Max Ledom’s introduction to golf didn’t happen on a fairway. He was first drawn to the sport on his Nintendo N64, playing Waialae Country Club with his dad and brother. Although he eventually picked up actual clubs and enjoys playing a round, he doesn’t describe himself as a skilled golfer.
Today, Ledom is the owner of Mulligan’s Country Club. Despite the name, the business isn’t actually a country club: It’s a vintage golf shop stocked with clothing, accessories, clubs and more. Golfers know a mulligan is a do-over, a second chance. Ledom is doing the same with the items in his shop, giving vintage pieces another life.
Ledom’s vision? To bring more personality and flair to country club attire. “Golf is punk,” reads Mulligan’s Instagram bio. He says the sport’s prevailing style hasn’t always looked like a sea of polyester polos and plain quarterzips.
“If you look back in the ’70s and ’80s, golfers had flair,” Ledom says. “We sell stuff that allows you to be yourself out on the green. We’re overstepping this office-outside-of-the-office aesthetic that’s come about.”
With a love for design, branding and “all things vintage,” Ledom started his business out of necessity. He had been laid off and “was trying to find a side hustle and something to fill the time,” Ledom says. He started hitting estate sales and thrift shops, reselling his finds on eBay. While many fellow resellers focused on clubs or equipment alone, he quickly noticed a gap in the market.
“No one was doing a full golf brand,” Ledom says. “I wanted to make a kind of ‘country club’ for people like me. I’m not your typical golfer. I have tattoos. I wear a different type of fashion.”
Last March, Mulligan’s Country Club opened its doors as a 400-square-foot brick-and-mortar. Just a year later, the shop has already expanded. With wood paneling and turfgrass-inspired green walls, the cozy and carefully curated Westwood store feels as if you’ve waltzed right into the ’70s.
On the racks, you’ll find high-waisted trousers, pleated skirts, embroidered visors and cotton sweaters. Ledom, a designer by trade, has also created his own line of apparel, which includes Mulligan’s branded attire like flatbill corduroy ball caps, sweatshirts, bold polos and more. Although the majority of Ledom’s clientele are golfers, he says there are plenty of customers who are simply drawn to the aesthetic.
Beyond the storefront, Ledom is also trying to foster a sense of community. Mulligan’s Country Club recently opened sign-ups for its own laid-back league, a hub for casual and unpretentious golfers like Ledom. They’ll hit the links every other Friday at Royal Meadows Golf Club. “It’s a great way to meet new people, make new friends and have fun,” Ledom says.
Visit Mulligan’s Country Club in person (4759 Rainbow Blvd., Westwood) or learn more at mulliganscountryclub.com.
