Graeme Smeaton, the founder of Royal & Awesome, says Doddie embodies what Royal & Awesome aspires to be: “He was brave, bold, and brilliant and he knew an outstanding pair of trews when he saw them.”

Known for its bold designs, Royal & Awesome’s clothing has been worn by the likes of Ally McCoist, Ian Wright, Darren Gough, and Sir Steve Redgrave. Mr Smeaton said he doesn’t think of the company as being rebellious, and explains its plans going forward.

What’s the background on Royal & Awesome?

In 2009 by my brothers Fraser and Ali Smeaton and our friend Gregor Lawson launched the costume business Morphsuits. AFG was the name they gave to the parent company.

In 2012 I noticed that there were hardly any brands making really bright, eye-catching golf clothing, and I was confident we could improve on what was currently on offer. So, with the backing of AFG, I left my sales and marketing job at Cadbury and started Royal & Awesome.

Who are your customers, and where are your biggest markets?

We make bright, loud golf clothing for golfers who want to get noticed. This could be for regular games of golf or for special events like golf trips, charity days, or team events.

Our biggest market is USA, but we have significant markets in the UK and Australia too. Our annual turnover is mid-seven-figures, and all of our sales are online.

Where do the ideas for your clothing come from?

We have a team of in-house designers and we get inspiration from a wide range of different places, for example by taking traditional golf patterns like tartans and argyles and adding lots of colour.

We put a lot of thought into the kinds of events where people like to get noticed, such as the 4th of July, St Patrick’s Day, the Ryder Cups and so forth. We design products for those kinds of events, and generally just think about what would look awesome on a pair of golf trousers.

Kenny Logan was among the first to wear one of the new limited edition outfits in aid of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation (Image: Royal & Awesome) What’s the business plan for 2025?

We’re really excited to be launching the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation Royal & Awesome collection, and following on the heels of that we’re going to be running a campaign to find an Awesome Ambassador in every club in the UK and the USA – so we’re talking about something like 15,000 clubs. It’s likely to be a long-term project!

In general our two main aims are to continue to raise awareness of the Royal & Awesome brand, and to build a community of our most engaged fans.   

Was it your intention to position Royal & Awesome as a rebel in golf apparel? 

We’ve always wanted to stand out, but we still like and respect lots of the traditions of golf, so I wouldn’t say we are rebels. It’s more about giving golf clothing a fun refresh – taking the ancient and making it awesome – hence the name! 

Do you play golf? What do you love most about the game?

Yes. I grew up in Gullane, a town with 2,000 people and seven great courses all within a couple of miles of each other, so golf has always been in my life.

I’m a 12 handicap and I love golf for spending time with friends, usually with a bit of friendly competition, out in the open air and in a nice setting.

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