that turtleback touch
WS S BESTby LISA
D. MICKEY
Alexandria’ s Emily Brant Sprague launches a golf apparel brand designed for young golfers
Emily started the company in 2024
EMILY BRANT SPRAGUE heard all of the complaints from her boys when it was time for them to dress nicely for junior golf tournaments. Their khaki pants were too scratchy, too tight, too short, or too long, and it was hard to bend down on the greens to read putts— and on and on.
“ My oldest son has been a pain to dress and is very particular about how his clothes feel,” said Sprague, an Alexandria mother of three.“ He would run down the fairway telling me,‘ I can’ t move in these pants!’”
Sprague understood how apparel could affect performance. She grew up in Fairfax Station and played soccer well enough to compete collegiately at Saint Joseph’ s University in Philadelphia.
After graduating in 2007, she returned to the D. C. area and went to law school at Catholic University of America. Sprague worked as a lawyer for 15 years— first as a law clerk for a judge in Annapolis, Md., then for a small law firm in D. C., and later as an attorney for the federal government for 13 years.
She married Ben Sprague in 2011, and their first son, Charlie, was born in 2015. Their middle child, Tucker, was born in 2017, and their daughter, Eleanor, came along in 2020. Charlie and Tucker are Youth on Course Virginia members.
The boys started playing golf at ages 8 and 5, with the U. S. Kids Golf league. They played in Virginia and Maryland weekend events, but as their golf skills improved, the boys were invited to play in larger tournaments at the state and regional levels. At age 5, Charlie got into the program’ s World Championship, hosted in Pinehurst, N. C.
But while their respective interest and proficiency in golf grew, the dilemma of dress persisted.
“ Every time Charlie had to get dressed for golf or any special occasion, it was a battle,” Sprague said.“ I bought every pair of pants on the market and nothing worked. I told my husband there needs to be a better pant option for kids. I just don’ t know why this is so challenging.” vsga. org M AY / J UNE 2026 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 21