Metalwood
Disrupting the Links
How Golf Brand Metalwood is Disrupting the Links
Golf has always been a sport defined by its rituals. The etiquette, the uniforms, the country clubs and manicured fairways. For decades, its visual language remained largely unchanged, rooted in tradition and resistant to disruption, much like tennis. But like many sports in recent years, golf is undergoing a quiet transformation, shaped by a new generation that is less interested in preserving convention and more focused on reinterpreting it.
Across the broader landscape, sports culture has shifted in parallel. A wellness boom and a renewed desire to get outside and touch grass have pulled people toward activities that feel both physical and social. Running has surged through community-led clubs and a new wave of competitive innovation, where brands are jostling for pole position with new designs. Cycling, climbing, and even niche pursuits like birdwatching have found new audiences. Figures like rock climber Alex Honnold and marathoner Eliud Kipchoge have become unlikely cultural touchpoints, signaling a wider appetite for sports that blend performance with lifestyle.
Golf, too, has found itself in this moment of redefinition. Few brands capture that shift as clearly as Metalwood Studio. Founded in 2017 in Los Angeles by Cole Young, Metalwood Studio sits at the intersection of nostalgia and reinvention. The brand draws heavily from the aesthetics of 1990s and early 2000s golf, an era defined by oversized polos, bold graphics, and a certain irreverence that feels distant from today’s country club uniformity. But rather than simply reproducing the past, Metalwood reframes it through the lens of contemporary streetwear.
The result is a brand that feels both familiar and disruptive. Nowhere is that tension more visible than in its now-signature camouflage hat. In a sport historically defined by restrained palettes and conservative styling, camouflage truly does the opposite of blending in, but the hat has become Metalwood’s flagship product nonetheless. The brand’s apparel mixes streetwear influences with finishing touches that come from the world of golf, like trousers and caps that might not catch your attention from the next tee box, but up close the brand’s aptitude for channelling oversized and slightly “frumpy” – as Metalwood describes – fits. Recently, Metalwood weighed into the footwear arena as well, introducing an adidas collaboration centered around the MC70 golf shoe.
Metalwood’s Los Angeles store reflects that same ethos. It feels less like a traditional pro shop and more like a space you might stumble into on a skate block, where culture, product, and community overlap. That blend is intentional. As Young explains, the brand is rooted in a genuine love for the game, not a desire to parody it. “I am a core golfer. I love golf. I love golfing with my friends. Some of those friends are super new to the sport,” he tells Australian retailer SUPPLY. “Part of Metalwood is showing people that just because the current golf landscape might not necessarily fit your own sense of style, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the game.” That perspective extends beyond clothing and into how Young approaches golf itself. His relationship with the sport is shaped as much by discovery as by performance. The way some approach thrifting, he approaches his golf bag, digging through vintage clubs with the same curiosity and eye for detail. “I play with what I like and what makes me feel good and what brings me joy,” he explains on the Garret Leight blog. “I don’t necessarily think that the latest and greatest is going to bring me the most joy.” There is an aesthetic sensibility at play as well, one that echoes design disciplines beyond golf. “It’s like cars,” he says. “There are certain angles or bends or shapes that are really aesthetically pleasing.”
In that sense, Metalwood Studio is less about rewriting golf’s rules and more about expanding its possibilities. It acknowledges the sport’s legacy while making space for new interpretations, new participants, and new ways of engaging. The camouflage hat is not just a product. It is a symbol of that shift, reminding us that any tradition is not shielded from change.
Shop Metalwood online at HHV now.
Text: Chris Danforth
