What is involved in finding the goods for a Top 100 course? Hint: a lot

Last August, while on a last-hurrah summer trip to California before my kids started school, I noticed a man wearing a polo shirt with The Maidstone Club logo – a royal blue whale positioned above the water, with the club’s founding year, 1891, below it. It’s instant familiar emblem for anyone with knowledge of Top-100 courses, but especially for me, a former club employee for two college summers. I haven’t been back to the hallowed grounds of the course for over 15 years, but Maidstone (No. 29 in the latest GOLF ranking of the top 100 courses in the US) remains near and dear to my heart, my absolute favorite course and club.

Seeing that logo in the wild, thousands of miles away from East Hampton, NY, stopped me in my tracks and made my mind race with possibilities. Did I know this man? Is he a member of Maidstone? When did he play? I was very curious! But as much as I wanted to strike up a conversation with him, I suppressed the urge, for fear of being intrusively demanding of a complete stranger. In the end, I didn’t approach him, and he went his way and I went mine. But it was a stark reminder of the power of club logos: whether worn as humble status symbols or bucket-list souvenirs, sporting them – and knowing them – makes you feel like a member of elite society.

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to visit a club like Maidstone, you’ve likely spent some time in the golf shop looking at the logo equipment. Guests at Top 100 clubs regularly drop hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars on polos, caps and course hats, and platforms like TikTok and Instagram have only increased the importance of top-tier club merchandise. While Maidstone refrains from social media, the trend of “golf shop clips” – in which players show off their equipment, clothing and accessory purchases from the world’s best courses – has grown in popularity, reaching an increasingly eager audience.

It goes without saying that selectively stocking up on these courses is no small task. Melissa Santonelli has been merchandise manager of the Maidstone golf shop for the past three seasons and took to the job like a duck to water, setting sales records each year in a row. I couldn’t wait to ask her: What is her process for securing the goods at a club of Maidstone’s caliber?

“One of the things that’s been important to me is finding new products,” she told me recently. “I feel very proud when I see how well they do.”

One example: Harlestons, a Charleston-based golf brand whose founders reached out to Santonelli for an appointment to show off their collection. She was impressed with their story and the quality of the clothing, placed an order to start with 100 pieces – and sold out within two weeks.

“I’m always looking for something that’s cutting edge, ready to blow up,” she said. “I don’t want something that’s already been blown up, and everybody already knows that. So every year I try to find something new that I can bring that (the membership) hasn’t seen before.”

What about some other new brands to keep an eye on? Santonelli said she is also impressed by Quiet Golf (“with its streetwear meets heritage links vibe”) and Field Day Sporting Co. (“bringing timeless menswear silhouettes to the field”). Both will be available in Maidstone next year.

Of course, wearing logo socks from popular country club brands like Holderness & Bourne AND Peter Millar it’s a given, says Santonelli. But its decision to bring in crossover brands like Faherty it has been a help for the club as well. Another highlight? According to Santonelli, A. Putnamwith its resort-to-sport style, has brought sophistication and modern elegance to women’s golf fashion in Maidstone.

“I don’t know if my choices would work for other clubs, but because Maidstone has a private beach club that sits along the Atlantic Ocean, some of the non-golf parts are important because not everyone is a golfer who comes here,” she said. “They want something with a whale on it, but not necessarily a golf polo. So the lifestyle pieces have become a big hit.”

For Santonelli, the wants and needs of members are always top of mind. But guests are also an important consideration. That’s why she ensures that she always has a healthy stock of souvenir items like logo polos, hats and headgear throughout the year. But Santonelli doesn’t separate members and guests into different categories when she’s looking for new merchandise.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s for a member or a guest. I just buy the best stuff I can find and it’s up to me how it arrives,” she says. “What motivates me are ‘true golf enthusiasts’ – those who know the brands, appreciate the quality and understand the tradition behind the game.”

And speaking of quality, it’s something Santonelli also takes very seriously.

“A brand is often only as strong as the spokesperson who represents it,” she says. “Attention to detail matters – from making sure the logo is the right colour, size and placement, to making sure deliveries arrive on time. I’m very particular about fit, size and quality. If a collar doesn’t hold up well after a few washes, customers will also switch to another brand.

“My success also depends on the professionalism of each seller,” she continued. “And if that’s missing, I won’t hesitate to drop a line, no matter how popular it might be. If I can’t get what I need to do my job well, I just move on.”

As a top 100 tee, Maidstone remains one of golf’s most coveted times and logos. Visitors tend to enjoy showing off their purchases, both online and in real life. For Santonelli, that’s just par for the course — and ultimately, a reflection of a job well done.