Field Notes

Imperial’s visor has been selected as the official Tour Visor®. This selection couldn’t be more fitting as Imperial’s iconic high crown visor design has stood the test of time for decades of men’s golf fashion. Ever since Imperial began making classic, quality headwear in 1916, they’ve come to be known for their men’s golf visors and hats, specifically high crown golf hats. The Tour Visor® features what is known as the original “high crown” style, so we’re digging into the history of men’s golf visors, this classic design and Imperial’s presence in the golf world. How the Men’s Golf Visor Came to Be The original men’s golf sun visor started out as a simple visor on the baseball diamond, which was a precursor to the baseball cap we all know and love today. But while the sport of baseball went on to design the full cap style that we currently associate with the game, players of other sports, like golf and tennis, continued to wear the visor style. Golf hats for men eventually took shape for the game of golf with some resembling the full cap style, or Performance Cap at Imperial, and others developing into the tour visor. If one had to choose the moment the visor really made its mark in the golf world, though, many would point to famed golfer Arnold Palmer wearing a golf visor and throwing it into the air in 1960 as he won the U.S. Open. From there, men’s golf visors became a sought-after style on the golf course, and Imperial led the charge in making it the popular tour visor look we know and love today. Tracing Imperial High Crown Visors Through the Years As the originators of the high crown style golf visor, it’s possible to trace the evolution of the men’s golf visor through vintage Imperial catalogs. About a decade after that 1960 win by Arnold Palmer, Imperial sports visors were sold in the 1977 catalog in multiples, with one dozen visors coming per order for cotton twill hats with absorbent sweatbands, adjustable velcro closure and a variety of colors. The absorbent sweatbands were a gamechanger for those wearing a men’s golf sun visor for protection on hot days. In the 1985 catalog, both “high crown” and “low crown” men’s golf visor styles are available with different logos embroidered on the crown. The “Ray’s end” style, however, features embroidery placement on the left side of the visor brim. The first time a logo appeared on the crown of a baseball cap was in 1901, and from there the crown became more vertical moving into the 1940s. The high crown look, like Imperial’s classic Tour Visor®, is perfectly suited to show off one’s personal style with embroidery, which is another reason Imperial’s hats set them apart. From food and beverages to animals and state pride, Imperial allows the wearers to truly represent their own style and look. The high crown style goes hand in hand with this space for the wearers to show off their personality with a logo or fun design. Imperial sports visors are now the perfect way to show off your personal style as well as your regard for the history and tradition of men’s golf visors. By 1987, Imperial’s catalog announced the “beginning of new excitement in visor features for Imperial.” These high crown visors were made with 2-ply oxford poplin, while maintaining the signature terry cloth sweatband inside, and available in 15 different colors. The 1999 catalog specifically featured an Oxford visor, alongside an Oxford bucket hat in classic preppy colors in the popular Oxford cloth. This was the moment bucket hats became another choice in the realm of golf hats for men. The year 2007 gave us a glimpse of the iconic Tour Visor®, in the high crown style with a silver adjustable closure. Finally, in 2022 that Imperial high crown look is still the classic style, taking its place once more as the official Tour Visor®. It’s not just through Imperial’s catalogs that you can witness the history of the high crown visor’s growth and popularity in the golf world – you can also see them on the golf course over the years with players proudly sporting this signature style. There are several professional golfers who have come to be associated with high crown golf visors, like Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson and, most recently, Bubba Watson. But the style isn’t only for the winners’ circle – amateurs and golf fans across the country have embraced this classic decades-old men’s golf visor style and continue to have fun putting their mark on it, particularly through the creative and custom options Imperial now offers. The Right Men’s Golf Hat For You Golf hats for men may change in popularity throughout the years, but the power of Imperial Tour Visors® never goes out of style. Knowing how to wear a golf visor and pull it off is one way to put yourself a cut above the rest, and Imperial visors can help you do that. For fans of the men’s golf visor or the high crown golf visor in particular, this is the year to once again embrace the look of the official Tour Visor®. It’s clear that through the years, despite minor design tweaks and style changes, you really just can’t mess with the classics. So give the Tour Visor® a spin and remember, you’re in good company.

To view a digital catalog of Imperial’s 2023 Collection, please click here.To view a digital catalog of Imperial’s 2023 Quick Turn Import Only styles, please click here. The 2023 collection debuted for Imperial sales representatives this week. Fresh new styles crafted for the golf course, the club house and everywhere in-between are included in the broad selection of trend-forward headwear and apparel. Overall, 20 new styles were added to the Imperial line this year in addition to an expanded selection of color and print options for best-sellers. Major updates for 2023 also include the impressive strides made towards the brand’s industry-leading commitment to sustainability. Imperial’s focus on the development of high-grade performance fabrics made from GRS and Oeko-Tex® certified recycled polyester, and the sourcing of Oeko-Tex® certified organic cotton fabric, has led to a third of all Imperial styles now being in alignment with the Sustainability Project. Featuring these innovative new fabrics are a new small fit performance visor, three new jacquard knit styles, and The Hinsen Ponytail Cap. The Hinsen has the same fit and feel as the best-selling L210P Small Fit Performance Cap, with the addition of an open back panel and matching elastic cross bands that comfortably allows for a ponytail to fit through. In addition to cutting-edge fabrics and inventive new styles, this season’s collection is all about creating subtle, elevated statements using playful microprints and patterns. The Mahalo, a structured performance Hawaiian print cap, and The Paradigm, a performance microprint bucket hat, are focal points of the new ‘patterns’ section in the 2023 Imperial catalog. The new patterns incorporate tropical leaves, colorful botanicals and retro camouflage motifs. Original microprint patterns comprised of beachy elements, desert landscapes and winter scenes are now available for several styles including the best-selling Alter Ego performance cap. Tonal patterns like the nostalgic checkered nylon ‘Square One’ fabric can also be found on new styles like The Nutmeg, a six- panel, structured snapback style. “The future looks bright and our sensibilities have changed from the dark neutrals we’ve been in for several seasons, to the optimistic, cheerful hues manifested in many of our 2023 prints. Safeguarding that future by committing to more sustainable practices and materials creates long term value for the brand, our customers and the planet.” David Shaffer, Senior Vice President of Sales • New Styles for Outdoor Enthusiasts Imperial has an extraordinary selection of headwear options designed to keep you comfortable in the great outdoors. The Freestone is a durable new style made from Stretch Cordura® ripstop fabric that features a float-able visor board, perfect for anyone who spends time on the water. New performance styles like The Rematch, with its tonal, diamond-patterned performance cap and The Bomb Draw, with its micro-perforated back panels are both lightweight, breathable and moisture wicking. • New Heritage Styles Imperial is a brand with over 100 years of heritage and their culture of tradition is evident in The Highlands, a heathered flannel and poly micro jacquard style, and The Pine Grove, a vintage inspired, preppy styled cap made from Pinwale Corduroy and Ultrasuede – Both new for 2023. • New Decoration techniques Imperial is unmatched in its offering of quality decoration techniques. New for 2023 is 3D Chain Stitching, Chenille letters and numbers that give an instant collegiate look to any style, and HP+ Patches with raised details and a soft, flexible texture.

The products featured in Golf Digest’s Father’s Day Gift Guide are hand-picked by the editors each year. This year the new Imperial x Slackertide “crush it” rope hat was their choice of headwear for the feature. Father’s Day is a great way to show the dad in your life how much you care, read the full gift guide here, and shop the full Imperial x Slackertide collection here.

Imperial is proud to be a major partner of the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup, set for September 18 – 20 at Myers Park Country Club. The Junior Presidents Cup is a two-day, team match-play competition featuring 24 of the world’s top junior boys 19 years old and younger – 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe – that takes place just days before the start of the biennial Presidents Cup. The Junior Presidents Cup was developed by the AJGA and PGA TOUR to give the world’s best non-European juniors a unique playing opportunity to compete in an international team match-play competition and showcase the global reach of junior golf. We are very proud to be the 'Official Headwear of the AJGA' and a major partner of the 2022 Junior Presidents Cup at Myers Park Country Club. These junior golfers represent the best in the game both in the United States and Internationally. Their passion for excellence and drive to compete on a global stage is extremely admirable, and we are looking forward to supporting this world class team event. David Shaffer, Senior Vice President of Sales This year’s teams are captained by United States’ Notah Begay III and South Africa’s Tim Clark as captains of the U.S. and International Teams, respectively. The teams will compete in six Four-Ball and Foursomes matches on Monday, Sept. 19, followed by 12 Singles matches on Tuesday, Sept. 20. The United States took home the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup title in 2017 with a final score of 14 – 10 at Plainfield Country Club in Edison, New Jersey. The 2017 teams were captained by Captain Trevor Immelman and Honorary Captain Gary Player on the International side and Captain David Toms and Honorary Captain Jack Nicklaus for the United States. The U.S. Team defeated the International Team by a score of 13-11 in the second edition of the Junior Presidents Cup in 2019 at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, where Justin Leonard captained the U.S. Team and Australia’s Stuart Appleby led the International Team. Imperial has been the ‘Official Headwear of the AJGA’ since 2019 and will continue through 2026. AJGA staff and interns wear Imperial headwear at all AJGA events. Members of the 2022 Wyndham Cup, Junior Presidents Cup and the 2023 PING Junior Solheim Cup teams will also sport Imperial hats as part of their team uniform. Junior Presidents Cup Eligibility The U.S. Team will be made up of the leading 10 qualified players based on the Rolex AJGA Rankings as of Aug. 19, 2022, along with the 11th player, who will be selected by the U.S. Team Captain. The 12th and final spot will be awarded to the leading player based on the Rolex AJGA Rankings as of Sept. 8, 2022, who is not otherwise qualified. In the event of a tie, the selection will be decided by the individual ranked highest on the World Amateur Golf Ranking™ (WAGR™) list at that time. The International Team will be made up of the leading 10 qualified players based on the World Amateur Golf Ranking™ (WAGR™) as of Aug. 19, 2022, along with the 11th player, who will be selected by the International Team Captain. The 12th and final spot will be awarded to the leading player on the World Amateur Golf Ranking™ (WAGR™) list as of Sept. 8, 2022. In the event of a tie, the selection will be decided by the individual ranked highest on the most previous WAGR™ revision. The 2022 Presidents Cup will be held at Quail Hollow Club, September 20-25. For more information about the Presidents Cup, or to purchase tickets, please visit PresidentsCup.com. About the Presidents Cup The Presidents Cup is a unique golf event in that there is no purse or prize money. Players are not paid for their participation, but each competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his choice. Since the event’s inception, more than $54.4 million has been raised for charity from event proceeds, as well as contributions made on behalf of the Presidents Cup, including a charitable donation of $5.3 million from the 2019 event alone. Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thepresidentscup, Twitter and Instagram at @presidentscup and sign up for the Presidents Cup e-newsletter. Citi, Cognizant and Rolex are the exclusive Global Partners of the Presidents Cup. About the AJGA The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-19) of more than 7,300 members from 50 states and 60 foreign countries. Through initiatives like the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant, a financial assistance program, and Leadership Links, a service-oriented platform that teaches juniors charitable-giving skills, the AJGA fosters the growth of golf’s next generation. TaylorMade and adidas are the AJGA’s National Sponsors, supporting the AJGA for more than 25 years. TaylorMade has served as the Official Ball of the AJGA since 2016. adidas has been the Official Apparel and Footwear of the AJGA since 2017. Rolex, in its fourth decade of AJGA sponsorship, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 900 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Ariya Jutanugarn, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Anna Nordqvist, Inbee Park and Lexi Thompson.