Boardroom talks with Skratch’s Raymond Williams before the golf lifestyle brand takes over NYC’s Lawn Club.
As the countdown for the 2025 edition of the Ryder Cup ticks down closer to zero, New York City continues to build in anticipation for the event. The Europe vs. USA matchplay spectacular is set for Bethpage State Park’s famed Black Course from Friday, Sept. 26, through Sunday, Sept. 28. The growing excitement for the event, held just 30 miles outside of Manhattan, is being felt throughout the city, thanks in large part to brand activations, events, and communal gatherings.
While all sorts of pop-ups have been occurring throughout NYC in the lead-up to the event, Skratch, the multimedia content arm of Pro Shop, is gearing up for an all-day party on the first day of the Cup. Set for 7 AM to 6 PM at the Lawn Club on Fulton Street, the celebration of all things golf is a must-attend for golf sickos and curious newbies alike. With gear curated by Skratch’s Style Editor at Large Raymond Williams, fans can learn about a number of upstart brands like Dimple & Divots, Students, and Sugarloaf Social Club, and check out new items from old favorites like Jones, Reigning Champ, and more.
Throughout the day, attendees are encouraged to participate in giveaways for all sorts of items, and the first 100 guests in the door will be automatically entered into a special drawing with prizes provided by BOGNER, Good Good, J.Lindeberg, Jones, Reigning Champ, and Hyperice.
To get more details on what fans attending the event can expect, we caught up with Williams to chat about his role on Skratch, the importance of IRL communal events in the golf space, and all the great bands that will have merchandise available for purchase at The Skratch Clubhouse. If you’re in town for the Ryder Cup or just around NYC that week, you can RSVP for the event here.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Subscribe for the biggest stories in the business of sports and entertainment, daily.
Boardroom: What goes into being Skratch’s Style Editor At Large?
It’s a really good question and it’s still coming to life. At the end of the day, it is really a passion for a group of us who have always been really interested in clothing, fashion, and style. In the golf landscape, that conversation hasn’t happened in the context that we’re trying to bring it to life. As somebody who has had a background in brand and storytelling, I’ve had a passion for the storytelling side. As a consumer, I’ve been obsessed with clothing and style. It’s a convergence of those two. We break down what a brand ethos is and what they’re trying to do through the lens of clothing. Because we’re so young, it’s still one of those things that we’re trying to articulate and bring to life every day.
What’s the discovery process like? Are brands hitting you up all the time?
A lot of it comes through social media, especially early on, as a brand starts popping up. Some of ’em would appear in the explore page on our social channels. As the audience has grown, I also get plugged in from a lot of people, especially from a global perspective. People will send me brands from Japan and Europe. Australia is another really big one, New Zealand, too. That’s one of the awesome benefits of social, this idea that it can come to you organically. I’ve also been doing a lot of reading, linking up, and growing that network; just getting an understanding of where people have been and where they’re at now.
The golfwear industry is so saturated. What’s one piece of advice every aspiring brand needs to keep in mind?
Perspective is the most important thing. It should be unique to you. It should come based off of your lived experiences, however golf resonates with you specifically. This whole mood board experience of trying to emulate what’s out there in the industry and guessing what you think people want as opposed to bringing your version of the world is a mistake. It’s a mad science, but you have to rely on your personal taste.
Why did it feel important for Skratch to have a presence during the Ryder Cup?
Golf is so unique because in the years since COVID, a lot of individuals haven’t had the opportunity to touch and feel these brands and interact with them in real life. This is an opportunity for brands to tell their stories in person, as opposed to just leveraging a lot of these social channels and media moments. This is an opportunity to build out a world and have that physical sense, to create a memorable moment for people to personally touch and interact with these brands.
I love Reigning Champ. Dimple & Divot is great. Students is making really exciting stuff, and the Jones team is legendary. What was the curatorial process like?
We wanted to make sure that they complimented each other really well. A diverse product mix is also really important. We want to be able to give consumers a really good look a what’s happening at a high level in the golf category right now, both from a tastemaker lens and then some of these heritage brands that have been around for a little while. Jones is a really good example of a brand that’s had a really interesting story, especially now with what they’re trying to do with Forresters. We just want to present a unique POV through a diverse set of products. There are also different levels of brands, too. It gives our guests an opportunity to get a good vibe of what’s really going on in the golf category. We’re really trying to hit the full golf consumer, not just necessarily the hypebeast. the influencer chasers, or golf sickos. We want everyone to find something.
What are you most excited about in terms of supporting the Ryder Cup with this event?
The company [Skratch] is so young, but we moved so quickly and there’s a ton of experience in the room. To be able to have an opportunity to have an event, this feels like a pilot for something bigger. Golf desperately needs something like this. Having the opportunity to showcase these tastemaker brands is important. The sport has grown so much both culturally and in terms of how we watch it, how we talk about it, how we engage with it. Having a physical manifestation of what the golf world has transformed into is going to be really fun to witness. For the most part, it’s going to be everybody’s first time experiencing something like this. Feedback is going to be important for how we grow this thing.
Do you imagine these community-building ventures as an integral part of Skratch going forward?
Oh yeah, for sure. When I was growing up, there was such an importance in mall culture. Growing up, in high school, that’s where I discovered brands. This feels like a version of that, where we can bring these stories and these products to people in a way that goes beyond a shopping experience. It is truly a community event, and it’s a chance for these brands to really find moments to explore. Bringing that discoverability to people is really important.
What makes your POV different from anyone else in the golf space?
It’s probably the weird obsession that I have with brands and trying to understand what a company is really standing for. On the product side of stuff, I think I have really great taste. Trying to articulate my perspective of how a brand is interacting in a category through their story is something that fascinates me. There’s so much noise, there’s so much going on. I’m just trying to break what I think is really unique in this space.
What’s the sell for someone to attend the event who might not care about golf?
It goes back to community. We’re not on a golf course, we’re not necessarily swinging clubs. There will be food and drinks and a lot of brands have clothes that speak to non-golfers, too. It can be a true first touch point for someone who’s either never played or never been interested in the sport.
Read More:
Tyriq Withers Is Owning His Main Character Era
Daniel Jones Is Playing His Way Into Another Massive Contract
Cardi B’s ‘AM I THE DRAMA?’ Proves Patience Is a Virtue
Could Brandon Aubrey Become the NFL’s First $10 Million Kicker?
Why ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Is the Defining YA Hit of the Streaming Era
