Every hobby or sport has apparel associated with it. But not every sport’s own clothing makes one better at it. Wearing a Tom Brady shirt won’t make you a better quarterback, but will wearing the same pants tiger woods wears make you better at golf? Surprisingly, yes!
Golf pants are semi-elastic pants worn by professional and semi-professional golfers to have more freedom of movement and comfort on the course. Often tech pants can also be used as golf pants because they feature similar, if not the same, specs.
In this article, you will learn whether you need golf pants, what you can expect from them, and which ones to buy when you’re just testing the waters.
Why Trust Our Golf Club Recommendations
One of the best parts of reviewing golf equipment is that it is as much for the reader as it is for us. You won’t find a golf writer that doesn’t stay up to date on the latest and greats. Plus, they probably swap equipment faster than most given their exposure to what’s released each year. This dedication to finding the best equipment for ourselves furthers our qualifications for recommending products. If we wouldn’t buy it ourselves, it’s not worth our time to review.
What you see below are not the only push carts we found. Only the best will do four ourselves (and our readers.) Had we been searching for just any push cart, our list could drag on forever and feature the most expensive options available.
Instead, we search for a mixture of cost and value. We also take into account the ideal user of the best golf push cart for each faction of golfers. Then, we do our best to make sure everyone in the golf community has a personalized recommendation.
Why Are Golf Pants Needed?
Golf pants are used to look good in a non-pro setting and to perform better in a pro setting. They allow more freedom of movement while also avoiding the free flutter that can often come from dress pants.
How much you care about how you look and the extent to which you’re interested in tweaking the smallest things to optimize your performance dictate whether you think golf pants are a worthy investment.
You can wear golf pants outside the course just like you can wear dress pants on the court. So the question of which pant has more usability is irrelevant.
The question is whether the effort, time, and money it takes to buy pants specifically for golf is worth it.
And to answer this, you simply need to ask yourself if overcoming the discomfort of your current pants is worth the price of getting new pants.
If you believe there is a noticeable drag on your performance because of your regular trousers or dress pants, you should ask yourself if relieving it is worth getting new pants. In most cases, it is.
Best Golf Pants for Beginners
Amazon Essentials Stretch-Fit Golf Pants are the best ones you can get as a beginner. When you’re unsure about the pants’ effect on your golfing experience and potential score reduction, you should remain budget-conscious even if you can afford to buy golf pants from top-tier brands.
These pants, being from Amazon’s cost-conscious label, are quite reasonably priced. They feature polyester and elastic fabric, a combination that gives you room to swing with your whole body where needed.
Amazon Essentials Golf pants have over 11,800 reviews and ratings that lead to a global collective average of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
While their price sets them apart from other brands, they are not the best pants for everyone. If you have heavier thighs, then you should opt for a more elastic-leaning pair than this one.
You can wear these golf pants in any setting where you’d wear jeans. They have a formal look about them but are very evidently not dress pants. In places where you have to wear dress pants, these will not fly.
Finally, these pants do not seem to have longevity. But for the price they command, they’re very well worth it as a test case. If you enjoy wearing these to the course, you can invest in high-end golf pants.
Best Golf Pants for Serious Hobbyists
Under Armour Men's Tech Pants are ideal for serious hobbyists looking to optimize their performance on the course. These pants fit well and stretch enough to cover all your golfing needs, from squatting and adjusting the tee to swinging with your body.
Under Armour has two things going for it: it specializes in athletic wear, and it has a boutique brand prestige. This makes its tech pants function-friendly and nice to wear. You won’t mind the “where’s that from?” question on the course.
The actual advantage of getting tech pants as golf pants is that you’re free from the perceived limitations in golf pants manufacturers’ perspective.
Many generic golf pants are made with enough stretch to cover swinging with your body and allow opening of your legs when swinging.
The problem remains that you don’t just need to swing on the course. You have to squat to check the turf, adjust the tee, or even fetch the ball on occasion.
Regular golf pants can be restrictive during this. Tech pants, especially when backed by fitness brands, have a more squat-friendly build.
Instead of a polyester blend, these Underarmour pants are made of 100% polyester fabric, which is both breathable and agility-friendly. It can stretch in all four movement directions making the pants feel less restrictive.
More importantly, these pants can absorb sweat and let it evaporate quickly. The darker variations incur zero stains in the process. On average, these pants command twice the price of an Amazon Essentials pair but can last three times as long.
With over 1000 reviews and ratings, these pants have 4.5 out of 5 stars on average. 73% of the customers have given them 5 stars while 15% have given them 4 stars.
What to Look For in Golf Pants?
Whether you wear golf pants, tech pants, or dress pants on the course, you need to look for one thing only: invisibility. It doesn’t mean what you might think it means.
You should look for pants that don’t draw your attention to themselves. You should not be consciously thinking about the pants. Often, it is when a pair of pants limits you that you think about it.
But sometimes, the pants can chafe you and command your attention. Anything that draws your focus away from the game raises your score. So when you try your pants, you should look for ones that you can wear and forget.
Can You Go on a Golf Course Without Golf Pants?
You can go on a golf course in dress pants, golf pants, tech pants, khakis, and chinos. You cannot wear jeans to a golf course, especially if the place is privately run and considered an elite establishment.
Final Thoughts
Dress pants are meant to give you comfort and freedom on the course. They feature polyester (or a polyester blend) and look like dress pants with an elastic waistband in a portion of the waist rim.