Golf Apparel 101: Material Differences

As a general commodity, golf apparel is a tricky subject to write about, at least for me. The category has exploded over the last decade or so but it’s often hard to determine what’s best or, at the very least, what’s best for me.

As far as golf apparel performance goes, it all boils down to the material level. Therein lies the big differences, polo to polo and shorts to shorts.

In order to fully highlight these differences and make them simple for both you and I to understand, I took three pairs of shorts from one of my favorite golf apparel brands and compared them side by side by side. On the surface, they’re all comfortable, well-constructed golf shorts. But at the material level, they’re different.

Breaking down the fabrics in each of these shorts should, in theory, lend itself well to the shopping experience as we try our best to navigate the growing sea of golf apparel.

I’m no materials expert (far from it) but as I’ve sought to understand more about what makes golf apparel different, I’ve learned a lot about it. Let’s talk about the fabrics behind some of my favorite shorts and how they contribute to overall performance.

Polyester

Polyester is one of, if not the most, common fabrics among performance golf gear. Both the lululemon ABC Classic Warpstreme and WovenAir shorts are made primarily from polyester.

So wtf is it and, more importantly, why should you care if your golf apparel is made from polyester?

Let’s talk characteristics. Polyester is inherently strong and provides a soft hand feel (if you’ve ever worn lululemon’s ABC Classic Warpstreme shorts, you know that this is true). It’s known for its quick-drying properties and wrinkle-resistance.

On the flip side, polyester is prone to pilling and is not the most stain-resistant fabric.

Stretchy stuff

We all love stretch, right? More often than not, the stretch in your golf apparel comes from elastane (you know it as Spandex or Lycra). In the case of the lululemon shorts I’ve been living in for the past few weeks, the stretch comes from elastomultiester, a fancy fabric made by Lycra, that produces stretch without elastane.

There’s a few reasons one would consider Spandex or the non-Spandex alternatives like Lycra T400.

Both Spandex and elastomultiester provide ample stretch. That said, Spandex has a tendency to break down while elastomultiester holds its shape for longer. More often than not, stretchy fabrics like Spandex or Lycra T400 are added to other fabrics like polyester in order to amplify stretch.

Both the lululemon Commission Warpstreme and WovenAir shorts feature this elastomultiester fabric (over 40 percent), making them exceptionally stretchy and, thus, comfortable to golf in.

Nylon

Nylon is a great fabric for golf applications. It’s super-lightweight, abrasion-resistant and fast-drying. These three things make it a great option for golf apparel, specifically shorts where you’re constantly pulling things in and out of your pocket.

Some things nylon struggle with include static and pilling.

My favorite lululemon shorts, the ABC Golf Shorts, are made primarily from nylon (about 95 percent). Nylon itself has some stretch but but that stretch is amplified when woven with elastane (or Spandex). Such is the case with the ABC Golf Shorts.

Choose your combo

Finding the right combination of fabrics is key to finding the golf apparel that’s best for your game. Based on my experience with all three of lululemon’s golf shorts, I’m more partial to the nylon/elastane blend of the ABC Golf Shorts than anything else.

That said, the polyester-based ABC Warpstreme and WovenAir shorts are great in their own right. If I had to sum up the difference between them all, the polyester pairs don’t feel as comfortable. Don’t get me wrong. They feel great but something about the nylon/elastane combo feels better to me.

I’ve never thought much about fabrics and materials. But after comparing three shorts made from different materials, it’s clear to me that there’s more to golf apparel than logos. What goes into a pair of shorts or a polo is just as important as what they look like on the outside.