In 2018, Kelby Gatrell was approached by his brother-in-law, Abraham Bedard, about starting a golf company. Even though Gatrell had never played a round of golf in his life, he decided to take the risk and launch Yatta Golf.
As co-founder and vice president of sales, Gatrell watched the company grow but also noticed critical gaps — the kind you don’t even realize exist until they become real problems. That realization led him to the Master of Business Creation (MBC) program, at the University of Utah’s David Eccels School of Business.
Rather than waiting for problems to surface, Gatrell wanted to find them first. The MBC allowed him to identify gaps early and learn how to scale a business effectively. At the same time, co-founder and CEO Abraham Bedard was developing his own skill set through the Master of Business Administration program at Brigham Young University, supporting the company’s growth from another angle.
“I had never golfed a day in my life when we started this, but I was all in,” Gatrell said. That fresh perspective, combined with Bedard’s passion for golf and their shared background from an entrepreneurial marketing course at BYU, led to the creation of their first product, the Telos Tee. The Telos Tee was designed to fix common issues golfers face, like tees that break easily or not knowing the correct height at which to tee the ball.
When the product launched in 2020, the team set a goal of making $120,000, but instead reached $250,000 in sales.
As the company grew, Gatrell and his team noticed another problem in the industry — many golf brands offered stylish clothing, but it was often too expensive for everyday players.
“We saw that the best-looking golf apparel was just too expensive for most people,” Gatrell explained. “When you factor in the cost of playing the game, high-priced apparel becomes hard to justify.”
This realization led to the launch of Yatta Golf’s apparel line in 2021. The brand focuses on bold, expressive designs combined with performance fabrics, without the price tag that usually comes with it. Its goal is to make golf feel more fun and accessible, as reflected in its motto: “Enjoy the Heck Out of Golf.”
Yatta Golf’s identity is a big part of what makes it stand out. Instead of following traditional, more serious golf culture, the brand leans into being fun, laid-back, and energetic — more like the life of the party than the quiet guy in the corner. Gatrell puts it simply: Yatta Golf is for people who want to feel confident and bring personality to the course.
Right now, Yatta Golf is focused on refining its fabric quality and product design. At the same time, the company is growing through multiple channels, including its website, wholesale partnerships with golf courses, and promotional shops at tournaments. The brand has also expanded into large retail spaces.
One of the company’s most significant early setbacks came when a large retail shipment missed its deadline due to factory issues.
“That was my very first interaction with the new buyer, who had just taken over the account. This was by far our largest account at the time, so it was a brutal way to start the relationship,” Gatrell said.
The delay forced the company to sell the shipment at a loss to maintain the account.
“It was one of those painful holes in my entrepreneurial education that I didn’t know existed,” he said. “Although it was expensive, we made major improvements to our systems and procedures. We saved the account, and now we have the best relationship with that buyer.”
To date, the company has generated over $24 million in total sales without any outside investment.
Looking ahead, Gatrell wants Yatta Golf to continue growing while staying true to what makes it different. The company plans to expand its product line, reach more customers, and continue offering high-quality apparel at a price that doesn’t get in the way of enjoying the game.
“We want people to enjoy the heck out of life, not just golf,” he said.
To learn more about Yatta Golf and explore their products, visit yattagolf.com.
