A Little Red Hen approach to women’s golf hats

Katy Kraft Lim, an optometrist and self-described “wannabe athlete,” was bothered by the lack of choices when searching for women’s headgear for her running and workout regimens.

In an interview at the 2022 PGA Show in January, Lim said, “I’d see this whole wall of hats, but for women there’d just be this little section limited to hot pink and purple. Neither of them worked for me, and they didn’t fit anyway. I said to myself, ‘I’m going to fix this.’”

Lim is the founder and inventor of Vimhue, a successful women’s hat company that won the Top Buyers Choice award at the 2020 PGA Show. Her form-fitting ball caps with distinctive and handy slotting options in the back are in more than 1,600 golf shops thus far, with thousands more caps sold through Etsy.com and at vimhue. com.

Lim researched women-specific head anatomy details, tapping sources such as the United States military. She altered the cap panels to fit the curve of women’s head sizes. Lim also used cardboard and other materials to design the specific curve and length of the caps’ bills. She eventually obtained patents and has been extremely busy since opening in 2019.

I asked Lim if she still worked as an optometrist. She laughed and said, “Oh God, no! I quit 40 hours a week to work 80!”

The caps’ back designs create easy opportunities to go high ponytail, low, or a bun if desired. The bottom edges come to the top of the ears but not over them. The cap brim is a face-flattering curve.

Sunglass temples easily fit inside as well. Given Lim’s professional background, that would be expected.

The caps’ technical fabric provides UPF 50+ sun protection in 18 solid-color options, and they retail for $29.

Besides direct-to-consumer sales, the caps are available at PGA Tour Superstores, WorldWide Golf websites, and at Scheels All Sports in the Midwest. Green grass shops carrying the brand are predominantly in the Southwest, Midwest, Florida and Georgia.

These caps should have a ready market in the Cape Region, and not just on the golf courses. If you can excuse the pun, they are also perfectly fitted for wearing on the beach, the trails, and the boardwalks. Considering Lim’s Little Red Hen attitude, I think that could happen sooner rather than later.

Milton FD Tournament Sept. 14

The 2022 Fundraiser Golf Tournament supporting the Milton Fire Department is set for Wednesday, Sept. 14, at The Rookery Golf Course. Proceeds will help purchase new firefighting equipment.

Sponsorships, door prize donations and player openings remain available. For more information, contact Paul Caras Sr. at 302-236-0100.

Cape Henlopen Elks Lodge Fall Outing Oct. 7

The Cape Henlopen Elks Lodge 2540 is hosting its Fall Golf Outing Friday, Oct. 7, at Mulligan’s Pointe near Georgetown. Proceeds support Sussex County veterans, such as financial assistance for the Home of the Brave and Delaware Tech scholarships.

The lodge seeks sponsors and players. For more information, email CapeElksGolf @icloud.com.

Local club competition results

The Rehoboth Beach CC Ladies 18-Hole group played its annual Solheim Cup game Aug. 3, mixing scramble, alternate shot, and better ball of partner formats. The day’s highlight was Bailey Scheurer’s ninth ace, this time on the 5th hole.

The Heron team scored 278, and included Scheurer, Suzanne Moore, Judy Shaw, Barb Collins, Peggy Roca, Gina Bergin, Lora Drewer, Kerry Lockwood, Pauline Porter and Carol Wetherhold.

The Osprey team scored 285, and included Dale Lipnick, Robbie Robinson, Jeanne Allen, Trish Medd, Tina Brinsfield, Carole Ann Medd, Sally Fogarty, Cyndy Simeone, Marcy Saliba and Pat Beebe.

The Mulligan’s Pointe Ladies group played a Low Gross/Low Net game Aug. 2.

Sue Ahern won first-place gross in the first division, with Diane Braver in second and Maxine Ansbach in third. Linda Kaufman won first-place net, followed by Tammy Findlay in second and Retta Rose Frampton in third.

Kathy Hudak won first-place gross in the second division, with Carmela Boyle in second and Janece Hausch in third. Donna Dolce won first-place net, followed by Deb Manelski in second and Nancy Mawhinney in third.

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 9-Hole group played a Ts and Fs game Aug. 1. Only scores from holes whose numbers start with a T or an F are used.

Marie Murray, Deb Chase, Trish Galioto and Annette Stellhorn won the gross category. Yona Zucker, Hope Lavachia and Cathy Larrabee were the top three in the first flight.

Lisa Gercenstein, Bernie Bell, and Judy Rayner won honors for the second flight. Patty Davis, Beth Cohen and Margaret Connors were top ranked in the third flight. Kathleen O’Connor, Maureen Gutenstein and Farah Engler finished in the money in the fourth flight.

The Kings Creek CC Ladies 18-Hole group played a 1, 1, 2 game July 28, won by Judy Wetzel, Sheree Mixell, Marty Jaxheimer and Debbie Grant. Donna Deely, Carolyn Ortwein, Barbara Hines and Polly Donaldson took second.