A step back to move forward

In 2018 we were looking for inspiring, forward thinking people in the field of golf for Nike. How on earth were we going to find those? Golfers aren't some of our usual drinking partners. In a sport perceived as elitist, stiff and upper class, played by people often seen as a bit dull (sorry), it seemed a tough ask.. Then after some IG digging and reaching out to our network we discovered Harry and his brother Ross.

Golf was literally a bloodline, the whole family plays and their father owns EAGLE, a leading supplier of golf courses in the UK & Europe. Their dad had both Harry and Ross hitting balls on the courses and playing around the age of 6. 

When we finally connected with Harry, a young entrepreneurial spirit from London who’d started a new golf concept, called 1PUTT Golf, together with his brother Ross, he explained the reasons as to why the new variation was needed.

“By questioning the foundations of traditional golf, asking ourselves how we could create a new, more modern and accessible version of golf to complement the traditional game, designed to be enjoyed by a complete range of standards and amplify the excitement of watching and playing in the modern era.”

When asked what the future of golf entails Harry has endless ideas. 

“Don’t get me wrong, I love traditional golf and there will always be a place for golf in its traditional form - the majors, the best 18-hole courses, spending 4 and a half hours enjoying the game - but the audience for this type of golf is becoming smaller and smaller.

Golf as a whole must be willing to question the foundations of what golf really is and be willing to move with the times, in order to make the golf experience more relevant to the modern consumer.”

And of course 1PUTT is a concept that breathes fresh life into an ancient game. A younger version of golf in a more casual setting. They have a 9 holes course, bigger holes, with simple team and individual game modes, a totally new attitude and experience for playing. Relaxed dress codes, music, shootout holes and the use of technology to make the playing and viewing experience more engaging. - It’s almost like a golf festival. Because of its speed and more casual vibe it attracts a younger audience or people who are already into golf can bring their friends for a light afternoon and attract a potential new generation of golf players.

After graduating from Durham University and starting a ‘respectable career’ in the city as a business development job at a tech start-up, which felt like the right thing to do, Harry moved quickly from one company to another. Not being able to really find his direction. He was 22 and restlessly waiting for the end of each day, to go home from the office. Then one day he upped and decided to quit his job and started working in his family's graphic design business. 

“Even though what I was doing was fun to a point, I had gotten to the point where I knew I wasn’t helping the company or myself. Even though I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do instead, I knew that I wanted to be more independent, self-expressive and flexible and my current trajectory wasn’t taking me in that direction.”

This defining moment made him able to learn how to manage and run a business. It gave him time to figure out what fulfilled him and how he should use his energy well. It taught him that listening to his intuition was like listening to a teacher and is something you should stick to. 

“I learned that sometimes you have to be bold and make a decision even if you are not fully clear where it will lead you. It is tempting to wait before there is a clear, easy alternate path, but saying no to something that was taking up a lot of my time and energy allowed me to concentrate on things that were more beneficial.

It felt like a huge step back at the time, but in retrospect was a huge step forward.”

Currently Harry is focussing of course on the future of 1PUTT and he wants to open up conversations with pioneers, entrepreneurs and creatives who question the norms of society and hold what many would deem as ‘out the box’ perspectives in the form of a podcast.

“The podcast aims to be an open, light-hearted platform for these people’s ideas to be not judged - and not necessarily accepted - but explored and understood to foster open-mindedness, creativity and evolution.”

If he could give one piece of advice to his younger self it would be: 

“For me it would probably be to ‘be patient’, because I am a doer and I don’t like waiting!”

HARRY’S RESET TIPS: 

Book

The Netflix co-founder’s story ‘That Will Never Work’. An inspirational story of someone who believed in an ‘out of the box’ idea!

1PUTT Website