West Coast Prep

John O’Donnell was born in St Louis, MI but grew up in a wealthy suburb north of Chicago where he caddied at the prestigious, C.H. Alison-designed Bob O’Link course. He attended a similarly prominent prep school before moving west to attend UCLA where he played on the Bruins golf team. His first two decades were, therefore, spent in places with very different vibes – the tailored, tweedy, preppy country of his childhood and early teens, and the informal, laid-back scene of Southern California during his college years.

When he established a clothing line (in which his famous brother – actor Chris O’Donnell – was an investor), O’Donnell wanted to blend the two cultures.

“I wondered why there wasn’t a Southern California version of Polo Ralph Lauren,” he said in a 2022 interview with Sports Illustrated.

Johnnie-O was founded in 2005 in Santa Monica, Calif. as a lifestyle brand offering men’s and boys’ clothes and accessories. Earlier this year, it branched out into womenswear and, in July, opened a retail store (one of 11 across the country) in Cherry Creek.

The company says each piece it makes is made to achieve “hand-me-down status”, and that it “Lives at the crossroads of East Coast tradition and West Coast casual, building unique, high-quality classics focused on modern day comfort and performance. Comfortable Wardrobe Essentials For Men, Women and Children.” And while it certainly isn’t a golf brand as such, Johnnie-O does offer an extensive golf collection made up of polo shirts, pullovers, quarter-zips, hoodies, and hats that fit the brand’s identity – stylish, comfortable, well-made – perfectly.

It’s no surprise golf attire is an important part of Johnnie-O’s product line as O’Donnell himself is a hardened golfer. Not only did he play Division 1 college golf, but he also qualified for the U.S. Senior Open at SentryWorld in Wisconsin last year (he missed the cut, but a clothing company executive making it to the Championship is pretty impressive).

Our favorites from a very high-quality range of golf garments include the Performance Jersey Polo – Birdie (92% polyester, 8% Spandex, UPF 50) which comes in five solids colors and which the company describes as a “staple for every guy’s closet”, and the Royce Performance Quarter-Zip Sweater (88% Dri-Release Acrylic, 12% wool) which it says is made from “a state-of-the-art fabric known to have the best moisture-wicking capabilities on the planet.”

Performance Jersey Polo – Birdie, $98
Colors – White, Seal, Black, Porto Pink, Majorca
Sizes – S-XXL

Royce Performance Quarter-Zip Sweater, $198
Colors – Green Grass
Sizes – S-XXL

johnnie-o.com