For the last several seasons, golf apparel has been trending toward items that can be worn not only for golf but for other sports and activities as well. As dress codes have relaxed on course, allowing golfers to wear everything from leggings and joggers to T-shirts and hoodies, golf shops have changed their assortment to satisfy an ever-more-active customer.
“This industry is 100 percent healthier than it’s ever been, and you have to figure out what your vision is and stick to it,” says Todd Wakefield, Owner of Inward Half, a more recent entry into the golf apparel space with performance polos and mid weight hoodies. “Our motto is, keep the patterns bold but the collections simple; do fewer SKUs, but make sure they’re extremely well done.”
Hoodies remain popular as crossover garments, especially as an increasing number of clubs are allowing them to be worn on the course. Washington Golf and Country Club in Arlington, Virginia, was one of the first to introduce hoodies in the golf shop, ordering first from Polo/RLX’s Ryder Cup.
“We have seen the rise of athleisure wear, and hoodies, in particular, have shown staying power in our shop,” says Director of Retail Bonnie Hamilton, AGM. “Every vendor now offers hoodie assortments in various fabrications, and while textured hoodies remain popular, lightweight UPF sun protection hoodies are gaining ground as well.”
Just about every major golf apparel brand has athleisure offerings in the mix, giving golf shops a wealth of styles to choose from when appealing to the active customer. For spring ’26, Antigua presents a micro pique poly-spandex fabrication enhanced with Antigua’s Desert Dry technology, delivering lightweight breathability and subtle technical texture, while Turtleson offers the Diamond Knit Series featuring a cotton/poly blend with Dri-Release technology and a cotton-soft tech shirt.
From Galvin Green comes performance pieces like the Morely breathable short-sleeve golf shirt that’s quick-drying and made with a stretch fabric for ease of movement, and Nick breathable golf pants in a VENTIL8™ PLUS technology fabric designed to keep you cool and comfortable on the course. At the same time, Harlestons addresses spring with lightweight cotton and pique offerings. BN3TH presents the Classic Icon T-shirt, whose tencel modal and BCI cotton fabric is breathable and soft-draping in a modern silhouette, as well as the brand’s popular Ultra underwear with a second-skin feel, moisture-wicking properties and Ionic+ anti-odor technology.
Look to Rhone for advanced fabrications with built-in UPF 50+ sun protection, moisture-wicking and GOLDFUSION Anti-Odor Technology in a collection also marked by the new Drive Time Polo with breathable stretch, stay-put collar and wrinkle release, which can be paired with the new Commuter Flyweight Short – lightweight, structured and made for hot days – or, for something more refined, like the Momentum Golf Pant.
The spring offering from Oakley features a new technology for golf in its C1 Sonic Welded Seamless Polo with stitch-less, fully welded seams engineered to support unrestricted movement around the golf swing and other activities.
Adidas introduces a new technology to its golf short and pant offerings within the Ultimate365+ range, and Zero Restriction continues to refine its best-selling TKO (“Technical Knockout”) hoodie with a breathable, quick-drying, motion-tuned fabric, flat shoelace drawstring at the hood and sleek kangaroo pocket with airy mesh interior.
The Offshore Country Club Collection from Scales features a versatile range of layering pieces for added comfort and adaptability across changing conditions, just as Collars & Co. adds to its lineup with Velocity Pull-On Performance pants (and shorts) with elastic waistband and four-way stretch; Featherweight Flex Polo patterns, which are 15 percent lighter than the classic Dress Collar Polo but offer the same distinct firm collar with six-way stretch, breathability and comfort; Dri-Release Performance Pullovers that are moisture-wicking, quick-drying and ultra-breathable; and Apex CoolFiber Performance dress shirts, engineered for a cool-to-the-touch feel and breathability, four-way stretch and a firm dress collar.
“It’s all about athleisure and course-to-lifestyle apparel,” says Jordan Van Orman, PGA of America Head Golf Professional at Palisade State Park Golf Course in Sterling, Utah. “Relaxed fit and the ability to share their golf fashion beyond the 18th green are becoming much more prevalent amongst golfers at our facility.”
Lisa Goulian Twiste a a Senior Apparel Writer at PGA Magazine.
