Clothes maketh the swing: What golf enthusiasts wear when they hit the course

The big talking point in the world of golf recently came from the World Golf Championship in Florida, where leading golfers, including Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Tony Finau, all decked up in Tiger Woods’s signature red-and-black colours while taking to the course.

The move, a tribute paid to Woods, who continues his recuperation from a car accident, was one of the rare occasions when the choice of attire made news in a sport that doesn’t quite have a set uniform or dress code in place. Indeed, late last year, golfer Tyrrell Hatton even wore a hoodie, causing a major controversy, setting in motion a discussion about the “right attire” to wear.

With social media still buzzing with talk about what to wear and what to avoid, Indian golfers speak to ETPanache about their sartorial choices on the golf court.


Comfort is king
Cricketer Ajit Agarkar, who loves playing a round or two of golf, says, what you wear should be driven by comfort. “Golf is a gentleman’s game and it is about comfort. I love my shorts and T-shirt while playing, but it’s a personal choice. The only thing that should matter is the importance of being comfortable with your swing,” Agarkar says.

Rohit Kapoor, CEO, OYO India & South Asia, says he has a problem with strict prescriptions on what’s acceptable and what isn’t. “As golf democratises, we will see more experimentation, more players favouring comfort over style. I am all for it,” he says. His personal choice of golf wear happens to be shorts and T-shirts in India, while he switches to jackets, even rain jackets, while playing in Scotland or New Zealand. “My son and I have the same size for clothes and shoes — it helps in saving money. But in a reversal of roles, I get the hand-me-downs from him,” he adds with a laugh.

Golfer Shubhankar Sharma admits to being old school, but says golfers should decide for themselves what’s comfortable. “Personally, I am old school and prefer a traditional pant and T-shirt combination, with a pullover. Even a hoodie is fi ne, as long as the swing doesn’t get impacted. I might try it sometime,” he says.

Rules of engagement
Nikhil Ranjan, MD, William Penn, however, says there have to be certain sanctifi ed rules when it comes to the sport, attire being one of them. “You will fi nd me wearing a Callaway T-shirt, Titleist cap and khakhi trousers or shorts while playing. Golf, like any other sport, has some written and unwritten rules, and they have to be followed. For example, you play tennis in white at Wimbledon. There is no harm in playing in any other colour, but coloured clothing at Wimbledon is simply not the norm. Similarly, a collared, half-arm T-shirt is what I would insist is the appropriate attire for golf,” he says.

Golfer Trishul Chinnappa believes performance clothing is anyway getting lighter and softer, making it more breathable. “It’s definitely getting more comfortable every passing season. I wear DriFit pants or shorts with a T-shirt when I play. Even Hatton’s hoodie wasn’t an off-the-rack fashion gear; it was performance fit. And so, didn’t dispute any dress code,” he explains.