Your Questions Answered

What to wear to a golf tournament?

By Michael WilliamsMay 13, 2021

There seem to be a lot of questions out there when it comes to golf and clothes. While much of our focus is generlaly on our game, it's hard to look past the desire many of us have to be comfortable, play well and do it all with style. Those things plus a fun course and good friends can make for a perfect day. 

The goal of finding the right clothes that make you feel like yourself is not trivial. It's important if you want to feel your best out there. With that in mind, we answer some golf and style related reader questions. We hope this is helpful. 

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Dear ACL,

I don’t play golf, but I was invited to attend the Byron Nelson tournament in Dallas this week. It’s going to be hot. I’m not sure if there are any rules for dressing for a tournament as a spectator.

Logan

Dallas, Texas

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Logan thanks for asking this question. Dress codes in golf are much more intimidating than they should be. That said, the worst thing you could do is to dress like you are actually going to be playing golf. Nothing confuses me more than people at a golf tournament who are dressed like they are going to be substituted-in at any moment. All that said, there are a lot of people inside and outside golf who don't totally understand what to wear and when.

A good style reference for any outdoor activity is the 1959 film Jazz on a Summer's Day by Bert Stern. Shot at the Newport Jazz Festival in the summer of 1958, the film beautifuly showcases easy-going warm weather American-style at its best. So with that in mind let's keep it classic. You can't go wrong by wearing a pair of non-tech cotton chino pants and a collared shirt of any kind (that can be tucked in) would be completely safe in any setting around golf.

Personally, I would wear a camp shirt (No Man Walks Alone has a great selection including this shirt) that will help with the heat or a non-sporting polo shirt like this one from Sunspel. As far as shoes go, I would wear something that's ok to get dirty but also comfortable to walk in. My first thought is something like a classic Ranger Moc or even a pair of inexpensive canvas sneakers that you are ok with using for mowing the lawn after this. Don't forget your sunscreen or a good hat. Hope this helps and enjoy the Byron Nelson. 


What are good golf shoes that you recommend - @jmorgner

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This is a question that I'm sure a lot of people are wondering about. As golfers we walk a lot of miles and taking care of our feet is important, but let's not look bad doing it. When it comes to taking care of your feet remember the wise wisdom of Lt. Dan. "Socks, cushion, sole, O.D. green. Try and keep your feet dry when we're out humpin'. I want you boys to remember to change your socks wherever we stop." 

Over the years I've dabbled in many different kinds of golf shoes and have developed some preferences. Generally I don't want to ever wear anything with a Boa lace system and prefer for my golf shoes to look closer to the footwear I wear in every day life. Typically I find that Adidas, Ecco and True Linkswear make some pretty simple golf shoes that go well with a lot of different golf clothing. Most of the time I personally prefer to wear light spikeless shoes that look like normal sneakers. That's totally a personal preference thing. I think comfort for a long walk is the highest priority — after that traction and aesthetics follow closely. 

Sometimes however I want to wear classic golf shoes like the FootJoy Premier Packard. You really can't go wrong with the classic FootJoy silhouette. The materials upgrade with the Premier series is definitely worth it in my opinion. If you want to get a little crazy, get a kiltie. There are also other times that I want to just wear regular sneakers to play golf. The Vans Ultrarange are perfect in that scenerio. 

Lastly, if you are going to be playing in wet and muddy conditions like you are likely to encounter in Scotland I would highly recommend investing in some really good water resistant shoes. The GoreTex Ecco shoes like these are fantastic at keeping your feet dry and comfortable. Good shoes will mean the difference between a fun day and a miserable one. 

Adidas Retro Spikeless Shoes

Ecco Biom Hybrid Laced

FootJoy Premier Packard

True Original 1.2