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You’ve got your clubs, you’ve got your swing figured out (mostly), and you’ve got a group that you’re ready to go out and play with. But there’s one thing left you have to decide — what you’re going to wear on the course.
Golf is one of those interesting sports that doesn’t really have a specific uniform or easy dress code. In other sports, you can throw on a tee shirt and shorts and probably be good. Golf is different — it may require different levels of formalness for the occasion you’re going to.
You may be unsure what exactly to wear. In those times, it’s important to have something to turn to when you need help.
Here is your guide to what to wear while golfing.
What to Wear Golfing for Women
Whether you’re a first-time golfer or a seasoned pro going into the final showdown on Sunday, you’ll need to spend a little bit of time putting together your outfit. Picking the right golf fit, after all, can help you feel more confident during your round. There’s nothing worse than questioning what you’re wearing throughout your entire golf round.
For women, picking the right golf outfit can seem challenging. It can help to identify what kind of round you’re playing and split it up into three categories — casual, semi-formal and formal.
Casual
Casual dress is for those times when you’re just playing with some friends. The competition is low and fun and you’re all pretty much out there just to have a good time and spend time with people you like.
For these outings, women have a full range of outfits to choose from, including pants, shorts, and skirts. A nice collared or buttoned shirt will be perfect. If you have golf shoes, wear them. If not, tennis shoes will be a great substitute. If it’s sunny, a baseball cap and sunglasses might be the finishing touches.
Ultimately, a casual golf round means you won’t have to focus so much on your outfit — just make sure you’re checking the weather to modify what you’re wearing to the conditions.
Semi-Formal
Semi-formal events are business golf outings or scramble events. These might require a bit more thought to your outfit. For these outings, it’s probably best to wear a skirt or golf pants. A simple collared shirt and golf shoes will help close out the outfit and give you a confident, semi-formal look on the course.
Formal
This is the big leagues. A fully formal environment like a tournament will mean you‘ll need to have all your ducks in a row before you step onto the course — that means knowing what your outfit is in advance.
Still, even the pros have a pretty wide range of outfits — you can go with a full golf dress, shorts, pants or a skirt — whatever you like best and that offers you the best chance to beat the competition.
What to Wear Golfing for Men
Men golf outfits are a little different. Still, it will help to determine what level of casualness you’re dealing with in your golf round.
Casual
Pretty much anything goes. Some Bermuda shorts are common and popular nowadays. You can pair this with a collared shirt and you’re ready to go. Golf shoes if you have them.
Semi-Formal
Raise the stakes a little bit — you can go for some nice airy pants, or, depending on the venue, you’re probably still safe with pants.
Formal
Golf pants, a belt, golf shoes and a collared shirt. Make you have a glove and a nice theme for your overall outfit — the better you look, the more intimidated your competitors will be.
What to Wear Golfing If You Don’t Have Golf Clothes
Sometimes you don’t have those specific golf clothes to wear. You don’t have the golf shoes, the polos or the nice fitted pants that aren’t too formal but aren’t too casual.
So what do you do if you don’t have any golf clothes?
What Not to Wear Golfing
There are some things you just shouldn’t wear golfing. Whether it’s because common sense says no or because it’s a general course rule, here are some things you shouldn’t wear on a golf course.
Metal Spikes
Most courses won’t let you wear metal spikes on their course. Metal spikes are very damaging to grass and often kick up dirt and damage greens. It’s best to avoid these types of cleats and get normal golf shoes.
Sweatpants
While wearing sweatpants might seem like a nice comfortable way to get through a round, it will probably make it more challenging. Sweatpants can interfere with your golf swing and hang over your shoes, getting caught up in grass and mud. If it’s warm out, sweatpants can be detrimental to your game.
Flip Flops
Sandals and flip flops make it much harder to swing and even get to your ball. Golf involves a lot of walking — even if you are using a cart — and flip flops will slow things down considerably. Opt for golf shoes or tennis shoes instead.
Factors That Will Affect How You Dress
There are a lot of different factors that will impact how you dress for your golf round. This can make deciding what to wear challenging, but you just need to keep some main aspects in mind to help you figure out what you need.
Weather
Unless you’re going to a golf simulator, your golfing attire is going to be affected by the elements. Take a quick stroll outside to get a feel for the temperature and check the forecast to see what you’ll be dealing with throughout the round.
Rain and wind? You might want to pack a raincoat or windbreaker. Is it going to be a scorcher? Try to go with a light-fit, wicking shirt that will help you stay cool.
Course
Some courses are stricter about what you wear. Most local public courses, for example, are pretty lax about you wear — many of us grew up wearing shorts and tee shirts during rounds. Private courses may require a bit more dressing up — collared shirts are common. Be sure to research the course beforehand to see if they have a specific dress code.
Events
Why exactly are you going golfing? A nice casual round with friends? Or is it a business outing? A tournament?
The function of your golf outing will dictate what you wear. Match your clothes to the type of outing it is. The casual round won’t require much thought, but a business outing might mean dressing up a bit to carry yourself well.
Group
You’ll probably already have a pretty good idea of what the general dress code is for the group you’re playing with. If you know them, you’ll likely have a good feel for what everyone wears and can try to match that same style. (Or do your own thing.)
If you don’t know the style and it’s your first time playing, you could ask them what would be good to wear or just go your own route. If you play well, the outfit will play well, too.