Today's Highlights

• Pink Tee comes to girls’ apparel rescue
• Performance fabrics -- what's next?
• Q-and-A: Barry Pry -- CEO, Nick Price Apparel

NEWS

Creamer to launch new Sundog collection

LPGA player Paula Creamer will launch her 2008 Sundog Eyewear Collection at the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 17-19 in Orlando, Fla.

Puma to expand presence at PGA Merchandise Show

Puma will debut its Smart Quill technology and meet with accounts at the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 17-19 in Orlando, Fla.

Nicklaus Sportswear to unveil '08 fall line, debut Sport Fit line

Jack Nicklaus Sportswear will launch its fall 2008 collection at the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 17-19 in Orlando, Fla. Highlights for the new season include the expansion of Performance 18 into new product categories and the debut of its Sport Fit line.

Kye Power takes leave of absence from her company

Kye Power, a designer of contemporary women’s golf and resort apparel, has taken a medical leave of absence from Kye Power Inc., the company she founded in 2002. As a result, the company will not produce its spring 2008 line or exhibit at this month's PGA Merchandise Show.

Polo headed to PGA Merchandise Show

Polo Ralph Lauren will showcase its fall 2008 golf collection at the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 17-19 in Orlando, Fla. The collection will feature all of the Ralph Lauren Golf apparel lines -- Polo Golf, Ralph Lauren Golf and the RLX Golf line.

Palmer to unveil inaugural collection

Amanda Palmer will release her inaugural line at the PGA Merchandise Show, Jan. 17-19 in Orlando, Fla. The Amanda Palmer Collection features classic designs and functional clothes.

Dunning Golf, Masters champ Johnson extend endorsement deal

Dunning Golf extends its endorsement agreement with PGA Tour player Zach Johnson. The reigning Masters champion will appear in company advertising and marketing initiatives, and play a key role in developing the brand’s complete, golf-specific apparel system.

APPAREL

Pink Tee comes to girls’ apparel rescue

By Kate Miceli
GPA Correspondent

Good news, girls -- you and your grandmother won’t have to wear matching outfits on the golf course anymore.

That’s right, Pink Tee, a newcomer to the golfing apparel world, has arrived and appears ready to stay. With an array of bright colors, hip patterns such as florals and yin and yangs, and an eye-catching logo, Kirsten Harty, the founder of Pink Tee, has made it clear that when it comes to golfing apparel she can check cute off the list.

Harty may have only a year with Pink Tee under her belt, but she is no stranger to the apparel business. Having worked for Rusty Surf Wear created the foundation for her jump into the clothing world.

The reason? Harty’s daughter, who was a freshman at Corona Del Mar High in Newport Beach, Calif. She made the varsity golf team, but complained of the boring, out-of-style uniforms that lacked color and were outdated in fit. A limited number of options were understandable given that only 25 percent of golfers are women and only 13 to 16 percent of junior golfers are girls, according to the National Golf Foundation. Harty believed there was a major need for young girls clothing in the apparel world.

The only thing holding Harty back at that point was a name for her company.

“I wrote down a bunch of golf terms and originally came up with Green Tee,” she said. “However, the trademark company said it was too much like the actual name green tea, so I switched to Pink Tee. In the end it was a better decision because Pink Tee is more feminine.”

Today, five California high school golf teams now wear Pink Tee apparel as their uniform, in addition to women at Harty’s own country club.

Was Harty worried about the approval of her own female club members? Nope. In fact, Harty admits being a member of a conservative-thinking golf club and factored in the “prim and proper” aspect when creating the Pink Tee line.

The Pink Tee collection includes knit polos in a number of colors, Capri and jacket outfits in pastels, Bermudas, skorts and Capris in 12 prints and solids that include contrasting ribbon waistbands.

For being an upstart company, Harty has been pleased with the response.

“I only hope the response continues to be as positive as it’s been,” she said.

With this treasure chest of girls apparel, Harty may have few things to be concerned about.

For information on Pink Tee, go to www.pinkteegirl.com.