Over the course of our features, G&E has really developed into a community of entrepreneurs in golf. Each new podcast episode adds a unique business and perspective to this collection. And this week's show with Jeremy and Yinyin Wright, the owner's of Louisville Golf, combines an inspiring story with incredible insights into one of the world's premier persimmon and hickory club manufacturers in the world.
In 1974, a company by the name of Louisville Golf was founded on the philosophy of loving the game and the desire to build your own clubs. Elmore Just, the founder of Louisville Golf, took their handmade persimmon woods to The PGA Show to see if an opportunity to do business was there. And was it ever.
At their peak in the 1980’s, Lousiville Golf was the original equipment manufacturer for the likes of McGregor, Wilson, Hogan, and Spalding, to name a few. From the original vision, the business had grown to over 120 employees while producing over 800 handmade heads a day. Each persimmon has over 200 steps in its creation.
Think about those numbers for a second.
Then, the metal wood came along and all of a sudden there was a new challenge to keep persimmon golf alive. But Louisville Golf is a company built on passion, and with it has preserved the heritage of playing the game with this original equipment.
After watching this phenomenal video by Linksoul, you can get a sense of how special the business is. Jeremy and Yinyin Wright saw this and along with it an opportunity to get involved.
Jeremy Wright is a man who is very passionate about hickory golf, and through this was familiar with the company. After a visit to the factory, the couple saw the magic behind the brand and decided to buy the company with the goal of picking up the torch and continuing Elmore’s original vision for Louisville Golf.
A big thank you to Jeremy and Yinyin for coming on the podcast. We talked with them about the history of Lousiville Golf, what goes into building persimmons and hickories, why playing them is such a special experience that every golfer should try and their vision for the company heading into the future.