GolfPass Gear Report: May 2023

Summer feels like it's finally - if not officially - here.

That means golfers better be ready to beat the heat and look like they can go low with the fashions they wear on the course. Shorts and a comfy, casual polo are en vogue. Colors and patterns can be as traditional or as extreme as you want them to be.

Our GolfPass Gear Report for May is stocked with a handful of styles that might catch your eye.

Athleisure style continues to influence golf apparel; Lululemon, once considered a yoga-only brand, has become very popular at the higher end of the price range for golfers. VRST is Dick's Sporting Goods' in-house answer, especially on the golf front. Their golfwear leans mostly muted and practical, with a well-priced range of polos ($70-$75), shorts ($70), long pants ($90) and even joggers ($90). We wore a pair of joggers to a semi-private club to see if we got any push back while playing golf, and nobody seemed to mind their casual look. They're perfect for a fun round with friends. The material in both their polos and shorts is on the more substantial-feeling side, so it might be better for more temperate days than the real scorchers of the summer, but on the flip side, their wares feel like they should last longer than average. (See VRST golf apparel here.) - Tim Gavrich and Jason Scott Deegan

The polos and shorts of Psycho Bunny, a popular Canadian-based men's apparel brand founded in New York in 2005, have always been compatible for golfers. But in May, the company made a major move into golf with a limited launch of its exclusive Japanese Golf Collection, featuring ball pouches, gloves, hats, ball markers, ball stamps and more. Items ranged in price from gloves ($25-$50) and water-resistant ball pouches ($40), to tote bags ($150), and even a high-end golf bag called the Cart Caddy PERFORMANCE ($495). This drop has likely sold out by the time you read this, so if nothing is available, keep checking the brand's website for up-coming merch drops. Psycho Bunny will be involved in an upcoming event with HypeBeast in June for the U.S. Open in Los Angeles. As for the clothing, the logo - a skull and crossbones with rabbit ears - is as cool as it gets. The sport polo ($98-$115) is ideal for golf, as is the gable sport short ($95-$115). They're comfortable and look and feel good. - JSD

Who wears short shorts? Not golfers, until recently. After years where golf shorts fell baggily onto or just below the kneecap, inseams are looking up lately. Chubbies started out in the late-Oughts, targeting college dudes specifically with their "Sky's Out, Thighs Out" campaigns. Now that those bros are playing golf, Chubbies is bringing that casual look into a slightly tamer context. Don't worry, you can still spill a little beer on them and it'll bounce right off. Their Khakinator shorts ($64.50) are excellent for golf, with five solid colors in the 8-inch inseam and a whopping 18 colors and patterns available in a 6-inch length. I actually prefer the 6-inchers, but if you have long legs, they might be a little too short for your liking on the course. Extra pockets sewn into the shorts will help you store extra stuff easily. - TG

The Danish footwear brand burst onto the golf scene when Fred Couples rocked a pair of their spikeless shoes in the 2010 Masters and almost single-handedly changed the golf shoe landscape for good. Suddenly, the traditional shoe silhouette - closer to something you might wear to the opera than you might wear to play sports - had a real challenger. So it's intriguing that, for the first time in 2023, ECCO has released a golf shoe that is as traditional as turtle soup, albeit using their supple yak leather and other proprietary materials that make their shoes both comfortable and sturdy. The Classic Hybrid ($220) is available in White or Mocha, with a square, napped upper that gives a hint of modernity to the look. Keep in mind that the fit is also more traditional; whereas ECCO's shoes tend to get wider towards the toe box, the Classic Hybrids are a little more snug. - TG

I swear by wool golf socks. People associate the material with cozy sweaters and while that may be true, when it comes to socks, it is as good as you can hope for on a warm day. I love the offerings by Kentwool and Surino, and after trying a couple of pairs of Darn Tough Vermont golf socks ($18), I'm ready to add them to that list as well. They are American-made and have an unconditional lifetime guarantee behind them. - TG

Gear

July 27, 2018

Read more about the latest golf equipment, apparel and accessories.