Howsam Capital acquires luxury golf brand Duca del Cosma
What's the deal? Howsam CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → , led by UK entrepreneur Ryan Howsam, has acquired luxury Italian golf fashion brand Duca del Cosma from chairman Frank van Wezel. The deal, effective immediately, gives Howsam Capital full ownership of the brand's assets across all international markets.
Van Wezel, who built the brand since 2016, will remain a minority shareholder and brand ambassador.
Why now? Howsam Capital sees golf evolving from a niche sport into a broader lifestyle and participation market. The firm wants to build what it calls an "integrated ecosystem" connecting golfers with brands, experiences, and communities — spanning media, tournaments, retail, travel, resorts, apparel, and equipment.
Howsam is already a major figure in golf business as majority shareholder and chairman of the Staysure Legends Tour, formerly the European Seniors Tour. He is also the founder and chairman of Staysure Insurance. The acquisition slots Duca del Cosma into this existing portfolio, giving the firm owned distribution channels and access to global golf audiences.
"Duca del Cosma represents exactly the kind of premium brand we want within that ecosystem: authentic, differentiated and globally relevant," Howsam said.
What could go wrong? Luxury golf fashion is a narrow niche, and expanding into new markets under corporate ownership risks diluting the brand's artisan identity. Van Wezel's personal touch shaped Duca del Cosma over a decade — replacing that with an ecosystem-driven strategy could alienate loyal customers who valued the founder-led approach.
There's also the broader question of whether golf's lifestyle boom has staying power or is a post-pandemic sugar high that's beginning to fade.
The signal: Howsam Capital's portfolio spans financial services, luxury, travel, and technology, making Duca del Cosma less a standalone bet on golf fashion and more a piece in a cross-sector platform play. With both entities classified as early-growth stage, the acquisition suggests Howsam is assembling its golf ecosystem while valuations are still modest — positioning itself to capture value if the sport's lifestyle expansion proves durable.
Read more: thegolfwire.com
