Dormie Golf Continues Full Speed Ahead With Custom Headcovers for British Open

The company has come a long way from its humble beginnings.

Golf’s original championship, the Open, takes place next week at Royal Liverpool in England, and, like they do for all four majors, Dormie Golf Workshop will commemorate the event with limited edition headcovers depicting popular cultural icons from the country. 

Before we get into Queens, Kings and country lore, let’s take a quick look back at Dormie’s humble beginnings and how they’ve got to where they are today.

Time flies as the saying goes, and it’s certainly true looking back eight years ago to the 2015 PGA Merchandise Show where the three Bishop brothers of Dormie Golf Workshop - Todd, Jeff and Alex - eagerly stood in their small 10 by 10 foot booth wearing leather aprons and smiling with anticipation of what the debut event held in store for them.

They all play golf, in fact Jeff played professionally, Todd still competes in mini tours, and both are members of PGA Canada. Alex brings the creativity and design-smarts to the table. The company is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where the Bishops live and grew up. They had zero experience making headcovers and working with leather, but when Jeff couldn’t find covers he liked, and the customization of products was gaining popularity, they decided to jump in and took a "baptism by fire" approach.

The main goal was to give people an opportunity to express themselves through custom golf club covers. They also wanted to elevate what currently existed in the market place, which is why they chose leather. Samples were recycled upholstery from a friends furniture company because they really didn’t know anything about sourcing leather. When they finally found a source at a leather show, and saw the $300 per hide price tag, they were a little taken aback.

Expensive, but people want it, and seemingly can’t live without a specific design that resonates with them. Baseball fans love the baseball head covers, people from the desert have to have the cactus cover, country flags display patriotism, and hockey fanatics rock their favorite team’s mascot are just some examples. Dormie’s niche though is making truly custom designs like my grandfather’s old Scottish tartan plaid scarf they paired with beautiful white leather and made into my driver cover and my most cherished keepsake.

“We’ve always been in it for the long game,” said Todd Bishop. “Our partnerships and relationships that initially backed Dormie are still there. Customer service is the core value of our business. As we grew, we made sure it remained a top priority, and in eight years, we’ve never missed a tournament deadline for covers even if it means hand delivering them on a red eye to make it happen.”

What people might not know, is that Dormie headcovers are designed and tooled by students from NASCAD - Nova Scotia College of Art and Design - one of top art schools in Canada, and only a few miles down the road from company headquarters. There are more than 20 art student working at Dormie, both current enrollees and graduates, who get paid and work their way through college.

It’s a tight knit community and word gets around, so artists of all kind want to work at Dormie. Every piece is hand-crafted from start to finish, and the students take great pride in it. “It’s the secret sauce of Dormie’s business,” Todd revealed.

That secret sauce has worked well. Dormie recently signed its first order with St Andrews for club covers depicting the Swilcan Bridge, purchased a 20 foot trailer that transforms into on-site tournament swag station, entered into collaborations with Malbon, TaylorMade and the 2023 Canadian Open, and provided product for golf pros, celebrities and Wayne Gretzky Hockey School. It’s safe to say the Bishop boy’s initial inkling for a startup business turned out to be a game winner.

Domie's headcovers for the upcoming Open Championship feature a soccer field, an homage to the sport beloved in the United Kingdom, plus an iconic replica British red telephone box and the internationally recognizable King’s Guard with tall bearskin, (now faux), hats.

Domie's British Open-themed headcovers / Dormie Workshop

What’s up next for Dormie Workshop? “We love fashion, but want to stay in our lane,” said Todd. “We’ll offer a few items that make sense and tie into our accessories plus keep it direct to consumer only.” One piece is the performance Backyard hoodie manufactured in Portugal, and comes in two colors - black and light blue. Using the garment as another way to brand the logo, there’s a pattern inside the hood with an abstract graphic of the word Dormie that resembles a golf course.

Thanks to the Bishop brother’s unique approach and dedication to excellence, the company has become a reference for golfers around the world. Dormie Golf Workshop is excited to continue creating innovative products for its customers. We look forward to watching their next shots.