Look the part

Dress or casual?

A friend of mine and I regularly make fun of ourselves about how much we care about golf fashion when we’re on the course. We send each other links to fancy shoes, hats, shirts and pants that we’re thinking of buying and/or just like the look of. It’s pretty ridiculous, actually.

The truth of the matter is, though, you hear all the time about how actors can’t really get into character until they’re in costume, and I kind of feel the same way about golf.

It’s not about the preconceptions of a stuffy, nose-in-the-air tradition or culture of golf that makes me want to get done up a bit before stepping out for a round, it’s just that there’s just something about picking out the right outfit for the day and putting it on that puts me in the right frame of mind to play the game. I can’t imagine just stepping out in my casual, day-to-day clothes and playing a round of golf. I wouldn’t be in character, as it were, and in a funny way, don’t think I could play my role to the best of my ability.

That said, I grew up watching golf on television in the 1980s and 90s, so I don’t really go for all the flashy new neon colours and flat-brimmed hats (sorry, Puma). I’d like to say I’m a traditionalist, but I don’t go as far back as the knickers, knee socks and sweater vests.

A nice, high quality polo that breathes, dress slacks (sometimes with a pattern, but not a complicated or busy one) and a visor or hat that represents a product I like to use is about as flashy as I get. I do coordinate colours, though.

What are your thoughts? Are you making fun of golfers in your head when they’re rocking the MMA tee-shirt and backwards ball cap, because you actually take the time to dress up for a round of golf? Or are you one of those who likes being casual while you’re out there on the links? Maybe you’re even a knickers and knee socks type of person?

Or maybe me and my buddy are a rare breed, in that we think about it at all.

Let me know.