Kate Korngold fell in love with the game of golf as a player, but years removed from picking up her first club, this 14-year-old girl is now changing the game as an industry leader, one piece of clothing at a time.
As the Founder of Featherie, a golf attire company for teen girls, Kate hopes to provide girl golfers with something the boys have had for decades, stylish and functional apparel designed exclusively for them.
Kate’s vision extends far beyond clothing racks, however. She hopes to inspire generations of girls to become more confident, on and off the course.
“I’ve definitely learned that I should be comfortable with who I am,” Kate explained. “I should feel confident in what I say because I’ve proven I have good ideas and that I can contribute a lot if I turn on my switch and use my voice.”
Kate’s father introduced her to golf when she was young, and she immediately fell in love with it. The sport offered her quality time with her family, the chance to get out of New York City for a few hours, and above all else, the strategy that came with maneuvering through a round.
Despite everything golf had to offer however, there was something noticeably missing: clothing options for girls. This wasn’t just an issue with one course either, but all of them. After years of searching pro shops for a sign of change, Kate decided enough was enough. If no one else was going to fix this issue, she would.
“Whenever my dad played a new course, he would go into the pro shop and buy my siblings clothes with the logo on it, but I always ended up with a hat because there was nothing made for girls,” Kate said. “After a while, it became really upsetting and frustrating. It wasn’t even about fashion at that point, it was about feeling included, because when there aren’t any clothes for me to wear, I feel like I don’t even belong at the course.”
Just 10 years old at the time, Kate approached her parents in 2019 with her idea to launch a golf clothing line for girls. Even though they were encouraged by her passion, Kate’s parents suggested waiting to see if another brand would step up. When that didn’t happen, they gave her the go-ahead to start designing.
“I sketched out a couple of pieces originally, which did not look good because I’m really bad at drawing,” Kate said with a laugh. “So, my mom and I found a designer and we worked together to sketch out all of my ideas. That worked out much better.”
Style was obviously a priority for Kate, but she knew it would mean nothing without functionality. That’s why she relied on her experience as a competitive girl golfer to make special additions to each piece of clothing. For example, pants and skorts feature a back pocket that’s wide enough to hold a scorecard, as well as a convenient tee holder in the waistband. Functionality even extends to the fabrics, which are high-tech and come with UV protection.
Upon finalizing her debut line, Kate officially turned her dream into a reality by launching Featherie in 2023. Inspired by the feathery ball that revolutionized golf in the 1600s, Featherie seeks to change the game for girls. This focus on female empowerment is felt throughout the company, as each item in Featherie’s debut collection is named in honor of an inspirational female leader who has done great things to level the playing field. Items are affectionately titled by first name, such as the “Lexi Polo” and the “Carli Skort”.
“The most rewarding part of creating Featherie has been seeing this idea actually turn into a reality,” Kate explained. “I love hearing how much these female players and young professionals like wearing the clothes, and how great and confident they feel.”
Featherie has already made waves across the golf world, with Kate appearing on Golf Channel and securing floor space for her company at the 2024 PGA Show. Kate maximized her PGA Show presence on social media too, creating a video that went viral on TikTok, garnering 1.4M views and 34K likes.
“I really didn’t know what to expect going into the PGA Show, but the response was unbelievable,” Kate shared. “I had female golf pros coming up and thanking me for launching this company. Following the show, we saw an extremely positive response on social media with girls seeking out our site and sharing their challenges with finding stylish and functional clothing.”
The PGA Show was a massive success for many reasons, including Kate’s introduction to LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, a global program which has introduced more than one million girls to the game since 1987. With similar goals in mind, Featherie and Girls Golf joined forces to light a spark in the junior golf space.
As a newfound sponsor of the program, Featherie made its presence felt by supporting the inaugural LPGA*USGA Girls Golf National Championship presented by the Peggy Kirk Bell Girls Golf Tour back in June. This tournament brought 144 of the best girl golfers in the world together over three days of competition at the prestigious Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, home to four U.S. Women’s Opens.
“It’s amazing to see what organizations like Girls Golf are doing to bring girls into the sport and provide them with the support to chase their dreams,” Kate said. “This is a goal my company shares, and I know that we can achieve it by working together.”
Kate’s support did not stop there, however. She also came out to one of golf’s greatest events, the Solheim Cup, to surprise some Girls Golf eLeaders with Featherie gift cards. As eLeaders, these girls dedicate countless hours each month to empowering future generations of girls through the game, and they can personally attest to how important a brand like Featherie truly is.
“When I was really little, there weren’t many options for girl’s clothing,” eLeader Sophia Lee explained. “But I think it’s really empowering for girls to have clothes they not only like, but that fit them comfortably. I know for me personally, there really is something to looking great, feeling great and playing great, and I know that brands like Featherie have already done so much in bringing new girls into the game just through the fashion side alone.”
As someone who has presented her company to thousands of industry professionals, Kate can certainly relate to the power of looking good. Fashion is something she has relied on when faced with situations most would find nerve-wracking, such as presenting her brand in boardrooms and finalizing partnership deals.
Throughout this process, Kate has learned so much more about herself. For example, she is extremely creative, organized and capable of great things. Kate not only found her voice, but she has used it to make her dreams come true. As she pushes forward, she hopes her brand will do the same for girls everywhere.
“I hope Featherie teaches girl golfers my age that they’re important, and they belong in golf,” Kate explained. “We need a seat at the table, and we should have a place in golf where we feel comfortable and belong.”
If there’s one thing Kate has proven to herself and the golf world over the past four years, it’s that she belongs at the table.
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