Muni Kids. You have to admit it's a catchy name right? But what exactly does it mean to you? Are you a Muni Kid? Is it a junior golf brand? I'm a member at a country club, so how could this possibly have meaning to me? These are all questions we are being asked on a weekly basis and being we are a very young brand, I feel like we owe you an explanation of what our brand stands for and it's meaning. When I started playing around with developing a golf clothing brand awhile back, I wanted the name to have meaning, significance, something that the consumer could be like, ya that's me. Growing up at the local muni is what I kept going back to and drawing inspiration from. It wasn't until I started the brand had I realized how influential playing golf at the muni my whole life had played a role in who I am, who I associated with, and not to sound over the top but my views on the world and philosophies. The more that I brainstormed I realized, that the muni was so influential it couldn't just be a clothing brand but more of a lifestyle brand that covers a wider range of products for golf in general while representing municipal golf culture. I looked back on my past, my present, and pondered my future and realized that playing golf at the muni would always influence me. No matter where life takes me, I would always be a Muni Kid. I mean, follow me down memory lane for a second. There aren't many things in life as good as growing up golfing with your friends all summer at the muni. It's one of the best times of your life. Life was easy, you believed you could be anyone you wanted to be, do anything you wanted to do. Muni Kids, think about it, it's a timeless name. It brings you back to better times when life is hard and let's face it, once a Muni Kid, always a Muni Kid. I'm 28 years old and yesterday I played a round with an old friend at the course I grew up on. I striped a drive on hole seven and he said, "nice drive kid!" and I kind of laughed. He looked at me grinning and said, no matter how old I am, I will always be a kid to him when we are out golfing. I thought about that statement he made as I was winding down my evening last night and all I could think was how he was right. I mean I look at the guys younger than me up there at the course and I too will always think of them as kids. It's just what they are to me. I'll stop babbling because I'm sure you are getting the point. A Muni Kid is something that you never stop being, it's timeless, it's your roots, it's who you are. If you are a member at a country club, it doesn't matter, you grew up on a muni, you are still a muni kid no matter what. Maybe you are a junior golfer now playing at the muni, is our brand for you? Absolutely. Muni Kids is for everyone, it's a connection to golf, life, and friendships. 

Comments (3)

To have played amongst, won money with, and lost money against two Division 1, PAC-10 (at the time, now PAC-12) golfers brings me no shame whatsoever. I’m quite proud to know that two of the guys at the top of my Nicklaus List played at such extremely high levels. I first found the game of golf at a little 9 hole muni in Christmas Valley, Oregon. I learned the game with a 7 iron and a putter my parents purchased at a small little golf shop in Bend, Oregon, and from then on out I was hooked on the game. Throughout my life and time in this industry I have had the privilege of working for and meeting some amazing people. Although the area that Scott and I grew up in hosted no “true muni”, our roots stem from public golf courses in an area filled with member driven courses. As a kid, a family friend who is a PGA Professional at Black Butte and WSU Cougar, Terry Anderson, promised me a job as a 10 year old kid once I had a drivers license. What amazing motivation! In the end this job didn’t pan out for one reason or another, but I found myself at River’s Edge in Bend. The Director of Golf at the time, Zack Swoffer, allowed me to hit balls from the sage brush that lined the driving range for free golf and range balls. This eventually led to my first job as an outside service employee for the next 4 years. After high school, I found myself in a town I had heard about solely due to ACME and Wile E. Coyotey himself, in other words “a town so nice they named it twice”, Walla Walla, Washington. This was the first place I encountered a crew of golfers who were like the guys I grew up with. All bets on the table, if you want to play the game your playing straight up, let’s exchange cash money at the end. Over the next few years while attending college, playing golf and working, I built up a life long friendship that I will cherish until my final breath. I can still remember sitting in the pro shop at Vets brainstorming the conception of this company that Maxton had built. We were throwing ideas out about a catchy logo, something to draw the eye. Well my friend, I think you well exceeded those vision quests! I’m sure I’ve babbled on enough, but I felt it was needed for me to submit this post. For those of you still reading, I am an Assistant Superintendent at the Concord, Califronia Muni, Diablo Creek GC. have so much to be thankful for in my career, and this company is at the very top
of the list. Go play golf, have fun, make birdies, bogeys suck, MuniKids!

Chippy

Thanks Scott! I appreciate the kind words. You will always be a Muni Kid to us too man. If you spent time growing up with Chippy than I know you are! Glad to hear everything is going well for you. Next time Chippy is in the area we all have to get out and play.

Cheers,

Max

Maxton Reinland

Max,

Thanks for passing this along. Your story brings me back to my roots with Chippy playing at River’s Edge in Bend, Oregon. I kicked his ass out of a lot of money for what it’s worth. Too many good memories to count and undoubtedly one of the happiest times of my life.

Though I am now the First Assistant at a private club, I will always be a Muni Kid at heart… In thinking a little deeper about my own journey I realize how I now have to put on a face everyday to make a fortunate few happy. While I couldn’t be in a better spot, I feel as though some of my fiber has been stripped away by the pomp and circumstance that is the private club experience. Reading this brings me back to my roots and I am again reminded that I will always be a Muni Kid.

Thanks for sharing and I would love to hear/learn more.

Cheers to light beers,

Scott

Scott Barton

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