Ryan Ballengee on Golf Fashion For The Modern Man

PUMA Golf welcomes Ryan Ballengee from Waggle Room as PUMA Golf's newest guest blogger.

The NY Times had a story last weekend, penned by Bill Pennington, about how many of the golf apparel makers "script" out the uniforms that players will wear during golf's major championships. The practice has been going on since the 1980s, but it has picked up more steam in recent years. As golf fashion has become more avant garde, apparel makers have had to work harder to make sure that the men and women who wear their clothes look as good in reality as the mannequins do.

Most of us don't have the luxury of having an apparel maker - or Golf Digest's Marty Hackel - available at our disposal to advise us with our golf fashion decisions. I think that is what precludes many men from taking the leap into more modern golf fashion. Men rightly do not want to risk looking as bad in their clothes as they do around the greens. Therefore, they stick with their white and brown shoes, khaki pants, and royal blue shirts. It might be boring, but it makes sense for them.

But, golf fashion does not have to be tough to try. A man does not have to buy a pair of white pants, a gawdy LED scrolling belt buckle, and a military cap in order to get modern. Start simple. Start with a pair of white golf shoes. They're popular nowadays. Then, maybe try some new colors. You can mask pink by calling is fuscia, or salmon. Perhaps take a look at an argyle print, or polka dots. Maybe even experiment with a new belt.
Golf fashion does not require a lifetime commitment. It's not a cult. But once you get into it, you may become addicted to it.

Either way, you can still wear your 10 year old pair of tighty whiteys underneath it all.

-Ryan