What NOT to wear on the golf course

Whether you’re cleaning out & refreshing your golf closet for this golf season or you’re starting your golf wardrobe from scratch, we’re diving into what NOT to wear. Proper golf attire is important for feeling comfortable and confident. It’s also part of the tradition of the sport. We’ll also cover what to look for when you buy golf clothing.

Check the dress code ahead of time

While many public golf courses have fairly relaxed dress codes, many private clubs have strict requirements on collars and even skirt length. If you know where you’ll be playing golf, be sure to check the golf course’s website or call the pro shop directly and ask what their dress code is.

Note: this is specifically for what to wear on the golf course. When you attend a beginner clinic or driving range, the requirements are much more relaxed!

Tennis tends not to translate

You might be tempted to buy a cute tennis outfit and wear it on the golf course. Proceed with caution. Halter tops, spaghetti straps or tank top shirts are generally considered inappropriate golf attire.

Not appropriate golf attire

In addition, tennis skirts tend to be really short, so be careful if you are going to a private club that has requirements for skirt length. Remember, you’ll need to bend down to put your tee in the ground, and mark your ball on the green, so just keep that in mind with whatever you choose for your bottoms.

Cropped tops that expose your midriff are also considered inappropriate.

Cotton? No

You’re going to sweat on the golf course. Fabric choice is really important both to keep you cool and make sure you don’t have sweat spots showing.

Avoid cotton tops & bottoms and instead choose moisture wicking athletic materials.

Definitely no denim jeans or jean shorts.

Footwear faux pas

You don’t necessarily need to buy golf specific shoes right away. Athletic trainers will be perfectly fine for 99% of the time you are playing on the golf course.

Do not wear flip flops, any kind of heels or platform shoes. If you want a breezier footwear option, many women I know play wearing golf sandals and they say they are very comfortable.

Are leggings OK?

I think YES. Again, check the dress code at the golf course you’ll be playing if you have a question or concern about leggings.

I often avoid leggings simply because they don’t have pockets. On a chilly golf round, I’ll opt for joggers since they have pockets, are thicker material and are a bit more roomy.

What to choose instead

Generally speaking you are safe with any collared shirt - short sleeve, long sleeve or sleeveless. Solid colors or patterns? Feel free to get creative with prints if that’s your style.

Collar requirements are certainly more lenient with women’s clothing. You might see golf shirts with mock collars and this is totally fine.

Make sure you are purchasing golf attire that is made with a sweat wicking athletic material (otherwise you’ll probably only wear it once!).

For bottoms, a golf skort is a great choice. Watch the length - it can vary from 14”, 16” or 18” and you want to make sure you’ll be able to wear that golf skort to the courses you most often play.

You can absolutely wear shorts. Whatever bottom you choose, make sure you have pockets. You’ll want to put 1 or 2 golf balls, tees, a ball marker and you might even want to tuck your glove inside those pockets.

Another option is a golf dress. I really love golf dresses as long as they have zip pockets and come with comfortable underall shorts.

Layering is really important especially if you play in the early morning or late evening. At 5PM it could still be 85 degrees, but when the sun gets low at the end of the round you might be chilly and need a long sleeve quarter-zip to throw over.

I hope this helped you understand what NOT to wear and what to look for when you’re building your golf wardrobe.