The best winter golf gear can seem like a counterintuitive proposition. Winter clothing is usually meant to be heavy and protective—keeping heat in and the elements out with ample material that usually restricts movement. Most modern golf clothing, on the other hand, is light, airy and designed to never get in the way of a good swing.
It’s strange to think that golf—a game now so closely linked to sunnier, warmer weather climates in Hawaii, Florida, Arizona or California—was invented for play in cold weather that demands that heavy protection. Scotland gave birth to the sport, and anyone who plays links golf in that country knows a bright, cozy day on the course is possible, but rare. For that reason, you’ll need to suit up in warm, welcoming layers.
Winter golf requires a little toughness from the player and a lot of the right gear.
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The Scots created a game that could endure cold, wet conditions, and they played it for centuries, along the ground, in heavy tweed coats and wooly plus-fours. Today, golfers willing to take on the game in less than ideal conditions have the advantage of modern materials and thermodynamic designs to keep them warm and dry.
This collection serves up a head-to-toe look at the best winter golf gear to keep you warm and dry yet free to move and play the game comfortably, even when the temperature or dew point planned their day without golf in mind.
The mention of winter golf gear might bring to mind snug-fitting sweaters and light puffy jackets to keep your body warm on a brisk day of golfing. Still, you should think of your hands first because that’s the part of your body in direct contact with the club. Cold hands are numb hands, and numb hands make for clunky shots.
The FootJoy StaSof Winter Gloves offer as much touch as winter golf gloves can offer with their patented Taction3 leather by Pittards of England. Offering as much insulation as possible for something as delicate as a golf glove, the StaSof provides moisture control with specific perforations and mesh to improve breathability.
Let’s be honest. There’s really nothing that a winter golf hat does that any cold weather cap doesn’t do. Unlike winter base layers that can wick away moisture or pants that need to be weather-proofed, all a hat needs to be is warm and comfortable.
The standard Titleist hat does all of that, plus it arrives in solid and rugged colors and wears a classic badge with the name of a golf equipment giant. What else do you need for your noggin?
While its aggressive, throwback styling might seem too forward for some older players, you’ll never find a golf sweater with a better build quality than the Glennmuir London Roll Neck. Made of snugly woven 95% combed cotton and 5% cashmere, the London roll neck is a fashion forward callback to late 1800s golf and athletics.
Its roll collar and rib cuffs keep the warmth in well enough to make an additional outer layer unnecessary in most cold weather golf conditions. The construction feels thick and durable, while the fit is reassuring and flexible enough to provide a natural swing. If you’re confident enough to play your best while peacocking a bit, you won’t find a warmer golf sweater.
If you’re going to play winter golf, why not get as close as you can to winter boots with your golf shoes? Designed with a combination of replaceable spikes and a set tooth pattern on the sole, these Adidas S2G Mid Cut Golf Shoes offer plenty of grip in wet, muddy or frosty grass.
This mid-ankle S2G golf shoe adds ankle support, while building in Adidas’ RAIN.RDY technology to seal up the golf boot’s water-resistant polyester fabric. Combine the S2G with a pair of water-resistant golf pants, and the high ankle can lace up around the cuffs to keep cold and damp conditions away.
The Adidas Water Repellent 1/4 Zip Pullover is obviously designed for wet conditions with its water-repellent finish. Still, its polar fleece material layers enough warmth for the pullover to serve as winter gear in 30- and 40-degree conditions. Meanwhile, it’s a nice bonus that Adidas’ modern fabrics are made from 100% recycled materials.
Considering its long-standing pedigree as a dedicated athletics brand, Adidas clothing tends to run fully towards active fit styles. That holds true with their winter or rain gear, so don’t be afraid to go a size up if snug fits are an issue.
Puffer jackets are all the rage for those looking to stay warm in fashionably less bulky winter coats. The Callaway Weather Series puffer golf jacket employs that cushiony insulation design to create a lightweight piece of kit.
In order to provide warmth without bulk, the jacket contains Callaway’s Primaloft Insulation for softness and comfort (all produced from post-consumer recycled material) while Callaway SwingTech stretch panels allow for a golf swing without restriction.
Sun Mountain took its popular Granite II golf puffy jacket and added a reversible element to allow players to choose what color they want to wear to the course and how they want to look going home. It’s a pleasant option to have when most winter wear leans away from fashion options and more towards basic warmth.
The Granite features 60-gram insulation to retain body heat and allow vapor movement to avoid overheating and excessive moisture build-up. The result is a warm, tech-designed puffy that offers just a little bit of personal flair.
While we feature the pants here as a prime option for keeping those lower extremities warm, the entire FootJoy ThermoSeries line brings a high-tech, researched approach to winter golf gear. Armoring you against the cold from top to bottom, FootJoy’s ThermoSeries products come in base layers, mid-layers and outerwear. The result is a layered effect that you can put on or take off as the weather changes during a round.
While the upper body enjoys the warm layering, the ThermoSeries pants are water resistant and constructed with a stretch waste band that can adjust over the outerwear above as you add or remove layers.
What constitutes a game of winter golf?
When discussing gear for winter golf, it’s important to consider that we’re not discussing the occasional practice of gearing up in boots, a stocking cap, mittens and a parka to step out onto sub-freezing tundra worthy of Lambeau Field to wack a ball across the ice shelf. That sort of white-out winter golf is nothing more than a gag—a gimmick offered at the occasional resort with a sense of humor.
Winter golf usually packs it in if the snow flies, but many courses stay open even with temperatures in the 30s and 40s as long as the grass stays open. Those temperatures often bring along wind and rain. As a result, the golfer needs to keep warmth in and moisture out, while allowing the wind to affect only your ball flight.