Golfers have always had a certain style of their own. It may have been subdued and rather formal during the 18th century. It certainly remained staid up until the 1970s. It was only in the 1980s and 1990s that golf shirts became more flamboyant. Until then, in prominent golf tournament states such as Georgia, a golf shirt was not a fashion lover’s dream.
Brief History of the Golf Shirt
Golf shirts are also referred to as tennis or polo shirts. Although their origins may date back to polo playing in India under the British, it is not until the second half of the 20th century that this shirt emerges as sportswear. It coincides with the rise of specific fashion statements on the course by designer Jean Rene Lacoste (1904 – 1996) a legendary tennis player of the 1920s and later, Ralph Lauren. These fashion mavens created the polo/tennis/gold shirt classic worn today.
While the tennis shirt was popular in this sport, golfing on courses such as private course in Georgia had stricter dress codes. It was not until the 1950s that the move was made towards lighter attire including the polo shirt. Among the many renowned golfers that made this more casual look popular were:
* Arnold Palmer
* Gary Player
In the years to follow, players such as Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Steve Ballesteros and even the more conservatively dressed but nonetheless flamboyant golfer Sam Sneed, wore golf shirts on the course. By this time, golf shirts were a differentiated from tennis and polo shirts if through nothing else than design.
What Is a Golf Shirt?
A golf shirt is a basic t-style shirt. It is made from fabric that can be polyester, cotton or a blend of the two. Unlike a traditional polo shirt, golf shirts have a double layer collar. The shirt also features a pocket on the left side for holding a scorecard as well a pencil. The placket has either 3 or 4 buttons. The designer or make of the shirt is often indicated clearly by a logo on the pocket, although this is not a requirement.
21st Century Golf Shirts
Since the later years of the 20th century, golfers have been wearing branded shirts. Several sporting companies – those that produce everything from golf hats to shoes to shirts produce them. Prices of such sport apparel vary according to the name. Some types you find on tournaments in Georgia and Florida are form fitting; others are pseudo-t-shirts. These adaptations truly indicate how far the concept of golf shirts has changed since the game first originated on the windy moors of Scotland.
