For years now, I've been going on about how golf clothes are a little too stuffy.
I don't have anything against anyone who likes traditional golf clothing. If you've been picking up what most golf apparel companies have been putting out for years, I have no grudge. I like a lot of that stuff, too.
But while so many folks have been focusing on more casual golf clothing for the torso -- hoodies, blade-style collars and the like -- I've been focusing on shorts and pants that make the walk more comfortable and still look the part.
Enter Fourlaps, a company that makes workout and leisure apparel for men and women. Most of what they sell is geared toward folks who are going for a run or about to take on a workout in a gym. However, they've recently introduced their new Equip short, and they asked me if I'd be interested in seeing how they did on the golf course. It's almost like they knew I've been hawking these kinds of shorts for several years now.
The Equip short is a great example of the kind of shorts I now love to wear playing golf. They have touches to make them look like traditional golf-style shorts to even the discriminating eye. They have the faux fly to look like a fancier pair of shorts. They have a solid, flat waistband with a hidden drawstring. They are an inseam consistent with golf shorts. The pockets, particularly in the back, are where golfers want them. These shorts are available in four colors, all of which work with most every color palette golfers might prefer.
The big selling point of the Equip shorts is their comfort. These shorts are remarkably soft -- but not too soft -- and are constructured with four-way stretch in mind. With an even mix of recycled nylon and polyester, along with 12 percent Spandex, the Equip shorts move well and feel great. There's little reason to adjust them during a round, and they make walking a golf course -- even as one as hilly as my home club -- feel like a morning stroll.
The pockets have plenty of depth for all of the things your might want to put in them. The back pocket does have a zipper, which some golfers might not like, but that's up to personal preference. There's also a small zippered pocket inside the right front pocket.
The Equip shorts are available in sizing from small to XXL and run a little big, but they're not baggy. Go with the sizing you wear for your gym shorts.
Of course, some clubs are particularly picky when it comes to on-course apparel. And if you tucked in a golf shirt into the Equip shorts, it might look a little strange to some. Broadly speaking, though, the Equip shorts are good to go on the overwheleming majority of golf courses. If you pair them with a quarter-zip or a sweater for a cool morning, no one will even notice.
At $68, the Equip shorts are priced right on level with a good pair of golf shorts, and that makes them easy to try out. Even if you find they're not right for the golf course, they look great in social situations where you want to be comfortable but also look put together.
The comfort revolution has come to golf, and it's glorious. With comfortable materials incorporated into a real world-friendly look, golfers can feel great in what they're wearing while looking just fancy enough.
