So far, on Golf Questions You’re Afraid to Ask, we’ve covered some of the fundamental principles of golf: we’ve learned its origins and history, important skills to know before hitting the links, some of the most basic terminology in the game— like the fade and the slice — and an introduction to equipment.
However, there is one critical element to the game we’ve neglected to discuss: proper dress etiquette and how to style oneself on the course. To learn more about the matter, I spoke to Emily Haas — the resident-style expert for GOLF.com, and someone I personally trust in terms of crafting an excellent outfit for the course. You can see some of her work here and here.
If you need any more convincing about how necessary it is to look good when you hit the course, don’t just take my word for it. Take the great “Primetime” Deion Sanders, who popularized the phrase: “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good.”
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What is “appropriate” golfing attire?
Traditionally, appropriate golf attire at a club or prestigious golf course requires an outfit that would largely consist of a (tucked in) collared shirt, khaki pants or shorts, and a belt. However, according to Haas, within the last decade or so, clubs have begun to undergo a transformation, and have started to permit more casual attire while golfing — Haas points to the influx and proliferation of pros wearing mock necks on the course while playing in majors.
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“If you were to go over to like Winged Foot, you probably can’t wear [casual attire]. But if you’re just going to a local public track, like you could show up in a T-shirt. So I think there’s been a lot of evolution around what’s appropriate for the golf course,” Haas said.
What is a must-have for any golfing outfit?
For Haas personally, one of the most important parts of an outfit is making sure, in some capacity, you have easily accessible pockets. There is a litany of small accessories you may need to have on your persons on the course — anything ranging from tees and ball-markers to extra small pencils for your scorecard. There’s no better combination than comfort and functionality.
How do I spice up my outfit?
Haas stresses the importance of not being confined to the archaic past norms of what has been acceptable on a golf course, and instead, fusing your own personal, aesthetic preferences into your outfit.
“How you dress in real life should sort of translate to how you dress for golf,” Haas told me. “I think most people want to feel like themselves and feel comfortable in what they’re wearing.
For example, Haas continued, if you are really into the color pink, for example, there are endless possibilities to fuse that into your outfit. Targeting colors, new patterns or a trendy design that you like is a cool and relatively easy way to incorporate clothes you typically wouldn’t wear into your golf style.
