article image

The Best Worst Golf Outfits


I once told my first wife if I ever went out to play a round of golf in a pair of black socks and shorts I needed to be shot on site.

Thankfully, I never broke the golf dress code, because she just may have made good on that offer. However, I’m sure we all can agree we’ve seen some really eye-opening, amazingly- ridiculous, “what were they thinking?” bad choices in wardrobe when out on the links.

Here are some of the major mistakes most often made when golfers are putting on their best (well, worst actually).

1. Fashion worn by PGA Tour professionals is not always the standard to live by. The clean cut knickers worn by the late Payne Stewart or the Cardinal Red Nike shirt by Tiger Woods on Sunday are two traditional looks and could be worn by the masses (well, almost everyone – not just anyone can make knickers look good).

We all got a taste of tradition when Payne Stewart was on the golf course. Not many of us could pull off wearing knickers in traditional golf style. Photo by the Guardian.

2. Don’t wear tennis shoes. No matter how you think it looks and how “cool” you think you are, cleats with rubber tips or traditional metal spikes should be worn at all times.

3. Please don’t dress like John Daly. The man is great when it comes to driving the ball over 300 yards with something that looks like a robotic arm. His choice of clothing – especially pants – however, leave something to be desired.

John Daly, still a popular pro player, is as famous for his long drives as for his clothing choices. Somehow, I am not sure the Queen of England would approve of his style. Photo by the Guardian.

4. Shorts and black socks are a “no no.” Again, there is a reason for this. First off, if you are in your 30’s, you certainly do not want to look like your grandfather. Second, if you are a “weekend hacker” it shows.

This looks more like someone who could not make up his mind. Dress shorts could be considered tolerable by some but definitely not cargo shorts – just ask MJ. And playing in dress socks, well, is just as bad as coming to the prom in a pair of jeans. Photo by Hilowbrow.

5. Don’t wear a form-fitting shirt. This might be the most self-explanatory rule to follow. If you are lean and muscular, there is no need to flaunt it. If you are overweight and well, out of shape, there is no need to flaunt that either. Same thing goes for pants. Wear pants that are tailored for your size. You should know why, and we’ll leave it at that.

Golf is exciting and dramatic enough without the distractions of wardrobe. Use common sense and again, respect the game. Dress codes are there because of the “gentlemanly aspect” of the game. You may have a wonderful time and play the best round of your life on any given Saturday. But wouldn’t you rather be remembered for that performance rather than the bad clothes you wore?

Send us your photos of the best worst golf outfits you’ve seen and maybe we’ll feature them on The Daily Tee! Email us: TheDailyTee@golfnow.com.

Feature image courtesy of Golf.com.

2 responses to “The Best Worst Golf Outfits”

  1. Renee Thomas says:

    I miss Payne and his knickers

  2. Kings Cross Knickers says:

    We at Kings Cross Knickers think this is still a great look. We have the Payne Stewart look, check it out …http://www.kingscrossknickers.com

Leave a Reply