The Mulligan Jacket

Renaissance - a revival of or renewed interest in something.

In the last few years, I have witnessed a renaissance. The revival of an article of clothing may seem trivial to some but the history and its importance in the game of golf cannot be denied. The spark was created by the CEO and President of Taiheiyo Club, Mr. Shun Han, who has modernized and made cool again a revered garment from a golfers wardrobe of years past.

Jackets have always been synonymous with golf. One hundred years ago golfers wore jackets while they played because it was seen as an opportunity to dress up. As the decades passed and fabrics improved golfers began to wear clothing more conducive to swinging a club. Golfers stopped wearing jackets to play but they still remained, as players were expected to wear them in the clubhouse. Some of the largest professional tournaments saw such prestige in the jacket that they presented them to their winners. The green jacket presented to the winner of he Masters is the best example of this practise. Sadly the past few decades has seen the demise of the jacket as golf clubs have relaxed their dress regulations to a point where jackets are no longer necessary. As golf tries to shake the perception of a game played by stuffy elitists it has shed some of the things considered old-fashioned.

In early 2015, Mr. Han, and Taiheiyo Club Director, Mr. Jiro Nonaka, were in Italy’s northern city, Biella, organizing a reciprocal agreement with La Betulle, one of the country’s top golf clubs. Biella is famous for its textile mills, specifically Lanificio Cerruti, who has a storied history of producing some of the finest fabrics known to man. Mr. Han and Mr. Nonaka visited the Cerruti mill and were shown the company’s archives where they, after much deliberation, chose a check to be used as the Taiheiyo Clubs house check. The check is comprised of Taiheiyo Clubs corporate green combined with a black check, creating an elegant and stylish design. The check was named “Mulligan” as it aptly describes Taiheiyo Clubs second coming after being purchased by Maruhan in 2014. Not long after returning from Italy, Mr. Han decided to officially registered the check with the Scottish Tartan Society, and the Mulligan Check was officially born.

The sourcing of a check from a famous Italian mill, registered in the home of golf, by the CEO and President of a Japanese golf company is a great story in itself. The jackets beautifully styling, classic lines and subtle pattern has made it popular amongst the Taiheiyo membership.

I am not a proponent of making jackets compulsory, but like Taiheiyo Club, there is a an opportunity for clubs to rethink the time-honored jacket. Golf clubs might want to consider building a small committee of fashion conscious men and woman. Allowing them access to the club’s archives may unearth some inspiration that could be incorporated into the jacket. The most important ingredients are the fabric, cut, and pattern but above all, it must be subtle enough be worn in a work and possibly a social environment. I can speak from experience that wearing the mulligan jacket to social events has been the perfect way to promote the club as the jacket is interesting enough to begin a conversation. I think its time that golf clubs bury the old fashioned jackets with gold emblems on the chest pocket and elbow pads and replace it with something more modern that people, both men and woman, would be willing to wear.

This is not a new idea by any means as golf clubs around the world have had club jackets for decades. What is different is creating a jacket that is fashionable, elegant, and something that members would be proud to wear. Taiheiyo Club has created a new beginning for the time honoured jacket and I hope it catches on because there are some parts of our games heritage that are worth maintaining.