Field Notes

When you look around a Fore the Ladies Clinic, you see women across the golf course, learning how to hold a golf club, practicing putting drills and smiling while enjoying a drink or two. Fore the Ladies, Inc., is a female-based community and non-profit organization with the intent to introduce more women to the game and bring women together to play, watch and participate in everything golf has to offer. They hope to make golf more accessible and approachable, while removing the expected barriers. We caught up with founder Abby Liebenthal to learn more about her organization, which you can check out here. Where did the idea for Fore the Ladies, Inc. come from? I was the only girl in my group of friends growing up who played golf. I never thought much of it, as it was simply a family activity. This theme continued through college, but more of my friends wanted to at least try to hit golf balls and learn the game. These comments popped up throughout the years, increasing as we moved into our careers and opportunities to play were given and passed on during business outings. Throughout my golf career, I have connected with so many women who simply do not know where to start when it comes to golf. They are not sure they will like the game, so they do not want to invest in lessons, clubs, apparel and access to a course. I understand that sentiment. I would not purchase a membership to a cycle studio without trying first. I was finding programs for junior female golfers, women in executive roles or members of a country club, but there was a void for young professional women to learn about golf. I hosted my first Fore the Ladies Clinic in 2019 as an attempt to make something for this group and we had 70 women show up! I was shocked, but also realized that when you create the venue, women will come. Fore the Ladies is creating opportunities to dip your toe into the sport. Women may walk away wanting to begin lessons, or golf might not be for them, but at leastthey get to make that decision, rather than being pushed away by barriers from the game. Fore The Ladies, Jacksonville Beach, Sunday, September 22nd, 2019. Where do you host clinics? At first, I was hosting clinics in locations in which my friends lived. Since then, we've been lucky enough to have facilities reach out to us in hopes of hosting a clinic, so now it's a mix of where I want to travel and where people are looking to get involved. This year we are going to: Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Fla., Atlanta, San Francisco, San Diego, Champaign, Ill., and Toledo, Ohio (for now!). How do you find women to participate in the clinics? It's all about the hustle. I'm reaching out to friends and family in the local community, women's organizations, local businesses and so much more. In my opinion, if we want to reach more people and introduce them to the sport, we need to go where they are - they're not necessarily at the golf course already! What if a woman already plays golf but wants to get involved with Fore the Ladies? We've noticed that our community is a mix of current players and women new to the sport. For those who have already been introduced to the sport, we have a directory called the Fore the Ladies Tee Sheet that women can register to and find other women in their area to set up a round. This year, we hosted our very first golf getaway for women with Pinehurst Resort, which welcomed us for a weekend of golf, off-the-course activities and camaraderie. We hope to do more of these in the future and expand our offerings for current female golfers! What's next for Fore the Ladies? It's crazy to think about what we have achieved in two years, especially when all but two of our events were cancelled in 2020. We are still a young non-profit organization, but we are focused on reaching as many women as possible and introducing them to the sport. I think we are going to focus a lot of our time in the next two to three years getting women to continue their journey with golf after a FTL clinic, whether that be through lessons, teeing it up or even tuning in more to women's professional golf. Abby Liebenthal, Fore the Ladies, Inc., Founder @AbbyLiebs LinkedIn

New York, NY —The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is proud to announce Imperial Headwear as the “Official Headwear” and National Promotional Partner of the NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic, which to date has raised more than $100 million to promote kidney health and improve the lives of the 37 million Americans affected by kidney disease. NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic events are held at some of the most prestigious courses across the country providing corporations additional opportunities to partner with customers and colleagues while also supporting corporate social responsibility and a great cause. “We’re so excited that Imperial Headwear is joining us during the 2021 season as the National Promotional Partner for the NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic tournaments,” said Kevin Longino, CEO, National Kidney Foundation and a kidney transplant patient. “When you have kidney disease, you’re at an increased risk of developing life-threatening complications from COVID-19 . This incredible partnership comes at a critical time for our kidney community and truly helps us raise awareness and the funds needed to continue advancing kidney health. The partnership between the National Kidney Foundation and Imperial Headwear includes a curated collection of headwear, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting NKF. “Golf has been a great respite for those seeking leisure and exercise for hundreds of years, but never more so than in the past year during the global pandemic,” said David Shaffer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Imperial. “That’s why we’re so pleased to continue our partnership with the National Kidney Foundation by providing our most popular hats at their golf events held throughout the country. We’re very proud to do our part in helping support patients and families affected by kidney disease, especially during these challenging times,” added Shaffer. Successful since it was founded in 1987, the NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic is The Premier Amateur Golf Event for Charity. Each year thousands of golfers from across the country participate in nearly 30 local events held at top venues, entertaining clients, and playing for the chance to qualify in the National Finals held at the prestigious Pebble Beach on January 14-17, 2021. Participating golfers raise $3.5 million annually to benefit the National Kidney Foundation and the 37 million Americans affected by kidney disease. The series showcases Konica Minolta as the National Title Sponsor and IAA, Inc as a National Corporate Partner. National Promotional Partners include the Greg Norman Collection and Imperial Headwear. For more information about the NKF Konica Minolta Golf Classic, or to find an upcoming event near you, please visit NKFKonicaMinoltaGolfClassic.com. All golf events will adhere to COVID-19 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as any state-specific guidelines. Please review NKF’s “Know Before You Go ” for additional information. Kidney Disease Facts In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also called chronic kidney disease (CKD), and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it. 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. is at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People who are Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are almost 4 times more likely than Whites to have kidney failure. Hispanic or Latino people are 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanics or Latinos to have kidney failure. About Imperial Headwear 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 97 of the Top 100 and over 70% of the Top 400 golf courses in the United States. The Association of Golf Merchandisers (AGM) has voted Imperial the #1 golf headwear brand for four consecutive years. 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 imperial1916.com or call (800) 950-1916. Follow Imperial Headwear on Twitter and Instagram at @ImperialHats and on Facebook at facebook.com/ImperialHeadwear . Imperial Headwear’s 100th Anniversary video can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/179793530 . About National Kidney Foundation The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org . Contact: Julie Kimbrough, 212-889-2210, ext. 136 Email: julie.kimbrough@kidney.org Karla Thomas, 212-889-2210, ext. 133 Email: karla.thomas@kidney.org

Imperial recently announced their continued partnership with the Gateway PGA Section, and the creation of theImperial – “The Hometown Hat of the Gateway PGA” Program. Imperial’s headquarters are just outside St. Louis, Missouri, which is also home to the Gateway PGA Section. Included in the partnership agreement between the two local organizations, Imperial will be the Title Sponsor of the Imperial Headwear Pro-Assistant Championship.Imperial will also provide all of the officially branded staff headwear for the Gateway PGA, Junior PGA, and participants of the Gateway PGA Pro Am tournaments in 2021-2022.“Imperial is very proud of our strong relationship with the Gateway PGA Section and we are happy to continue the partnership,” said Mike Wrightson, President of Imperial Headwear. “Our ties to the St. Louis community and the PGA of America are very important to our Company.”Imperial recently supported the Gateway PGA’s most prominent events hosted by hall of famer Ozzie Smith, The Annual Ozzie & Friends Pro-Am Tournament. Imperial created a unique cap with style X210P featuring a 3D Insignia of Ozzie Smith doing one of his signature backflips on the front. The annual event is held every year at the Country Club of St. Albans. Proceeds benefit the Gateway PGA Section and PGA Reach Foundation.“The Gateway PGA is honored to have Imperial Headwear headquartered in the same section in which we serve our PGA Members,” said Ali Wells,Executive Director of the Gateway PGA. “ Imperial is the Hometown Hat of the PGA, we value that relationship and look forward to our continued partnership and dedication to grow the game of golf in the area we both call home”.

Imperial recently announced Alan Hyman’s hire as a new sales representative in the Western Carolinas.“We are very excited to welcome Alan to the Imperial team,” said David Shaffer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Imperial.. “Alan’s prior experience, skill for successful merchandising, and network of industry professionals will be a major asset to our sales team.”Hyman began his career at World Tour Golf Links and Pawley’s Plantation Golf and Country Club for three years before relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina. For the last eight years, Alan has excelled as Merchandiser and Assistant Golf Professional at Carmel Country Club. In addition to building strong relationships with members, colleagues and vendors, Alan was instrumental in procuring leading brands in both golf and tennis, as well as driving annual shop sales to over $1.4M. Alan is a PGA Associate Member and longtime Imperial customer.