With Straight Down’s continued growth and maturation as a company, it was time to move out and get a place of our own. The ‘90s were an important decade for us, just as they were for the game we love. This decade not only saw us open our first retail space in San Luis Obispo but also start the golf tournament that we’ve become famous for.

The quaint downtown in our hometown of San Luis Obispo proved to be the perfect setting for our storefront. If you remember from earlier in our series, the small Central California town that Straight Down calls home is a unique place that draws a myriad of people with its world-class university, wineries, beaches and scenic outdoors.

Downtown SLO is another of the city’s attractions. Its tree-lined streets harken back to small-town Americana, providing a setting for the mom-and-pop shops, unique restaurants and bars. The weekly downtown farmer’s market is a staple of the city’s culture, as well, with both residents and visitors strolling the streets to enjoy local fare. Straight Down opened its downtown storefront in 1993 and became a staple, staying for two decades.

Four years after opening our downtown store, we also started the Straight Down Fall Classic, an annual tradition that continues today. The tournament has attracted some of the world’s best players to San Luis Obispo and is the only professional golf tournament around.

Past participants include Fred Couples, John Daly, Bryson DeChambeau, Brandt Snedeker, Jason Gore and Loren Roberts, who played at Cal Poly before becoming a PGA TOUR winner and playing in the Ryder Cup.

The tournament cemented Straight Down’s place in the golf industry. The opportunity to visit San Luis Obispo and play alongside top pros has made an invitation to the Fall Classic a coveted one and the tournament provides invaluable exposure to our brand, as well.