Opinion & Analysis
A Quick Nine with John Ashworth, Founder of Linksoul
Ashworth is as iconic a name as there can be in the golf world. Virtually every pro shop and golf retail store has carried the brand, which set the standard for on-course style and performance.
In this edition of A Quick Nine, John Ashworth talks about his philosophy for golf fashion, his meteoric rise at Ashworth and his new company, Linksoul, which is bringing the golf lifestyle to a new generation on and off the course.
Do better clothes make for better golf?
Definitely. If you feel good, your energy is better and you’re going to play better. There are some guys that isn’t true for, guys who don’t care about what they are wearing that much because it doesn’t influence them that much, but I think it does. When I see a pro golfer on the last day of the event wearing yellow and black, I just know that he doesn’t have a chance! That’s such a weird combo, and I’ve never seen anyone do well wearing it!
That’s just an example, but that’s one of the reasons that I got into this business in the first place. I played golf in college (at the University of Arizona in the late ’70s) and I couldn’t stand our uniforms. They were polyester, stuff I would never wear, but I had to wear it on the day of the tournament. And it was like, bad vibe central.
Do you think that performance and fashion are mixing well in golf apparel?
Coast Highway Classic Knit Shirt ($68). Linksoul’s signature short-sleeve polo has an “Innosoft” finish for carefree ease and a luxury feel. Tonal embroidered logo on front left chest pocket. 100% cotton jersey.
I have my own views, of course, about the clothes and the methods of the big, multi-billion-dollar, multi-national companies that really came from the worlds of other sports like soccer and basketball. They know polyester because they make it for those sports. They basically make the golf shirts in the same factories and from the same materials as they make basketball jerseys. They know that fabric and they pretty much created this whole “brainwashing” campaign on the concept of moisture-wicking material, but it’s really just bulletproof polyester that doesn’t absorb water so when you sweat it just sort of clings to your body. I’m more into natural fibers. I feel that golf is athletic, but it moves at a fairly slow pace. There’s a way to balance blends of fabrics that give you great performance but are comfortable and move well away from the golf course. I don’t believe in wearing a golf uniform. I think you can have nice-looking casual clothes that can kind of transition into golf very easily. When I go to the office and I know that maybe there’s a chance that I’ll play nine that day, I’m not thinking, “Oh my God, I gotta go change my clothes and go to the golf course.” I’m thinking, “OK, I know this works on the golf course and it works at my office so I’m set.”
You created the iconic brand Ashworth when you were still in your 20s. You left that company, came back and left again. Overall, do you see Ashworth as a blessing, a curse or something in between?
No question I have nothing but fond memories of Ashworth. I started the company when I was 26 out of the back of my car. I got my degree in Agronomy, you know, turf grass management. I didn’t know my a** from third base when it came to clothing. When I look back on it, it’s crazy that it became so successful. I just had my head down and was trying to figure things out. I moved to Los Angeles and just went through the school of hard knocks figuring out how it all works. And it was a great timing; the market was ready for something new, and I built the relationships with Fred Couples, Ernie Els, John Cook and all these great stars that were looking for something new as well. It was just a recipe that just kind of came together organically, the whole “serendipity” thing. It was a great run with Ashworth. I started in 1986 and I ended up leaving in 1997, but it was a really great time.
The guys you mentioned, Couples, Els, Cook; they sort of match you on the personality scale, don’t they? Kind of a chill vibe, right?
Yeah, thanks, I think so. And it’s been that way at Linksoul, too. We haven’t gone after any pro golfers, but interestingly enough the guys who have gravitated to the Linksoul brand are that same kind of super-chill guy. Like (2006 U.S. Open champion) Geoff Ogilvy; you couldn’t have a mellower, cool guy. Ryan Moore, same thing. (2009 U.S. Open champion) Lucas Glover… and few more who have contacted us, and it’s really cool to see that. Maybe that’s the way clothing is, you know, to create a certain style that people gravitate to. One of our mottoes here is that we don’t want 90 percent of the people to like what we do; we want 10 percent of the people to LOVE what we do.
Is it still exciting to see someone wearing your gear?
Linen Boardwalker Performance Pant ($106). Linksoul added cotton to their performance pant to make it more breathable and comfortable (67% polyester, 25% cotton, 8% spandex). Machine washable.
Yeah, I get excited about it, especially if they look good! I see guys still wearing shirts that I did at Ashworth in the early ’90s, literally 20-year-old shirts. And it’s cool when celebrities wear our stuff and we don’t event know how they got it. Justin Timberlake, Mark Wahlberg, people like that and it’s like, yeah, that’s kinda cool.
Who’s your favorite player on tour right now?
Hmmm… does it have to be a man (laughs)? I really like our guys and I root for them. Beyond our guys I like Justin Thomas; he’s a pretty cool kid. And I really enjoy watching Michelle Wie… and Lydia Ko, she just crushes it and at the same time she is so mellow!
If you are the Chief Justice of the Fashion Court, what do you outlaw?
White belts. I hate white belts, that’s No. 1 on my list. And I hate 100 percent polyester shirts, that shiny plastic look.
Who is the golfer in history that you would like to have dressed?
Linksoul Stretch Drytec Long Sleeve Sport Shirt ($96). A knit shirt with a button-down collar and cuffs. It’s made from a cotton-blend-performance, moisture-wicking fabric (50% cotton, 45% polyester, 5% spandex).
Well, I love Ben Hogan, so classic, simple, clean and stylish. At Linksoul, we try to be clean, classic and timeless. We have clean lines and our color palette is based on colors from nature. We don’t do neon colors; we try to stay away from colors that are a little too electric. But in general I love the period from the ’50s to the mid-’60s, that mid-century modern look. My theory is that when there was only black-and-white TV colors were typically more neutral and natural, but when Technicolor and polyester came in together all the rules went out the window. Baby blue pants and shirts, things that you wouldn’t be caught dead in anywhere but the golf course. In the ’90s when people were still wearing that terrible stuff from the ’70s and ’80s…that’s when I said, “Somebody’s gotta do something!” And it’s kinda déjà vu; golf companies are making those crazy color combinations again. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rickie Fowler, but bright orange pants with a bright orange shirt and a white belt? I don’t think so. There’s some crazy stuff out there and I’m not judging, but I just want to offer an alternative to that.
Aronimink is not a storied club, but when Donald Ross himself proclaimed it to be as good as he can design and build, one had to take notice. Jay Sigel was the pre-eminent male amateur golfer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He might have called any number of Philadelphia clubs home, but he chose Aronimink. It served him well. Gary Player won a PGA Championship here in 1962, and was followed by the 1993 winner … nobody. Aronimink gave that event away to Inverness, for reasons of which it is certainly not proud. So be it. We had to wait sixty-four years for the PGA to return to Newtown Square, but here we are. Aronimink has been neo-restored by Gil Hanse and team, to return Ross features with an eye toward defense against the dark arts, errrr, high-tech equipment.
Day one saw Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau dig big holes, to the tune of plus-four and plus-six, respectively. Since the first-round lead will be minus-three at worst, many shots will need to be made up for the power couple to reach contention. By nightfall, seven golfers held the day-one lead at three-under par 67. Shots and sticks caught our attention, and we are proud to present Five Things We Learned on Tech Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship. Thanks to InsideTourGolfer, Today’s Golfer, and GolfWRX for initial equipment research.
First, meet Min Woo Lee
Min Woo Lee, aka Dr. Chipinski, has once again thrust himself into the conversation of Can he, will he, when will he? Lee has so much talent, wins not nearly as often as we believe that he should, and has no major near-misses (much less titles) on his wiki. The young Aussie is getting older and wiser, but is he able to avoid the scarring that holds the older and wiser back from breaking through? Philadelphia offers another opportunity. Min Woo signed for five birdies and two bogeys on day one, and grabbed a share of the opening-day lead at Aronimink. Winners transcend history and the moment, and Lee will need that sort of ascent to lift the Wannamaker on Sunday.
Second, meet Aldrich Potgeiter
The young South African golfer can rip driver with the best of them. Aronimink tips out at nearly 7400 yards, but beyond the fairway bunkers that ensnare only the mortals, Potgeiter can take his chances with wedge from the rough. On Thursday, he spent plenty of time in the spinach. Like Popeye, he used his muscles to gouge and thrash and dig his way out. Six birdies against three bogeys on the card brought AP in a three deep.
Third, meet Martin Kaymer
Not a major event takes place without a where’s he been throwback moment. We know that Martin Kaymer left the PGA and DP World tours for LIV golf, but the two-time (US Open and PGA) major winner has a lifetime exemption into at least one major event, and he seizes the opportunity each May. Kaymer joined the six-seven brigade with four birdies and a solitary bogey on day one. Kaymer was never a long hitter, and the years are kind to no golfer. The German champion will need to uncork every bottle of guile and strategy in his cabinet to remain in contention. For today, though, he occupies a rung on the ladder of Tour Tech.
Fourth, meet Scottie Scheffler
Let’s see, he’s the defending champion at the PGA, and he found his way back to the top tier with five birdies against two bogeys. To be a favorite and then play up to that stature and expectation is quite difficult. Just ask Rory, Bryson, and some of the other pre-tournament heartthrobs. Scheffler’s game is complete, and to knock him off the OWGR #1 pedestal, one needs to defeat him at the majors. Aronimink is the sort of course that fits Scheffler’s game. Better yet, it unfits the game of many of his challengers. Don’t expect Scheffler to go away anytime soon. Come Sunday, he’ll be around.
Fifth, meet Stephan Jaeger
Clocking in for the unheralded players shift are Ryo Hisatsune and Stephan Jaeger. Hisatsune logged seven birdies on day one, but gave most of them back with four bogeys. Still, he’s tied at the top for a time. Jaeger pitched five birdies against two bogeys, including a run of three consecutive, from holes four through six. Odds are that one of the two will hang around through 36 holes. Odds also suggest that both will be gone by Saturday evening. Still, the PGA Championship has historically been the major most likely to be won by an under-known. Both Hisatsune and Jaeger feature on that list, so good luck, lads!
On this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, I head to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full driver fitting with the new Titleist GTS lineup. We dive into the fitting process, talk about what made the biggest difference in performance, and break down how the different GTS heads and shaft combinations compare on the launch monitor. If you are thinking about a new driver setup for this season, there is a lot to take away from this one.
I also get into Brooks Koepka and the gear setup he brought to the PGA Championship, including the putters that caught my eye during the week. There are some interesting equipment trends showing up at the highest level right now and we break down what stands out.
To wrap things up, I talk about reshafting a few wedges, what I learned during the process, and swapping an adaptor onto a new shaft for another build project in the shop. A gear packed episode from start to finish for anyone who loves golf equipment and club building.
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Excited for this week’s WITB as we get to add the new Titleist GTS woods to the bag! I was fit at Titleist’s TPI facility in Oceanside California a few weeks ago and my new clubs just showed up. I am also adding a cool set of irons that I built last year some wild custom wedges into a new golf bag. Speaking of the bag I have a new Ghost Anyday Black Ops stand bag that I will be using on my Motocaddy Remote M7 electric cart.
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (11 degrees @ 10.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6s
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD CQ-7s
5-wood: Titleist GTS (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s
9-wood: Titleist GT1 (24 degress)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s
Irons: Bettinardi CB24 (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 stiff
Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (50-09 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff
Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (56-12 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff
Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (60-08 LB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff
Putter: Dan Carraher ZT Proto
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag
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Driver: Titleist GT3 (9 degrees) Buy here. Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 130 M.S.I. 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 (15 degrees)...
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Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro (6 degrees) Shaft: Project X Prototype 3-wood: Krank Formula Fire (10 degrees) Shaft: LA Golf BAD...
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Tony Lynam
Mar 30, 2017 at 3:11 pm
I get their catalogs, and have seen some of their shirts at Marshalls, Ross or TJ Maxx. Being a skin cancer survivor I tend to go with Under Armour “Cold Black” or some of their UV protective shirts. I do have some Nike, Oakley and adidas. Linksoul seems a bit expensive as all of the others. Very soft materials.
Gorden
Mar 28, 2017 at 12:03 am
Loved Ashworth golf shirts when they were the real deal, the last few years they have more or less turned to junk, just using the name. The extra wide shoulders and longer shirt sleeve and tails were the best….now we have many with sleeves short tight with shoulders that were meant for girls not men. Some of the golf shirt companies sell shirts were is XL is smaller then the old ASHWORTH large.
Craig Sweet
Nov 29, 2023 at 9:34 pm
I bought a thousand shares of Charter Golf shortly before the name change to Ashworth. I made a good investment. I still have a couple of Ashworth polos somewhere in a tote.
Now I find myself buying Linksoul!
MRC
Mar 26, 2017 at 10:00 pm
I’m a big LS fan too. Good looking on and off the course. Nothing better than the Coast Highway shirt. It’s cotton and breathable. Board walker short is the most comfortable short in the market.
Ps. A little love goes a long way S-Hitter. Is S short for shank? I thought so.
golfraven
Mar 24, 2017 at 4:56 pm
Just reading through the Spiel and have doubts if 10% of his potential market (people who love and purchase his stuff) will give him the revenue to survive. Unless you have a limitless cash flow it is a stupid statement to make!
golfraven
Mar 24, 2017 at 4:52 pm
I went to the site and there is nothing I would fancy. Hoodys for 120$ – heh? colors and cuts are outdated. May have worked in the 90s but in 2017 I am expecting athletic cuts and stylish colors – not talking of the high tech material. Maybe it is just me.
Tony
Mar 24, 2017 at 1:51 pm
Great shirts and clothing. I own many polos, shorts and pants. Very comfortable and great on or off the course.
jonsnow
Mar 24, 2017 at 1:44 pm
If you catch their sale items pricing not too bad. I’m not a polyester fan & have a hard time finding cotton shirts, may try them out. I LOVED the earlier Ashworth shirts! Anybody know how the sizing runs in Linksoul?
Brandon
Mar 24, 2017 at 12:56 pm
How are the Uniqlo polos? I’ve wanted to pull the trigger but have broad shoulders and that is always an issue for me. You can’t go wrong with Ralph Lauren/RLX, but need to search eBay or get lucky at Marshall’s to get it on the cheap.
S Hitter
Mar 24, 2017 at 9:15 am
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshinsha_mark
S Hitter
Mar 24, 2017 at 9:15 am
Their company logo is the worst. It’s stolen from the green-yellow “leaf design sticker” from the Japan where it’s stuck on the back of cars to indicate that the person driving the car is a beginner
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/???????
Matt
Mar 24, 2017 at 10:43 am
Ha, we get it S Hitter. You don’t like Linksoul.
Mark
Mar 24, 2017 at 3:29 am
A shame this stuff isn’t available in the UK yet. Bored of Polyester shirts that scream Golf. Same with the trousers. No logos and garish colours are much classier.
Todd
Mar 23, 2017 at 7:52 pm
Got sent a Linksoul polo when I did a Hundres Hole Hike and I wore it most of the day. Great shirt and look.
Acemandrake
Mar 23, 2017 at 6:10 pm
Totally agree with this guy…My family owned a men’s clothing store from 1906-1995 and I learned what works (for me anyway…my father liked to remind me that not everyone likes the same things).
Cotton/poly blend shirts in muted colors look and feel best.
Sean
Mar 23, 2017 at 3:18 pm
I do not like polyester and then found Linksoul. I now have a number of their polos and couldn’t be happier.
S Hitter
Mar 24, 2017 at 9:11 am
Why not just buy Uniqlo? Awesome polos. Cheap and just as good and not pretentious like these so-called designer labels who are just fake, stealing ideas from other companies that just do it right without the price tag.
NoDoubt Stout
Mar 23, 2017 at 2:52 pm
Linksoul makes without question the best looking and fitting Golf clothes on the market today
S Hitter
Mar 24, 2017 at 9:12 am
….. if you like boring, flat, outdated, old-man, conservative colours and styles
Scott
Mar 24, 2017 at 10:02 am
+1 S Hitter.
Some of their stuff is OK, but button down collars on a polo is ridiculous. And I never realized how many shades of muted gray you can create.
S Hitter
Mar 24, 2017 at 10:57 am
50 Shades lol
Matt
Mar 23, 2017 at 11:47 am
I’m a huge Linksoul fan. The shirts fit me well, look great, and hold up over a season. The only other shirt that I like as much is The Masters brand tech shirt.