Golf may have once been the reserve of presidents and dorks, but the coolest and best golf brands helping the sport to beat the uncool allegations for quite some time. Headed to the fairway? These labels are there to help you bring out your inner Brooks Koepka, help you feel at the top of your game and put paid to any lingering doubts from haters. Whether it’s to freshen up the wardrobe you’ve been teeing off in for years or you’re in need of clubs, gloves, shoes — the lot — our guide to the best golf brands will have you teeing off with a glint in your eye, regardless of your handicap.
While cycling brands might be all about the lycra bibs, running brands the trainers and tennis labels the rackets, golfing requires excellence in everything from the clubs to the tees to the trousers (and yes, they need to be golf-specific). Want to look more like Samuel L. Jackson and less like Donald J Trump on the green? Head right this way for the brands helping you achieve an enviable style handicap whatever your skill level.
What you’ll need: a guide for beginners.
Absolute beginner? If you’ve been invited for a round of 18 holes and have no idea where to start, we recommend you beg, borrow, steal (or just buy!) a set of clubs that include at least: a driver and a fairway driver (in what’s known as the woods family), a set of classic irons including a 7, an 8, a 9, a pitching wedge and a sand wedge, as well as a putter. That’s eight clubs in total, though players are allowed to take up to fourteen onto the green. You’ll need some golf balls and a club bag with that too, of course.
When it comes to clothes, if it’s only a single day out on the fairway, you should only need one outfit: a golf-specific trouser or short and tee is better than any old thing, even if you think you could get away with your typical gym clothes. If you don’t think you’ll be going for many more rounds though, a normal pair of gym trainers will do you fine.