Those who say “you can’t go home again” may not be familiar with the story of Patrick Keegan and Field Day, a golf menswear brand he launched in 2024 that’s quickly becoming a favorite of top-100 clubs across the nation.
The son of a golf professional, Keegan grew up in the quaint midwestern town of Morris, Illinois, about an hour southwest of Chicago. Despite a stellar junior golf career, he chose to forgo a golf scholarship in favor of studying fashion design at the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. After graduating in 2014, he worked as a designer for Ralph Lauren Golf, Greyson Clothiers and Linksoul before deciding to move back to Morris in the fall of 2021.
“With a population of 15,000, Morris has a yesteryear kind of feel, and my wife Kristen and I decided if we were to start a business and raise a family the way we wanted, this was the place to do it,” he says.
In November 2021, two months after the birth of son Ford, Keegan opened Field Day Social, a “general store” with a retail space for top men’s apparel brands, as well as a full bar, barber shop and section for tuxedo rental. Three years later, with money he had stashed away from his consulting work for golf brands, he launched the Field Day Sporting Co. specialty apparel collection – family owned and self funded.
“A lot of golfers are tapping into timeless, conservative classic looks that work on the golf course, but you can wear with jeans or a suit.” — Patrick Keegan
“I crafted Field Day as a heritage menswear brand celebrating the way golfers dressed from the 1940s to mid-1960s. I look at black-and-white photos from that period and those looks are still relevant today,” he said. “We’ve got that kind of mid-century Arnold Palmer/Ben Hogan flavor but with modern recycled product infused with tech and spandex – clothes you love because of what Lululemon has taught us.”
According to Keegan, Field Day – which sits pricewise in the company of Holderness & Bourne and Greyson – is a departure from most higher-end men’s golf lines, which he believes are starting to feel redundant in today’s “wallpaper design” fashion industry.
“A lot of golfers are tapping into timeless, conservative classic looks that work on the golf course, but you can wear with jeans or a suit,” he said. “We’re definitely premium, but I think we’re really fair.”
Keegan’s keen business sense was honed in the golf shop his dad John owned for 30-plus years, where he learned how the wholesale business works and how to maintain an “old-school, family-owned merchant way of thinking” in this quickly evolving landscape.
“It’s a very interesting world to be living in right now. The brands growing the quickest and loudest are growing on Instagram and the web,” he said. “We are taking a different approach and connecting with retail partners and historic golf industry organizations. We’re seeing through this dream with all the best intentions and the right partners the slow – and hard – way.”
Selling out its first three collections, Field Day has made its way into about 100 top-tier clubs, including Hazeltine National, Chicago Golf Club, Pebble Beach, Winged Foot and Chicago Highlands, where PGA director of golf Patrick Crow says it has resonated with members and enjoyed 100 percent sell-through.
“What sets Field Day apart is its unique blend of fashion and timeless style. The pieces have a refined, sophisticated look that stands out, yet they remain highly functional for golf,” Crow said. “Patrick Keegan, the owner and designer, has a great pedigree in the industry, and he’s someone you just want to see succeed. His vision for the brand is clear, and he’s creating something truly different in the golf space.”
These days, Keegan’s family of four – daughter Frances was born last spring – lives two doors down from his parents, with his in-laws also in town and his father still teaching golf full time. You never know what Field Day Social may be up to: when reached for this story, Keegan was planning to spend the weekend fitting Morris Community High School seniors for the upcoming prom.
“The cool thing is it’s possible for a little guy who has a dream and wants to work with people in this space-age era to still find an old-school way to make a living,” he said. “I’m doing it with a little team of three in our hometown, and 25 or 30 years from now I hope to still own this business and pass it on to my own children.”