Return of the Tour Visor
The tour visor has returned to the mainstream of golf style and one company is to credit.
Don’t call it a comeback, but the tour visor is the best look in golf again. There is a revival happening for golf’s favored headwear for men. Thanks to millennials, the tour visor has returned to its rightful place atop the heads of golfers across America.
The tour visor look has been around for decades, but one company is leading it’s modern resurgence. Imperial Headwear makes the official tour visor and today, their product is more popular than ever. Imperial has combined an appreciation for the tour visors of the past with innovative approaches to marketing and an investment in the next generation of tour player to sell their famous hats to a whole new generation.
Tour Visors On Tour
The tour visor has a long and storied history in the game of golf. That history is hard to trace to a beginning, but no moment announced the look’s arrival quite like that of Arnold Palmer slinging his visor in the air after hitting the winning putt at the 1960 US Open. With that toss on the the final green of Cherry Hills Country Club the tour visor became cool.
That same cool look has seen regular success on tour for decades. There have been numerous victories on the PGA Tour by players wearing the tour visor. But it is the major championships that have been the best place for players to showcase the tour visor style for golf fans.
Larry Mize and Sandy Lyle wore tour visors with their green jackets when they won the Masters in consecutive years in 1987 and 1988. As the 90’s rolled around, it was Fred Couples who became the patron saint of tour visors. He won the 1992 Masters with a high brim visor and it is still his signature look today.
The 90’s saw a number of major winners with the tour visor on their head. Tom Kite took the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Paul Azinger, Steve Elkington, Davis Love III, and Vijay Singh all found PGA Championship wins. Then there were near misses too. Who could forget Jean Van de Velde having his tour visor meltdown at Carnoustie or Phil Mickelson coming in second to Payne Stewart at Pinehurst.
The tour visor look continued to see the winners circle after the turn of the century. Phil Mickleson finally found his first major win with a tour visor leap for the ages at the Masters. Newcomers like Bubba Watson and Keegan Bradley picked up major wins too, all with a tour visor on their head. These prominent wins from the tour’s best players during the late 80’s and into the 2000’s set the scene for the tour visor’s explosive popularity today.
From Clubs to Campus to Custom
Millennials who grew up watching many of the top players win championships with a tour visor on have now come of age. The tour visor is now in demand from country clubs to college campuses. Member-guest partners and the fraternity faithful can all be found wearing tour visors. With new and fun designs available it is easy to stand out from the crowd at tournaments and tailgates across the country.
There are many companies that produce a variation of the popular product, but Imperial holds the top spot with millennial purchasing power. Through creative marketing and unique partnerships the company has helped create the resurgence of the tour visor style. Imperial is working with clubs, courses, golf associations, and other organizations throughout the nation to meet the growing demand.
Customers can now design their own visor look online and have it dropped in the mailbox within days. It’s the perfect way to stand out at the club, course, or even when out on the town. The tour visor is back in a big way and it has never been easier to make this classic look customized for you.
Getting Social with Sales
Today, with social media and golf proving to be a beautiful marriage, the tour visor can be found proudly being worn by millennial players all across America. With platforms like Instagram becoming the official delivery point for images of golf and its players, Imperial is going all in on visor related content. No other company has embraced the tour visor so prominently. Popular social media accounts are becoming filled with the wide array of Imperial tour visor looks available to customers.
Golf on Instagram has taken on a life of its own and the tour visor is quickly becoming the official hat of the “insta-golfer” generation. Popular accounts like Sugarloaf Social Club have found success partnering with Imperial to create unique throwback looks and charming patterns to sell to followers. These visors often sell out as soon as they are available.
Imperial has created its own vibe online as well. Following the hashtag #tourvisor on any given Saturday will provide a long line of photos and stories of players sporting their favorite tour visor look while at the course. For a modern millennial golfer, the tour visor is inescapable on social media.
Betting on Beau
Imperial is also making a bet on a new young gun golfer to represent the tour visor look on the PGA Tour. Beau Hossler, the rookie tour player who was a star at the University of Texas, is now on staff for Imperial. Hossler can now be seen each week wearing the classic look of the Imperial tour visor. With his track record as an amateur it’s fair to guess that he may be the next player to join the long and growing list of major champions who wore a tour visor on the way to victory.
Recently, Beau was in the national spotlight as he dueled down the stretch in an effort to win the Houston Open. National audiences got a glimpse of the classic Imperial tour visor as Beau battled to a playoff against famed Ryder Cup antagonist Ian Poulter. On Twitter the chatter was fierce in favor of Beau and his tour visor look, but it was not to be Beau’s day.
For Imperial, the Houston Open was Beau’s first full week representing the brand and its tour visor look. So far, it is fair to guess that the bet on Beau being the face of tour visor nation is looking pretty good. If his good play continues there are certain to be more millennial tour stars looking for a tour visor to wear as they chase wins on tour.
The tour visor look is dignified and comes with a classic reputation. From Arnold Palmer to Phil Mickleson and now Beau Hossler the tour visor has come full circle with the best pros in the game. However, it is the everyday player who hangs his hat at the local country club or muni who is truly driving the tour visor revival.
When a stylish player is shopping for a tour visor, you can expect them to ask for Imperial by name. Imperial has positioned the perfect product at the perfect time. The company has cornered the market for the tour visor and it continues to pay off.
The tour visor look is a legendary one. Odds are that if you love golf then you have a favorite memory of a tour player finding glory with a big high brimmed tour visor on. Now is the time to make your own tour visor memories.
Buy a tour visor from your local pro shop, direct from your favorite brand, or even order up something custom online from Imperial. Then the next time you make a big putt on the eighteenth hole, act like Arnie and give that tour visor a toss for joy. You’ll look great when you do!
