How We Sold $100k Worth of Golf Gloves on the Side

Most people look at a golf glove and see, well, just a golf glove… white, plain, forgettable.

But Randall Pulfer and his co-founder Tyler, with zero experience in manufacturing, no background in design, and a full-time day job, sold $100k worth of golf gloves as a side hustle.

ChippGolfCo.com is now a brand that’s making waves in the golf scene.

Randall breaks down how he pulled it off from coming up with the idea, finding the right manufacturing partner, and making those first crucial sales.

(Want to try a pair for yourself? Head over to ChippGolfCo.com and use promo code HUSTLE for 15% off your order.)

Tune in to Episode 661 of the Side Hustle Show to learn:

• how Randall came up with this idea
• how they found the right manufacturing partner to make it reality
• the marketing efforts that have worked to start to generate some profitable sales

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Finding the “White Space” in the Market

Golf gloves have always been a bit of an afterthought.

White, white, or… white. That was the choice.

Meanwhile, the golf industry was booming with new brands rolling out bold shirts, funky hats, and colorful belts, but gloves never got the same treatment.

Randall and his co-founder Tyler thought, why not make it fun?

Golfers would love a high-quality glove with a little personality.

Why Physical Products?

Randall had always wanted to start something in an industry he was passionate about, and golf was the perfect fit.

Sure, with the popularity and more accessibility of digital products, he could have chosen something like content or affiliate marketing, golf blogs like Sean Ogle’s Breaking Eighty, dropshipping golf simulators, or even running a daily golf deals site.

But ultimately, he wanted to create something tangible.

Plus, he liked the idea of seeing a product out in the world, something that a stranger might be wearing on the course one day. A product he built from scratch.

On top of that, their product had a few built-in advantages:

• Easy to store – Gloves are small, so inventory wouldn’t take over their apartments
• Lightweight to ship – No heavy fulfillment costs
• Repeat customers – Golf gloves wear out. That meant built-in repeat business if they could get people hooked on their designs

Bringing the Idea to Life

They started their product research with a Google search.

He noticed that every golf glove was being manufactured in Indonesia from his Alibaba research.

So they went straight to the source, cold-emailing manufacturers and testing samples.

Once they found a factory that could deliver on quality, they placed their first order. 1,000 gloves per design. That meant a $10,000 upfront investment — a big leap for a side hustle.

With only two designs, they launched Chipp Golf Co.:

• Texas Hole’em – inspired by the poker games played on the course.
• Feelin’ Lucky – a green-clover design, tying golf back to its roots in Scotland and Ireland.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough to start testing the waters. Since then, they’ve expanded to over 10 designs and counting.

Figuring Out the Right Price

Randall and Tyler walked into a PGA Superstore to check out the competition and found that most premium golf gloves were selling for $18 to $24, so they figured $18 was a solid starting point.

But there was one big problem: they didn’t factor in marketing costs.

Once they started running ads and paying for customer acquisition, they quickly realized that $18+ shipping wasn’t going to cut it.

So they bumped the price to $24 with free shipping, which immediately boosted conversions. 

Later, to account for marketplace fees (Amazon, Etsy, etc.), they settled on $28.

Validating the Idea Before Launch

Before sinking money into inventory, they ran a survey in golf Facebook groups and golf podcast communities. They wanted to get a sense of:

• What sizes were most popular (most golfers wear Medium, Medium-Large, or Large)?
• Would people actually buy these?
• How much would they pay?

200 golfers responded. It wasn’t a massive data set, but it was enough to give them confidence before pulling the trigger on manufacturing.

When their first 2,000 gloves arrived, the gloves came in basic plastic sleeves, with zero branding. Not exactly the premium look they wanted.

So they ordered custom zipper pouches from China. But again, another issue was the gloves weren’t labeled.

So Randall and his wife spent days printing and sticking labels by hand—every size, every design.

Getting Into Paid Ads

So they launched the website, posted on social media, and thought, sales would roll in. Yeah, no.

This was their biggest mistake because the progress was slow.

They had 2,000 gloves sitting in the garage and needed to move them.

So they tested Meta ads and also hired a photographer on Upwork for better product photos.

They realized:

• $6-8 cost per acquisition on a good day.
• Summer was cheaper to advertise (golf is seasonal).

And guys 20-50 years old during peak golf season are a really cheap audience to target.

Making It an Impulse Buy

Golf gloves wear out. That means repeat buyers. But how do you get people to buy more than one at a time?

Randall shared that they added a Shopify plugin called Rebuy.

It basically nudges people along—”You’re X away from free shipping.” “Add another and get this free glove dryer.” And then we tested a “Buy 3, Get 1 Free” offer. That worked.

And the more designs we added, the more people started grabbing extras. That’s when it really started picking up.

They went from selling a handful of gloves a day to thousands last year.

Tools/Tech

With thousands of gloves selling, Chipp Golf needed the right tools to keep everything running smoothly.

Here’s what they’re using now:

• Shopify – The e-commerce backbone. Integrates with all their sales channels.
• Rebuy – Shopify plugin that upsells and increases cart value.
• Shopify Marketplace Connect – Syncs inventory and orders across Amazon, Etsy, Walmart, and TikTok Shop
• BuiltWith – Lets you see what tech other stores are using
• Klaviyo – Handles all email marketing and abandoned cart follow-ups
• Carro – Lets other companies sell Chipp Golf gloves on their sites, without handling inventory, kind of like affiliate marketing

The Marketplace Play

While pro shops weren’t the silver bullet they hoped for, Amazon, Etsy, and TikTok Shop have been solid sales channels.

Golf gloves are a high-search product in Amazon, and even though Amazon’s fees cut into margins, it’s still often cheaper than paying for ads.

Plus, every sale on Amazon helps boost rankings so Chipp shows up higher in search results.

Etsy was a surprise success. While it’s known for handmade and custom goods, Chipp’s unique, artsy glove designs fit right in, especially as Father’s Day and holiday gifts.

Even better is that Etsy’s ads have been super cost-effective.

And then there’s TikTok Shop, which has been growing fast.

https://www.tiktok.com/@chippgolfco/video/7371144832074534175

Most of Chipp’s TikTok sales come from organic videos going viral, but TikTok’s shopping integration has made it easier to turn views into sales.

A Golf Glove Subscription?

Randall and Tyler have talked about it, but for now, it’s on the back burner. The challenge is, they’d need a lot more designs to keep things fresh.

That said, the model makes sense. Sign up, and every one to three months, you get a new glove delivered automatically. For customers, it’s convenient. For Chipp, it means predictable, recurring revenue.

It’s something they may explore down the road.

A Day in the Life

Randall starts at 5:30/6:00 am and goes straight to emails, customer service, and order management.

Then it’s the 9 to 5 (he’s an engineer), which he works from home. That gives him a little flexibility to check in on Chipp Golf during breaks.

Evenings are for spending time with his wife and their two dogs, and then, if there’s time, it’s back to tweaking ads, reviewing sales, or planning new designs.

Scaling Up: Logistics & Shipping

For the first couple of years, every single order was packed by hand in Randall’s garage. But as sales grew, so did the time spent stuffing envelopes and printing shipping labels.

Eventually, they partnered with a 3PL (third-party logistics) company to handle storage, packing, and shipping.

Now, when an order comes in, it goes straight to their fulfillment partner, and Randall doesn’t have to spend every night in the garage packing gloves.

Mistakes & Surprises Along the Way

No business runs smoothly, and Chipp Golf has had its fair share of curveballs.

• The waterproof leather disaster – when their most popular design started peeling off in sweaty conditions, customers weren’t happy. A full recall, refunds, and a viral TikTok later, Chipp Golf came out stronger.
• The “build it and they will come” myth – relying on organic social media alone didn’t work. They had to learn paid ads.
• The packaging scramble – realizing too late that their first 2,000 gloves had no branding or labels.

Through all of it, they kept repeating, fixing problems, and figuring it out as they went.

What’s Next for Chipp Golf?

New designs are rolling out, including a Masters green glove and a boxing glove-inspired red design.

Custom orders have become a major revenue stream. Companies, golf brands, and even private equity firms are getting custom-designed gloves for events.

And for scaling influencer marketing, 2025 is all about leveraging social media creators to grow even faster.

Randall’s #1 Tip for Side Hustle Nation

“Find joy in the struggle.”

Get Your Hands on a Chipp Golf Glove

Want to try one for yourself? Head over to ChippGolfCo.com and use promo code HUSTLE for 15% off your order.

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