Golf’s infamous dress code has come a long way since the days men played in plus fours, cardigans and bow ties.
Thankfully, things have become a bit more relaxed in recent years. But walk into most golfing arenas in the summer, or at least those that aren’t pre-fixed with the words “adventure” or “crazy”, and you will probably be required to wear a pair of tailored shorts that finish above the knee.
Failure to comply will likely elicit a salty comment or two and a narrowing of the eyes from established players, which is enough to put anyone off their game.
Good golfing attire should tick two major boxes. Something to keep the old guard happy while still providing style, freedom of movement and breathability so you can concentrate on finessing your moves. Of course, decent pocketing for on-course paraphernalia won’t hurt either.
With that in mind, we scouted the pro shops and scoured the golf apparel websites to try and find the best-looking and most comfortable shorts for your summer rounds.
Best golf short at a glance
- Best overall: Nike Tour Chino Golf Shorts - £64.99, Nike
- Best chino shorts: Lyle & Scott Golf Technical Shorts - £70 Lyle & Scott
- Best for extroverted golfers: G.Fore Maverick 4-Way Stretch Short - £100, G/Fore
- Best value: Puma Dealer 10” Golf Shorts - £45, Puma
- Best baggy shorts: Adidas x Malbon Shorts - £65, Adidas
- Best colour choices: FootJoy Par Golf Shorts - £50.99, Scottsdale Golf
- Best sweat shorts: Lyle & Scott Logo Sweat Shorts - £65, Lyle & Scott
- Best pocketing: Lululemon Classic-Fit Golf Short - £88, Lululemon
- Best for rainy summer days: Castore Water Resistant Golf Shorts - £50, Castore
- Best for staying cool: Under Armour Iso-Chill Airvent Shorts - £32.97, UA
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Nike Tour Chino Golf Shorts
Best: overall
The seersucker material that these chino shorts are made from make them exceptionally comfortable to wear. The lightweight, crinkle-woven fabric moves really well whether you’re just off down the fairway or crouching down trying to read the green.
The tailoring looks good with a streamlined cut and Nike’s proven Dri-FIT tech keeps you comfortable even when the temperature’s rising. The elastic waistband keeps everything tucked in and the mesh-lined pockets are easy to access whether you’re going for your scorecard or scrabbling to silence your phone while your partner putts.
Buy now £64.99, Nike
Lyle & Scott Golf Technical Shorts
Best: Chino shorts
We liked the look, movement and cool feel of these regular-fit shorts, all down to an elastane/polyester mix: it makes them nice and stretchy.
Breathable on sweltering days, pockets allow you to get to your phone or scorecard easily, plus the waistband passed the t-shirt test so it stayed tucked in at all times. The shorts are available in Dark Navy and Cactus Green and are embossed with the brand’s famous Golden Eagle just above the back pocket.
Buy now £70.00, Lyle & Scott
G.Fore Maverick 4-Way Stretch Short
Best for: extroverts
Warning: you have to play well when you’re wearing these head-turning shorts because people are going to notice.
So these wouldn’t look out of place in Ian Poulter’s wardrobe, but on course they are soft, stretchy and move well, made from materials that proved to be cool and breathable. It would look good paired with one of G.Fore’s equally colourful pairs of summer golf shoes.
Too bright to handle? Find more sobering styles from the brand here.
Buy now £100.00, G.Fore
PUMA Dealer 10” Golf Shorts
Best: value shorts
These comfortable polyester shorts with two back and two side pockets look great on and the range of colour choices (five in all) means that you’ll have no problem pairing them with your lucky golf polo shirt. It’s slightly longer than some of the other shorts we have featured but still within the acceptable limits for even the most draconian golfing dress code.
Plenty of places to put scorecards, yardage book, and tees and with the PUMA logo just above the back pocket, these are a quality pair of shorts for a really good price.
Buy now £45.00, PUMA
Adidas x Malbon Shorts
Best: baggy shorts
This collab between the established sportswear brand and the trendy golf company caught our eye for many reasons.
Initially, it was the look - baggy, oozing old-school style and the fact that they’re such a long, loose fit means that they were very cool to wear out on the course. And once you’ve got used to the amount of polyester and elastane material on show and how it feels when it moves they are a perfect short for the summer as they encourage air to move around your thighs and glutes. There’s good stitching throughout, as well as accessible back and front zip pockets that didn’t gape.
Available in two colours: white and collegiate navy.
Buy now £65.00, Adidas
FootJoy Par Golf Shorts
Best for: colour choices
These polyester shorts were comfortable, breathable and moved well with easily front and back accessible pockets (there’s a stand-out FJ logo above the right rear pocket too) and the shorts are well made with a tapered fit that will look good both out on the course and propping up the bar.
One of the best things about this short is the range of colours on offer with eight to choose from, ranging from bright berry and coral red to more muted colours.
Buy now £35.00, Scottsdale Golf
Lyle & Scott Logo Sweat Shorts
Best: sweat shorts
The only pair of sweat shorts that you’ll probably get away with on the course, these are a smart pair of shorts with a cotton and polyester mix that allows you to stay cool while playing, while the elastane in the fabric mix means they have lots of movement, whether you’re walking, swinging or just sitting with your head in your hands wondering why you actually play this game. Available in dark navy and, of course, fairway green.
Buy now £65.00, Lyle & Scott
Lululemon Classic-Fit Golf Short
Best: pocketing
Although your golf bag will store pretty much everything, there are some things like tees, scorecard, yardage book, snack bar and phone that you’ll probably want instant access to so you need to carry them in your shorts.
And these tapered stretchy shorts made from water resistant fabric have two roomy front pockets, one of which has a hidden phone sleeve, as well as two at the back with snap closures. There’s also a zip closure underneath the right front pocket for tees. A good strong waistband means that even when your pockets are loaded you won’t have to worry about the shorts sagging and the polyester elastane mix was both comfortable and breathable. There are four colour choices available.
Buy now £88.00, Lululemon
Castore Water Resistant Golf Shorts
Best for: rainy summer days
This may be a round-up of shorts for playing in the summer, but let’s be realistic. When you’re out on the course for three to four hours there’s every chance that you might get caught out in a shower.
These shorts are treated with a water-resistant finish, so they won’t soak up the rain like a sponge, making you feel very uncomfortable for the rest of your round. The side pockets are open, while the back pocket has a welt opening which will ensure your scorecard doesn’t get soggy and remains secure.
There’s Castore branding front and back, while the shorts themselves are stretchy and lightweight although the fit was slightly tighter than other shorts we tested. There’s a choice of three colours too.
Buy now £50.00, Castore
Under Armour Iso-Chill Airvent Shorts
Best for: staying cool
These shorts offered excellent freedom of movement as we walked and played. Stretchy, water-repellent, with four pockets in total that made it easy to store golf accessories and comfortable if we just wanted to stuff our hands in them while waiting to play our shot. The waistband was nicely tensioned without being restrictive so it’ll keep your shirt tucked in without any problem.
As the name suggests, they are geared towards staying cool with a lightweight, perforated material for breathability and Under Armour’s Iso-chill fabric does a great job of dispersing body heat because it’s made from ribbon-shaped nylon fibres that lay flat against your skin and wick away heat. The shorts are available in five different colours.
Buy now £32.97, Under Armour
Verdict
From the supremely comfortable seersucker material to Nike’s Dri-FIT technology which kept us cool and comfortable, the Nike Tour Chino Golf Shorts has plenty going for it.
The design offered plenty of movement while we were playing our shots and lots of admiring glances in the clubhouse afterwards.
