendors, but Puttview’s stylish presentation of the maximum amount of information allowed under USGA rules definitely caught our eye.
Product description: PuttView’s “The Book” is the component that brings your indoor and outdoor experience together. Every detail of “The Book” was designed to help you save a shot under the most critical tournament situations. PuttView’s technology and attention to detail results in the most accurate book allowable under the Rules of Golf.
Website: www.puttview.com
Stay tuned tomorrow for more products from the 2021 Virtual PGA Merchandise Show!
- LIKE6
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB0
- SHANK15
Whats in the Bag
Jimmy Walker WITB 2021 (January)

Driver: Titleist TSI3 (8 degrees @7.25, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
3-wood: TaylorMade SIM (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
5-wood: Titleist TSi2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X
Irons: Titleist T100 (4) Titleist 620 MB (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 WedgeWorks (48-10F, 54-M, 60-04L), Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (64 degrees)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Putter: Scotty Cameron GSS Newport 2 Custom
Ball: ’21 Titleist Pro V1x
- LIKE10
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
Whats in the Bag
Akshay Bhatia WITB 2021 (January)

Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of The American Express.
Driver: Callaway Epic Speed LS (8.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZURDUS Smoke Green 65 6.5 TX
3-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZURDUS Smoke Green 75 6.5 TX
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT Proto (3), Callaway Apex MB ’21 (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS TG Hybrid Proto 105 X (3), KBS $-Taper Black 125 S+ (4-PW)
Wedges: Callaway MD5 Jaws Raw (50-S, 54-S, 60-C)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 125S+
Putter: Odyssey Stroke Lab Black Armlock 7
Grips: Iomic Sticky 2.3 Black
Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X
- LIKE9
- LEGIT0
- WOW1
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Justin Thomas apologizes for ‘inexcusable’ homophobic slur at Sentry
-
News3 weeks ago
Sentry TOC Tour Truck Report: New sticks, new companies, and Patrick Reed buys his own threads
-
Opinion & Analysis2 weeks ago
The death of the 3-iron and what it means for your bag setup
-
Equipment3 weeks ago
WRX Insider: An exclusive and very rare look inside the bag of Hideki Matsuyama
-
Whats in the Bag4 days ago
Brooks Koepka WITB 2021 (January)
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Bryson DeChambeau putts towards umbrella at Sentry; reaches 211mph ball speed
-
Whats in the Bag4 days ago
Jason Day WITB 2021 (January)
-
Whats in the Bag2 weeks ago
Harris English’s winning WITB: 2021 Sentry Tournament of Champions
Rev G
Apr 12, 2017 at 12:36 pm
so basically “The Dunning Player” is a typical golfing snob with more dollars then sense
CB
Apr 11, 2017 at 8:08 am
I have 3 of their garments. Not especially impressed
2 x Polos – don’t stretch enough, sweaty and do not feel especially nice on the skin. I rarely wear them because of this.
I also have a vest similar to Zach’s in the photo above. This is great and gets a lot of use – but you can get something very similar from another brand for less than 20$/€/Pounds.
The Real Swanson
Apr 10, 2017 at 6:29 pm
I’ll stick to Primark. As someone else said, blatant promotional editorial like this should be more clearly identified. Shank off a cliff with a DQ thrown in for good measure in my opinion.
cgasucks
Apr 9, 2017 at 8:06 pm
That’s nice…but I’ll stick to my Ben Hogan clothing at Walmart.
setter02
Apr 9, 2017 at 11:33 am
Their high-end stuff was very nice, but not worth the price point they were trying to get. Still have a few pairs of the wool pants that I will wear for Spring and Fall golf when I want to break out my wingtip Icons. Poly shirts were just like everything else, tho did stretch more. Would be better to not go for top tier price point and I would think they could be more successful, as didn’t they basically go under once?
John Agel
Apr 8, 2017 at 12:44 pm
I’ve not tried it or heard of it.
The Best golf gear ever so far for me is Antigua. Their Desert Dri fabric is a miracle. First, it breathes. Second, even here in the heat and humidity of Georgia, the fabric really does dry during the round. Oh and unlike most “performance wear” Antigua, breathes and helps cool you.
I do not work for Antigua.
ooffa
Apr 8, 2017 at 5:12 pm
C’mon, yes you do. I saw you at the company picnic.
Jim C
Apr 7, 2017 at 7:24 pm
Not into putting “paid advertisement” at the beginning to alert GolfWRX readers, huh?
Pingback: Friday, April 7, 2017 – Flog
Brian
Apr 7, 2017 at 11:20 am
Yeah, that all sounds very expensive. Thanks, but no thanks. It’s already an expensive game.
Britt Stevenson
Apr 7, 2017 at 10:24 am
Tenet not tenant.
Zak Kozuchowski
Apr 7, 2017 at 12:10 pm
I appreciate you catching that error, Britt. Thanks!