Gumtree Golf & Nature Club Gives Golfers A Reason To Appreciate Nature

Like a lot of people growing up on the Australian coast, Karsten Jurkschat was drawn to the ocean. Beginning his career as a designer and photographer in the surf industry, Jurkschat witnessed firsthand the appreciation and respect surfers have for the waters that not only surround their country, but cover more than 70% of the planet’s surface.

If surfers didn’t spearhead the support of the oceans, rivers and waterways, their industry, passion and community would suffer. As his career as an art director and creative director took him to new heights—and continents—Jurkschat never forgot the appreciation and respect surfers had for their environment.

Eventually needing a respite from the corporate rat race in New York City, Jurkschat sought out a similar connection to Mother Nature among the Concrete Jungle’s sidewalks and skyscrapers. While surfing could provide that outlet to an extent, it was the tri-state’s parks and golf courses that became his muse and motivation.

“There’s a bit more of a closed loop (in surfing) where brands are a bit more aware that the ocean is the reason we get to do the thing that we love, so let’s be a bit more thoughtful about the environment, sustainability in general and maybe do some beach cleanups, etc.,” Jurkschat said. “When I got into golf, I was so surprised there weren’t that many brands that were connecting those dots.”

Initially developing Gumtree Golf & Nature Club in 2020 in his spare time to fuel his creativity, the eco-conscious golf brand was actually the culmination of a lifetime of acquired skills and interests coming together in the perfect passion project.

Growing up, Jurkschat learned to sew from his German grandmother and got his green thumb and botanical background assisting his father, a landscape gardener. Combining those skills with his creative storytelling as an award-winning creative director for agencies like McCann, Jurkschat was destined to shine a new, important light on the popular game enjoyed by more than 47 million Americans in 2024.

Rather than relying on a steady stream of collections, collaborations and products, Jurkschat believes less is more with Gumtree Golf & Nature Club as he creates handcrafted, sustainable and one-of-a-kind releases upcycled from found and heirloom textiles.

He’s turned a 1970s tent from a Vermont farm into a limited collection of head covers that sold out in 11 minutes. Gumtree Golf & Nature Club has also released 50-year-old NYC subway token ball markers, Italian micro-mosaic brooches, five one-of-a-kind vests made from an heirloom cross-stitched quilt circa 1970s-80s, and official state flower headcovers, featuring a one-of-a-kind patch sourced from vintage textiles from across the U.S., circa 1940s-70s.

“We design and release with purpose and storytelling,” Jurkschat said. “And I think there’s a luxury in the restraint, knowing that you have a piece that’s special, that has some storytelling that might make you a little bit more interesting out there on the course, and that you can’t get in a big box retailer at a pro shop.”

Not only talking the talk, but Jurkschat and Gumtree Golf & Nature Club are walking the walk as it pertains to preserving the environment. Products are sourced from dead stock material or vintage material and sewn locally in New York City. The brand contributes 2% of all sales from its website to removing carbon emissions from the atmosphere. Gumtree Golf & Nature Club and its consumers have permanently removed 4,100 kilograms of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to date.

Gumtree Golf & Nature Club also celebrates Mother Nature with its patterns and colors, which are more feminine than other golf brands. Jurkschat isn’t afraid to utilize florals, pinks, earthly tones or embroidery in minimalistic-yet-impactful ways to stand out from an overly saturated market dominated by polyester polos and fast fashion.

As the brand—and more importantly, its eco-conscious community—continues to blossom, Jurkschat is thinking of creative ways beyond products to further support and celebrate its growth.

Gumtree Golf & Nature is planning various nature walks, golf outings and dinners throughout the rest of the year to do just that. Jurkschat is hosting an intimate dinner inspired by the four seasons to celebrate Earth Day on April 22 in New York City before Gumtree Golf & Nature Club hosted golf outings—featuring walks with local ecologists, guided meditations and more—in Australia in July and in New York later this year.

“We have such a strong engagement rate and such a great online community we’re finding through this intentional storytelling and product,” he said. “It’s not for everybody. And that’s the point, and that’s fine. I think the strongest brands aren’t for everybody. And I think we’ve built this really, really strong and growing community of people that are just like, ‘Man, I’m so glad this exists.’ And they’re all in.

“So my goal this year is to translate it from an online community to a real life community around the world.”