Handicapped by ho-hum pro-shop choices, women golfers are in-creasingly doffing the duck-print pants and swearing by sportswear that is sport-sufficient but not style-deficient.
Budget-friendly walking shorts, twinsets, sweater vests, cotton pants, polo shirts and golf jackets from labels like J. Crew, The Limited and The Gap are bridging the sport/style barrier. On casual days, these combos can even withstand office scrutiny. And when business outings require golf get-ups, this sportswear is on par to impress.
The key is to choose links looks in sync with your swing.
“Golfers are athletes and they need clothing that moves with them,” says Pam Tyska, women’s golf coach at Northern Illinois University. Longer shirttails, skirts and shorts provide coverage from backswing to follow through.
“Most important is transitional clothing,” adds Janel Landon, a Chicago public affairs consultant and board member of the Fairway Network, a Chicago-area professional women’s golf association. Citing weather changes over the course of 18 holes, she adds: “Layers are important.”
Bright colors and pretty prints meet course dress codes with flair. Golf argyles, classic plaids and zippy florals also hide any messy encounters in the rough or in the sand.
And while stylish attire won’t help you play like Tiger Woods, remember that fashion cachet on the course is as integral to the game as a closely clipped green. “Golf is a game of etiquette,” says Tyska. “Looking like a golfer is as important as keeping up and playing along.”
SHOPPING SMART
In choosing golf fashions, Patricia Baldwin, editor of Golf For Women magazine, advises you look for these fit-friendly elements:
– Deep front pants pockets roomy enough for golf balls.
– Sturdy pocket linings to withstand piercing golf tees.
– A back pocket for stashing golf gloves.
– Roominess through the hips to accommodate swinging and bending.
– Long shirttails that won’t come untucked on your swing.
– Shirts roomy enough to allow shoulder rotation, such as sleeveless styles or those with raglan sleeves.
– Absorbent cotton fabric or stretch cotton that gives.
WHERE TO PLAY
For a list of 175 woman-friendly golf courses in North America–criteria includes child-care, adequate bathrooms and pro-shop merchandise–call 407-333-8821 for a reprint of Golf For Women magazine’s recent “Top Fairways” story.
