Niche golf apparel companies are bringing a fresh sense of cool to the game

A handful of niche clothing companies are fusing streetwear and on-course apparel to create a fresh, compelling definition of what it means to dress and feel like a golfer. Whether it’s through fabrics and fits or styles and collaborations, their innovations within the space are attracting newcomers to the game and helping avid golfers feel more like themselves than ever before.

Foray Golf

Foray designs one core line every season featuring elevated essentials like polos, skirts, sun-shirts and dresses, but the company keeps its offering fresh with ten to twelve limited-edition collections per year inspired by streetwear, trend forecasts, and fashion-week runways. Founder Megan LaMothe refers to these limited-edition sets as “sister friends,” because while each of them offers a unique aesthetic, they’re all made with the same high-quality Italian fabrics, and the fit is entirely consistent throughout.

Highlight: This winter flooms pattern (above, left) appears on a larger collection that includes a polo, a skirt, and a bomber jacket, helping to create a cohesive, eye-catching story. $80

Malbon Golf

Malbon Golf generates demand like few other niche brands. It can thank founder Stephen Malbon’s strong Rolodex (Malbon founded a creative agency and media outlet for influential celebrities). He started Malbon Golf as an Instagram account to share his newfound obsession with his big-ticket clientele. A cartoon logo he created for the account made its way onto a few pieces, which eventually turned into a variety of sought-after collections and a physical store in Los Angeles, attracting the likes of Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, ScHoolboy Q and others.

Highlight: To put their spin on an otherwise pedestrian collared long-sleeve, Malbon indigo-dyed a select number of pieces by hand. The result? A truly one-of-a-kind piece. $140

Bonobos Golf

When Bonobos launched as an exclusively e-commerce business in 2007, it transformed a heavily brick-and-mortar industry. Ever since, the company’s meticulous approach to fit has been second to none. Each pair of Bonobos Golf trousers is available in four fit options, 11 waist sizes, five lengths and anywhere from five to eight colors and patterns, which Bonobos masterfully weaves into each collection. Justin Rose’s embrace of patterns in 2019 is a testament to how easy Bonobos makes it for conservative golfers to transition to more stylish options.

Highlight: Offering more fits, sizes and lengths in trousers than any other golf brand, Bonobos goes the extra mile to ensure that golfers feel comfortable and look tailored. $128

Greyson Clothiers

Most Greyson pieces are made with Italian fabrics designed for triathletes—a combination of elastine with a nylon blend that provides stretch without being flimsy. Founder Charlie Schaefer builds from that base to design polos, shorts and trousers that speak to golf’s conservative roots while also drawing from nature and fashion to reinvigorate golf style via unique patterns and such unconventional offerings as joggers, hoodies and bombers. “The diverse collections,” Schaefer says, “give all golfers the opportunity to tell their own story.”

Highlight: Using high-quality fabrics to create eye-catching crossover pieces that work as well on the course as they do off it has become one of Greyson’s main assets. $495

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