More Than Apparel: How Erica Malbon Is Rewriting Golf’s Culture

Photo: Erica Malbon, courtesy of Malbon.

Words: Emma Carpenter

For Erica Malbon, golf was never about scorecards or competition. It was about a feeling.

She took lessons as a child, but she wasn’t chasing trophies. Instead, she remembers the atmosphere – the people, the camaraderie, and how she felt she aligned with the lifestyle. Years later, as she and her husband Stephen began raising a family of their own, that feeling came back into focus.

“As we started having our own kids, we wanted to share our love for the game,” Erica says. “That’s when both of us started to get involved more. Having a community, having friends, being on the golf course as a family – those are the things that really brought us back.”

That sense of community would eventually become the foundation of Malbon Golf, the brand Erica co-founded with Stephen that has helped redefine what golf looks like – and who it’s for.

That growing connection – to golf’s past, its present, and its future – has shaped the way Erica approaches her work eight years into building Malbon. Malbon isn’t just about apparel; it’s about storytelling, identity, and belonging.

From Apparel to a Movement

While golf fashion has had plenty of trend cycles over the last several years, Malbon feels less like a moment and more like a movement – and that was intentional.

“When we started the company eight years ago, we said, ‘Look, we’re not just in this to create apparel, because that exists,’” Erica explains. “‘There has to be a mission that’s bigger than just that.’”

That mission became clear early on: “Inspiring today’s youth to participate in the greatest game on earth.”

“It was always something we used as a tool as we built the business,” she says. “When opportunities came our way, we asked, ‘Does this tie into the mission we’re trying to achieve?’”

At its core, Malbon set out to challenge golf’s long-standing image as exclusive and unwelcoming.

“The image that was always projected was, ‘Oh, this is a rich man’s sport, or this is a man’s sport,’” Erica says. “It’s about building communities of people who don’t necessarily look like what a traditional golfer looks like – and telling those stories.”

 Photo: Minjee Lee in Malbon, courtesy of Malbon. 

Finding and Using Her Voice

In the early days, the brand focused on men’s apparel: a strategic decision to build early momentum before expanding the movement. Once it immediately sparked that buzz, many women were left asking, What about us?

Erica quickly found herself asking, What about me?

“I want the apparel to wear. I want to have a point of view in this space.”

Though Erica has always been part of Malbon at its very core, stepping into a visible leadership role as a woman in golf hasn’t been traditionally welcomed. Today, she embraces the responsibility and the empowerment that come with that voice.

“Women were often an afterthought [in the golf industry], and I think that’s changing,” she says. “I couldn’t be more excited to be part of that journey.”

She credits Stephen as a true partner and advocate. “Any smart man knows they need to treat women with at least as much respect, if not more, than other men,” she says. “I’m lucky to have a partner in business and in life who believes in women’s voices and women’s golf.”

Designing for Real Women

For too long, there has been little to no intentionality in the design of women’s golf apparel – often reduced to men’s designs, simply recoloured.

“The industry was like, ‘Just take that and make it pink,’” Erica says. “Without thinking about how it fits or flatters the female body.”

The goal for Malbon is simple: clothing that lets women feel like themselves, on and off the course.

“I don’t want women to feel like they’re wearing a costume or a uniform on the golf course.”

For Erica, design is personal. What we wear directly impacts how we show up – not just in golf, but in life.

“If you feel proud and comfortable in how you’re presenting yourself, you walk into a room with more confidence.”

Erica also works closely with top LPGA players and designers to balance fashion with function, knowing that her personal relationship with the game differs from players of the highest level.

“I can make something really cute,” she says, “but I don’t need the same technicalities as some of these women. That’s why it’s so important we have sessions with LPGA players and our design team.”

From yardage‑book pocket size to lightweight, moisture-wicking fabrics, this apparel is suitable for even the golfers playing on golf’s biggest stage.

Photo: Charley Hull in Malbon, courtesy of Malbon.

Pushing Through Resistance

Erica says that any real change, of course, doesn’t come without resistance. This is especially true early on.

“The industry as a whole was reluctant to look at anything new, especially when it came to clothing and culture.”

But discomfort is often the price of progress. Any good movement needs to be uncomfortable before it is accepted.

“We’ve always pushed boundaries,” she says.

That includes challenging outdated norms around access and inclusion. “There are still golf clubs that don’t allow women to play,” she says. “In this day and age, that’s absurd.”

Looking Ahead

Golf, she acknowledges, can be intimidating, especially for women playing alongside more experienced golfers. But perspective matters, and she wants young golfers to know that it’s truly not as scary as it may seem.

“I’ve played with people who are incredible golfers,” she says. “No one really cares what you score.”

“Golfers are always very welcoming,” Erica says. “Take the leap.”

As women’s golf continues to grow, Erica sees opportunity in access, inclusion, and global expansion.

“The barriers that have kept people from playing need to be broken down,” she says. “You have to respect the history of the game, but also create a future that includes more people, makes it more accessible, and makes it more fun.”

When she looks toward the future, her hope for Malbon is clear.

“I want people to feel confident, comfortable, and part of a community,” she says. “Not just that Malbon made great apparel, but that it created a movement around what golf can look like. Anyone can be a part of it.”

In a game built on tradition, Malbon’s future-forward vision is making space for more voices, more stories, and more women who finally feel like they belong.