Field Notes

Imperial has announced a new partnership with the National Links trust organization as well as the release of a limited edition e-commerce collection here on Imperial's website. Featured products include an Imperial Tour Visor®, rope caps, performance styles, mesh back caps and more. A portion of the proceeds from the collection will benefit Nationals links Trust.“Imperial has a long tradition of partnering with incredible individuals and organizations helping to preserve the integrity of the game of golf” said David Shaffer, SVP, Imperial. “National Links Trust’s commitment brings the game to all audiences, cultures and communities so that everyone has access to the sport. Imperial is very excited to support that mission.” National Links Trust impacts local communities across the United States through protecting and promoting accessible, affordable and architecturally-engaging municipal golf courses. A portion of all proceeds from the Imperial ecommerce products, are being donated back to NLT in support of their mission. About National Links Trust The National Links Trust (NLT) is a non-profit organization committed to positively impacting local communities across the US through protecting and promoting accessible, affordable and engaging municipal golf courses. This mission starts in Washington, DC, but stretches across the country. In our nation’s capital, their recent projects involve working with the National Park Service to rehabilitate three historic, municipal golf courses – Rock Creek Park Golf, Langston Golf Course, and East Potomac Golf Links – alongside three of golf’s most prominent architects – Gil Hanse, Beau Welling, and Tom Doak. This transformative project will revitalize golf in the city, providing upgraded facilities at an affordable cost to both residents and tourists. While fundraising for and development of these projects moves along, NLT is actively working to create programs that positively impact the local communities of these courses with their existing facilities. The Jack Vardaman Workforce Development Program is one of these initiatives. This program provides local youth and adolescents with internships at the courses that teach valuable job and life skills while providing an entry-point to the golf industry. In the future, NLT hopes to partner with Howard University to provide their golf teams with practice facilities at Langston Golf Course. NLT is also heavily invested in driving sustainable practices in the municipal golf industry, analyzing their own operational impact to ensure they’re aligned with meeting their sustainability goals. Nationally, NLT works to amplify success stories and connect municipal golf stakeholders across the country through a free webinar series and their annual Symposium on Municipal Golf.

Today Imperial, the #1 headwear brand in golf, becomes #1 in pickleball headwear as well. It was announced that MLP, the highest-tier competitive league in professional pickleball, named Imperial “The Official Licensed Headwear of Major League Pickleball.” MLP x Imperial is the first-ever official licensed headwear for the league. As a trusted partner of MLP, we’re honored to be named their ‘Official Licensed Headwear’ and create this innovative, first-of-its kind product offering for fans of pickleball everywhere. We’re in total support of the huge growth this sport has seen in recent years. The Imperial brand is for everybody, and we look forward to integrating the Imperial brand into the fabric of pickleball. Todd Johnson, CEO of Imperial Fans can now find officially licensed MLP products online in the new Major League Pickleball Collection offered on Imperialsports.com. This online collection features MLP logoed products, as well as smaller capsule collections for all 24 teams in the league. Imperial products will also be made available to fans on site at select MLP events like the upcoming MLP San Clemente, June 15th – 19th in partnership with Fromuth, and through select retailers. About Imperial Founded in 1916, Imperial Headwear is the leading manufacturer of premium quality headwear, apparel, and accessories for the golf market. Imperial’s products can be found at 99 of the Top 100 and over 75% of the Top 400 golf courses in the United States, and they have been voted the #1 headwear brand for private and resort golf facilities for six consecutive years by the Association of Golf Merchandisers (AGM) and reported as the “#1 headwear brand in the combined on and off course retail golf channels” by Golf Datatech. Imperial is committed to style, functionality, and perfection in fit and comfort. It is this commitment that has allowed the creation of a wide variety of headwear and apparel with quality that is second to none. Renowned for its superior customer service and art customization capabilities, Imperial offers its products using the most innovative fabrics and designs, as well as logo decoration and embellishment technologies. For further information please visit Imperialsports.com. Follow Imperial on Instagram at @ImperialHats About Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville) Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville) is the premier team-based professional pickleball league and the standard-bearer for the fastest-growing sport in the United States. Founded by Steve Kuhn in 2021, MLP has since expanded from eight to 24 teams and is committed to growing the sport's role in society and impacting every facet of pickleball’s business. MLP features nearly 100 of the best athletes in the sport spread across 24 teams - 12 in the Premier Level, home to the top 48 players drafted and 12 in the Challenger Level, featuring 48 draftees looking to make their ascension to the top of the league - a unique coed format, iconic team owners, the introduction of promotion and relegation to American pro sports, an innovative draft format, easy to understand scoring, and the largest payouts in prize money across all of pro pickleball. In December 2022, MLP named its first-ever title sponsor, Margaritaville, branding the league MLP by Margaritaville. A global lifestyle brand inspired by Jimmy Buffett, Margaritaville, has served more than 20 million travelers and consumers every year to change their latitude and attitude with Margaritaville. For more information, visit www.margaritaville.com. For more information on Major League Pickleball, visit the official website and follow MLP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

This week, Imperial announced a multi-year sponsorship of rising golf phenomenon, and ‘best dressed man on Tour,’ Keith Mitchell. The 31-year old PGA Tour pro makes his second appearance at The Masters this week in Augusta, GA. He will be wearing a custom green and gold Imperial Tour Visor® at the major, featuring the embroidered logos of his other sponsors Cisco and Mizuno. The iconic, Imperial original style has become Keith’s signature accessory and he’s well known for wearing one exclusively while on Tour. “This partnership took shape in a really organic way. My dad introduced me to the idea of wearing a visor on the golf course at a very young age, so it’s sort of always been a part of my look. Imperial is an historic brand that makes some of the best hats in golf, so picking a classic like the high crown Tour Visor® to wear while I play seemed like a natural fit.” Keith Mitchell The Imperial Tour Visor® is proudly made in the USA from Oeko-Tex® certified organic cotton, and ‘Cashmere Keith’ has been utilizing a variety in his throwback styling for years. Dressing like the old school greats has fans crediting him with bringing back classic golf style. While most professional golfers don spandex and other synthetic performance fabrics, Mitchell famously opts for all natural fibers like cotton, wool or cashmere, making him a standout both on and off the course. “I’m thrilled to welcome Keith to the Imperial team as an official brand ambassador. I’ve personally followed his career and cheered him on as he developed. Being a part of his next chapter and supporting him along the way is a very special opportunity.” David Shaffer, Senior Vice President of Sales at Imperial

The “#1 headwear brand in the combined on and off course retail golf channels in 2022” as reported by Golf Datatech, is proud to announce its Golf Retirement Plus™ incentive program in conjunction with the PGA™ of America. On behalf of our 28,000 PGA Professionals we thank Imperial for their dedication to the green grass business and their support of the PGA's Golf Retirement Plus program. Imperial's offerings in the program continue to provide substantive annual royalties for our PGA Professionals who benefit greatly from their participation. We are pleased that Imperial will continue to support GRP. Dan Baker, Senior Director, Industry Partnerships, PGA of America. The Golf Retirement Plus™ program is managed by PGA Golf Enterprises, Inc. and allows its members and associates who are enrolled in the program to save for a secure retirement. Imperial Headwear has an established incentives program through Golf Retirement Plus™, and now offers a convenient online application form for those who wish to register: https://imperial1916.com/pages/pgagrp/ All members or associates of the PGA of America in good standing are immediately eligible to enroll and participate in the program. GRP offers a variety of fund that span the investment spectrum so Members can build and investment mix that suits individual circumstances. Golf Facility owner/operators that allow PGA Professional employees to participate in the partner programs provide a great way to attract, reward and retain employees. Through the Imperial x PGA Golf Retirement Plus™ Program, participants have the opportunity to earn a 3% contribution to their GRP account on all eligible sales when $1,000 of Imperial products are purchased annually. Imperial is deeply dedicated to the game of golf and supporting all who maintain the health of our great sport. We recognize that PGA professionals play an imperative role in this process every day and we strive to provide them with the best product and service possible. We’re honored to participate in a program that provides PGA members the opportunity for a secure retirement. David Shaffer, Senior Vice President of Sales at Imperial