The Ali Putnam Story
I am the founder and CEO of A. PUTNAM, a luxury resort-to-sport brand creating sophisticated women’s apparel that moves seamlessly from the golf course into everyday life.
I graduated from Syracuse University and pivoted from ceramics and Division I lacrosse into a dual major in supply chain and entrepreneurship, building a career spanning logistics, manufacturing, and global supply chain leadership.
After years of consulting and corporate roles, I recognized a gap in women’s golf apparel—nothing matched my desire for polished, age-appropriate, highly functional clothing that honored golf’s traditions.
I took a course in launching a conscious apparel line, immersed myself in the fashion supply chain, and debuted A. PUTNAM at the PGA Show with a focus on quality, versatility, and relationship-driven wholesale partnerships. Today, my work centers on empowering women to feel confident, comfortable, and appropriately dressed in every setting, from the first tee to client meetings and family life.
My Journey
I never set out to start a golf apparel brand; I set out to solve a very personal problem. As a mom of five boys, a golfer, and someone who has always cared about how clothes feel and behave, I kept running into the same frustration: I could not find pieces that felt polished and appropriate for golf, but also worked for the rest of my day. Everything felt either too sporty, too loud, or too precious for the life I was actually living—one that bounced from carpool and conference calls to nine holes and dinner.
The turning point came after years of building a career in supply chain and entrepreneurship, launching side ventures, and helping other people grow their ideas. I remember sitting with the realization that I had all of this experience—negotiating with factories, managing logistics, scaling operations—and yet the one product I desperately wanted didn’t exist.
I went back to the basics I learned in my entrepreneurship classes: the best businesses solve real problems their founders truly understand. That idea stayed with me until I finally gave myself permission to start the line I’d been imagining since I was a little girl sketching outfits.
From there, I became a student again. I enrolled in an intensive course on launching a conscious apparel line, studied the fashion supply chain, and partnered with experts who could help me translate my vision into actual garments. I obsessed over fabrics that could hold their shape through a full day, silhouettes that felt timeless instead of trendy, and details that made sense for both a backswing and a boardroom entrance.
When A. PUTNAM launched, it wasn’t about chasing the loudest pattern on the rack; it was about giving women something beautifully made that respected their time, their taste, and the roles they carry.
Today, when I walk into a pro shop or see a woman traveling in our pieces, I’m reminded that this journey started with one very specific pain point: getting dressed for golf and realizing nothing felt quite right for everything else on my calendar. Building A. PUTNAM has intertwined my love of sport, design, and operations into a single mission—to honor the traditions of golf while meeting women exactly where they are in their lives. My hope is that when a woman pulls on one of our pieces, she feels not just “dressed for golf,” but fully herself—confident, comfortable, and ready for whatever the day brings.
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What was the genesis for A. PUTNAM?
A. PUTNAM began when I realized there was a gap between what women were expected to wear in golf and what our real lives demand.
I wanted polished, age-appropriate pieces that honored golf’s traditions, moved with an active schedule, and felt as beautiful at school pickup or a client dinner as they did on the first tee.
What differentiates A. PUTNAM from others in the highly competitive women’s apparel sector?
We design resort-to-sport apparel that flexes up from the golf course into real life, instead of down from performance wear.
Our silhouettes are minimalist and timeless, with elevated fabrics and construction more akin to ready-to-wear than traditional golf apparel.
We also lead with deep partnerships and service, helping golf shops, resorts, and corporate clients win with women’s apparel, not just fill a rack.
Who is your customer?
She is a modern, multi-tasking woman—often a professional, leader, or mom—who loves the game and the community around it.
She values tradition but wants clothing that respects her time, taste, and body: elegant, appropriate, and easy to wear all day.
She might play nine holes, head to a board meeting, then host family dinner, without time for three outfit changes.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned that you were not aware of when starting the business?
The biggest lesson was how relational this business really is—design and product matter, but listening and showing up consistently for pros, buyers, and customers is what builds trust.
I underestimated how much time I’d spend educating, partnering, and co-strategizing with shops and corporate clients, not just designing clothes.
What are the three most important recommendations you can offer women when selecting clothes needed for the golf course and wanting that elasticity and style to wear elsewhere?
Prioritize fabric first: look for structured yet comfortable textiles with good recovery, so pieces drape well at dinner but still perform on the back nine.
Choose modern, clean silhouettes (a tapered pant, wrap skort, or simple polo) over loud prints; they’re easier to pair with blazers, denim, or flats after your round.
Think in outfits, not one-offs: a great pant, a versatile top, and one layer (like a blazer or anorak) should combine into multiple looks across golf, travel, and day-to-day life.
Fashion is always about sparking the next trend before it becomes commonplace. What do you see happening going forward in the industry and what role will your efforts play in that development?
Women’s golf is moving toward pieces that are less “sport uniform” and more “wardrobe cornerstone”—styles that hold up in a clubhouse, a boardroom, or on an airplane.
I see myself more focus on thoughtful fit, quality, and quiet luxury, with brands expected to honor the game while respecting how women actually live.
Our role is to keep pushing that standard: designing pieces you’d wear even if you never picked up a club and supporting clubs and partners who want to truly welcome women.
Companies routinely tout the important of customer service. Define the term and the approach you follow.
Customer service, to me, is the art of making people feel seen, respected, and supported from the first interaction to long after a purchase.
In practice, that means clear communication, responsiveness, standing behind our product, and being willing to solve problems creatively for both individual customers and our wholesale partners.
We treat every shop, pro, and customer like a long-term relationship, not a transaction.
Customer feedback is something many companies seek. What methods do you use in soliciting such comments and have there been any comments that were most helpful in your future design efforts?
We collect feedback through direct conversations with golf professionals and buyers, trunk shows, social media DMs, email, and fit sessions with real women trying on product.
Some of the most valuable feedback has been about fit through the waist and rise, sleeve coverage, and pocket placement—those details have directly shaped adjustments to our pants, skorts, and tops.
Hearing how women actually move—pushing a stroller, carrying a laptop, or traveling—has also influenced fabric choices and the versatility we build into each style.
Biggest challenges going forward – short and long term are what? And what strategic responses are you implementing in dealing with each?
Short term, the challenge is standing out in a crowded, trend-driven market while staying true to a more timeless, elevated aesthetic. We’re addressing that by deepening partnerships with key green-grass and corporate accounts, focusing on quality and service that are hard to replicate.
Long term, scaling thoughtfully—growing distribution without diluting the brand or sacrificing fit and quality—is the central challenge. Strategically, we’re investing in tighter supply chain processes, measured channel expansion, and design discipline so every collection feels intentional, not just bigger.
Best advice you ever received – what was it and who was it from?
Solve a real problem you personally understand and let that be your North Star.
It came from a mentor in my entrepreneurship days and was echoed throughout my career; it’s what pushed me to build a brand around the exact gap I felt every time I got dressed for golf and the rest of my day.
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For more info on A. PUTNAM | Luxury Women’s Golf Apparel | Resort to Sport | click HERE
