Personal connection

In the mid-2000s when Susan Hess was getting her Golftini women’s apparel brand off the ground, she didn’t have the funds to support Breast Cancer Awareness — a cause near and dear to her heart.
Instead, she would donate a skort with each order for clubs to raffle off. The proceeds would go to supporting organizations.
“From the beginning, I’ve been trying to do whatever I can,” said Hess, whose Chicago-based company has since risen to the top tier of the industry and is in over 1,000 golf shops across the U.S. “Now I have room to do more and have leaned into the cause, which I feel really good about.”

Golftini, which marks its 20th anniversary next year, is a fashion-forward golf line whose trendsetting skorts and other crossover items have made it a recognizable go-to brand in the U.S. and beyond.
Hess, who was 14 when her mother passed away from breast cancer, not only contributes to American Cancer Society research but donates a portion of the proceeds from all sales to various breast cancer organizations, focusing on “compassion...