This is how to dress for golf at 3 stages of life
With the 115th US Open golf tournament kicking off this week at Chambers Bay in Washington State, a lot of recreational golfers are going to be inspired by the spectacle and get the urge to hit the links.
Golfers come in a variety of shapes and sizes - and ages! Ability also varies, but regardless of whether you're a scratch player or a 30 handicapper, it never hurts to look good when you swing the clubs.
When choosing golf attire, gents, the problems start when you dress too young or too old. These days, there's a very clear look for each age group. The pros below, ranging in age from 26 to 60, are good examples for how to put your outfits together and project a great image at the next corporate outing, family golf vacation, or weekend round with your buddies.
Young Gun
The hard-charging younger generation of tour pros set the tone here. Loose and baggy isn't their thing. Trim and athletic is. Fitness is far more important to the under-30 set these days than it was in golf's raffish past, when a player could consider a couple of beers hefted after the round as a workout. When you're in your early 20s, you can really get out there, with wild colors, big belt buckles, zany shoes, and bold patterns. Once the late 20s arrive, however, it's best to start toning it down. Rory McIlroy, 26, is a fine role model. He has fun these days with his threads, just not as much fun as he did earlier in his career. That said, Nike isn't worried about putting him in very bright hues. Hot pink, anyone?
Happy Middle Age
Your poster boy here is Fred Couples, 55, one of the most popular pros out there. The one-time Masters winner has an easy, powerful swing and a relaxed on-course demeanor. Pretty much everyone likes him. A bad back prevented him from enjoying a more successful career, but he generally looks like he's having a great time, and he dresses in a way that proves he's comfortable in his skin. Notice that nothing is tight, but nothing is too baggy or sloppy, either. It's all just right. Couples also shows that subdued pattern and colors are best choice once you get to the other side of 35.
Seniority Rules
Just do whatever Greg Norman does. The 60-year-old Australian was the most powerful, dominant player of his generation, which came between the Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods eras. Norman favors simple, yet never boring, ensembles, with a minimal amount of patterning and few logos beyond his own signature line, Great White Shark (his nickname). He also demonstrates that staying in shape is the best way to look good, and keep your game in top form, as you enter the senior years.
