Within the great world of golf, you have almost exclusively two different games: recreational golf and tournament golf.
Recreational golf with your buddies is always a fun time, but every now and then, it is a cool challenge to see where your game stacks up in a competitive environment.
If you are not used to regularly playing in a competitive environment, the first question before attending the course is, “What to wear to a golf tournament?”
This article will give you this answer so you don’t have to sweat things the night before the big day. We will also give you a checklist of the top eight essentials to bring with you to the course so you will be set up for ultimate success.
We will take a dive into the following topics:
- Dressing For Success
- Accessorizing For Style and Function
- What To Wear To A Golf Tournament: Eight Essentials
- Key Takeaways
Let’s jump into it!
Dressing For Success
Dressing appropriately is always something that is important when it comes to the great traditions within the game of golf. This great tradition becomes heightened in a tournament setting as things are more official when it comes to rules and etiquette.
Men’s Attire
For men, determining what to wear to a golf tournament begins with finding out if the tournament committee requires players to wear pants or if shorts are acceptable. Most amateur tournaments allow both, but some state opens and pro events require pants.
Other than making sure to adhere to a tournament slacks or no slacks dress code, men should where the following:
- Nice ironed performance polo
- Ironed pair of pants or shorts
- A belt that matches their outfit
- Hat or visor that has something to do with a golf brand
- Clean shoes with fresh spikes for maximum grip
All of the items in the list above are essential for recreational golf as well but with the stakes amped up in a tournament setting, the look good, feel good, play good mantra comes out even more.
For men, below are our top five shirt and pant/short brands for your next competitive round:
Below are our top two golf belt brands:
Finally, check out our top three shoe companies for men. Having a fresh pair of shoes at your next tournament makes you feel that much more confident on the first tee:
Women’s Attire
For women, the answer to what to wear to a golf tournament is limitless. For your top, collared shirts, sleeveless tops, and golf-specific polo shirts are all excellent choices and are all acceptable at any level of competition.
For your bottom, you may choose to go with a pair of pants, a skirt, or shorts. Golf bottoms are typically made with stretchy materials that offer flexibility and comfort.
Remember that some tournaments may have specific length requirements for shorts or skirts, so check the rules in advance.
Just the same as male attire, make sure to choose a belt that matches your outfit if you choose to wear one. Also, a clean hat, visor, and pair of shoes will go a long way to complete your look and help you feel confident while you compete.
For women, below are our top five shirt and pant/short brands for your next competitive round:
These are our top three shoe options for women:
With the above apparel on, you will be ready to look the part for your next tournament round. Looking good on the course does not guarantee you will play well, but it certainly will boost your confidence.
Accessorizing with Style and function
Enhancing your appearance and comfort on the golf course is all about the right accessories.
Elevate your performance by sporting a fashionable yet practical hat, ensuring you have comfortable, high-quality gloves, and mastering the art of strategic layering.
These accessories will enhance your overall tournament experience.
Headwear Options: Hats and Visors for Sun Protection
On the course during tournament play, you are exposed to the sun for hours on end
To help protect your face and neck from these harmful rays, players typically wear a hat for protection.
Course hat options typically include regular baseball caps, visors, and bucket hats. Most players opt for a hat in one of these categories branded for golf or from a different golf course.
All hat options give you sun protection on your face, but for maximum protection, you should go for a bucket hat as it offers not only sun protection on your face but also all around your neck.
Quality Gloves: Adding Comfort And Grip To Your Game
One accessory that often goes overlooked is your glove. The glove is an essential part of both your look and your game as it provides style to make you look the part but, more importantly, provides needed grip so you have control over the club.
Brands such as FootJoy, Titleist, and TaylorMade are all great options when it comes to picking a quality glove.
The most important thing to remember here is that not all golf gloves are created equal, and spending more equals higher quality and greater grip.
Layering For Success
Tournament golf can take place across a large portion of the day, which can mean a wide array of weather conditions. Early tee times might mean a low temperature when you are starting, which may turn hot by the time you finish.
Bringing proper layering with you to a golf tournament is absolutely essential. On cold mornings, a breathable pullover and vest can go a long way to keeping you comfortable throughout the day and easy to shed in the warmer afternoon.
In potential rainy situations, a rain jacket and rain pants laying can keep you dry and comfortable while giving you the opportunity to shed when the sun comes out.
Brands like FootJoy, Peter Millar, Jonnie-O, and others all offer great cold weather and rain layering.
What To Wear To A Golf Tournament: Eight Essentials
Other than deciding what to wear to a golf tournament, you need to also decide on what essential items to bring with you.
We have done the thinking for you here and put together an essential list for you to work off of.
#1: Golf Balls
This one is pretty obvious going into a golf tournament. For tournaments, it is very important to make sure you bring enough new golf balls with you so that you don’t ever find yourself having to play with an old ball with shots that count.
Going into tournaments, it is also important to check the local rules ahead of time as sometimes tournaments will have the “one ball rule.” This rule states that you have to play the entire round with the same make and model ball.
#2: Golf Tees
Nothing is worse than having to ask playing competitors to borrow tees during a tournament round. To avoid having to ask, make sure to pack enough tees in your golf bag the night before.
#3: Pencils / Sharpies
Pencils and Sharpies are also essential to bring to a tournament. Good pencils are important to help you keep an official scorecard. Sharpies are very important as you will need to mark your ball so that it is easily identifiable.
#4: Ball Markers
When playing in a tournament, it is very important to mark your ball on the green so that you can get it out of the way while your competitors putt.
Similar to tees, having to borrow a ball marker from your playing partner is no fun, so make sure to bring a few in your bag.
#5: Rain Cover
As we talked about in the previous section about bringing a proper rain jacket and rain pants, ensure you are equipped to handle rain by packing your golf bag’s rain cover with you.
Most golf bags come from the factory with a rain cover that easily fits on to cover your clubs in rain. This can be essential to keeping things dry and saving you shots during your tournament.
#6: Extra Gloves
Packing one or two extra gloves is important to make sure that you are prepared in case one glove gets lost, develops a hole, or gets wet.
Getting stuck in a tournament with no functional glove is a recipe for high scores. Make sure you bring a couple more with you so you are prepared for anything.
#7: Towels
Bringing a good towel for tournament play is important to keep your grooves clean and grips dry.
A pro tip that we can give you for your towel during tournament play is to dirty one side by cleaning your clubs and keep one side clean for your hands and face.
#8: Proper Hydration and Nutrition
In the heat of competition, sometimes it can be easy to forget about eating and drinking. Bring a few granola bars and plenty of water so you don’t go hungry or thirsty on the course.
Remember that once you feel hungry or thirsty, it is too late to catch up. Staying hydrated and fed will help to increase your mental acuity on the course, which will help you to limit mistakes.
Key Takeaways
There you have it; now you know what to wear for your next tournament and have a list of essentials to bring. Be sure to dress for confidence as the look good, feel good, play good mantra really is true.
Go to your next event confident, prepared, and looking the part to make it the best one yet!
