Golf style, old and new
Where golf style came from, and how to wear it now.
What it solved on the course, the players who wore it best, and where to buy it today.
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Plus fours: why golfers wore breeches past the kneeThe card
10 explainers, played in the order they first turned up on the course.
Clothes
What golfers wore, from tweed to tech fabric.
Since 1850
Golf hats: from flat cap to tour visor
Golf headwear has one job beyond shade: it has to stay put through a swing. The flat cap came off the links of Britain, the visor off the baseball diamond. Between them sits a century of tweed, straw and tour caps.
Since 1850
Golf shoes: from metal spikes to spikeless
Golf shoes began as leather boots studded with hammered nails. Metal spikes gave way to plastic soft spikes, then to spikeless shoes, and most courses now ban metal outright.
Since 1900
The golf glove: why one hand, and who played without one
A glove on the lead hand only, the hand that grips hardest and blisters first. Standard gear since the 20th century, though Ben Hogan and a few other champions never wore one.
Since 1920
Golf trousers and pants: from tailored slacks to loud prints
Golf trousers are the long, tailored slacks that replaced plus fours on the course. They are the quiet default at most clubs, and since 2000 Loudmouth's prints have made them the loudest thing in the bag.
Since 1920
Plus fours: why golfers wore breeches past the knee
Plus fours are breeches that hang four inches below the knee. Golfers took them up in the 1920s for the freedom they gave the swing, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) carried them to America, and Payne Stewart brought them back decades later.
Since 1920
The golf sweater (or jumper): argyle, V-necks and the sweater vest
The golf sweater arrived from Scotland: argyle diamonds drawn from Clan Campbell tartan, popularized by Pringle of Scotland and the Duke of Windsor. The V-neck and the sleeveless vest kept golfers warm and their swings free, and Payne Stewart made the pattern his own.
Since 1926
Golf polo: from tennis shirt to clubhouse standard
A short-sleeved collared shirt that started on the tennis court and became golf's default top half. The collar answers most club dress codes; modern fabrics keep it cool through a round.
Kit
The things you carry round with you.
Since 1870
The golf bag: from caddie carry to Sunday minimalism
A golf bag is how a player moves clubs around the course. It began around 1870 as a canvas tube with a strap. Today the family runs from minimalist Sunday bags to stand bags, cart bags and the big staff bags tour caddies carry.
Since 1900
Golf headcovers: how they protect clubs and show some personality
Golf headcovers protect your most expensive clubs from knocks, sun and wear. They started as old wool socks in the early 1900s, and they are now the most personal thing in the bag. The most famous is Tiger Woods' tiger, a gift from his mother.
Etiquette
The rules behind the look.
