Golf Wear in the Office

You may dream about driving the ball like John Daly, chipping like Rickie Fowler, and putting like Ian Poulter, but you don’t necessarily want to dress like any of them – at least not in the office.

Although wild colour combinations and odd fashion statements may fit in on the golf course (especially if you’re paid big bucks to wear them), they aren’t really acceptable at downtown or even “dress casual” offices. You don’t want your plaid pants or day-glow orange golf shirt to announce the fact that you are slipping out a couple of hours for an early tee time.

Ideally, you want the ability to go from an early afternoon staff meeting straight to the first tee without changing clothes. Although you suit-and-tie guys may have access to a locker room for a quick change, those with more relaxed dress codes or “Casual Fridays” want outfits that fit in at the office and on the course.

The most important part of the golf ensemble is the shirt. A nice short-sleeve polo is a must, preferably without a gaudy logo that might be frowned upon in some work environments. While industry leaders like Nike and Under Armour continue to make nice cotton shirts (which have traditionally been the most popular), they have transitioned more and more to lightweight, “performance” synthetics. All the major sports apparel companies have synthetic golf shirts complete with a name for their unique material. Other golf brand names such as Puma, Cutter & Buck, Callaway and TaylorMade have gone that direction, too.

Be sure to avoid loud colours or patterns; solid muted colours provide great workplace camouflage. Luckily the latest retail trends have reached the sportswear world so you can combine fashion and function to go from office to greens with ease.