Get a Leg Up on Your Competition with the Best Golf Pants

Sing the praises of pants! For those in regions out in the world that play golf in any weather, such as the rainy, windy regions of Scotland where the game was invented, a fine pair of trousers is the uniform to get a player around 18 holes in comfort.

There are also some players who favor proper pants even during the warm weather months when golf shorts would seem like the easiest choice to accompany the traditional polo shirt. Those golfers may look on pants as more formal and more of an expression of respect for the game. Then again, they may just feel comfortable and focused in that more formal golf attire.

Regardless of the reason for zipping up a fine pair of golf pants, this collection will point out some of the most intriguing brands with a variety of price ranges. Whether a player values function, fashion or affordability, he’ll find a solution he can enjoy in our list.

Finally, be very clear on one thing: Jeans are not golf pants. If you show up on a top-shelf course in a pair of jeans, you won’t be allowed out of the clubhouse, and rightly so. As a brilliant fashion consultant once told me away from the golf course, the only time a grown man should be seen wearing jeans in public is when he’s sitting on a horse.

For the best golf pants you can buy right now, take a look at our list below.

1. Glenmuir Trousers

Best Overall

We start with a classic look — the tartan trousers. It’s easy to imagine a golfer centuries ago striding up to a round of cool, damp links play in gear looking very much like those sold by Glenmuir of Scotland. The Glenmuir folks have been making golf wear since 1891, so many of their designs offer a classic aesthetic. That said, their products are updated with the most modern materials and served up with excellent build quality.

2. Jack Nicklaus Golf

Best for the Traditionalist

We know The Golden Bear doesn’t sit up nights amongst his 18 Major Championship trophies to design golf pants. He has folks who do that for him before he signs off on the bottom line. Still, you can do worse than heading out to the first tee with the GOAT’s name on your slacks. Understated and classically styled, the Jack Nicklaus line includes and “active wasteland” to give the player a little more freedom of movement.

3. Linksoul

Best for the Casual Player

The millennial-focused Linksoul line includes some well-made sweatpants and denim offerings. Leave those at home in your closet for another day because we’re off to play golf here. Fortunately, the casual line of Linksoul gear features very comfortable yet slightly more grownup pants with material options from linen to chino. 

5. Loudmouth Golf

Best for the Peacocking Player

Remember when we mentioned that some golfers prefer to stick with long pants to show respect for the game? It’s safe to say devotees of Loudmouth Golf are not members of that particular fraternity. That’s not to say wearing a pair of these bold, colorful and often irreverent pants means the wearer doesn’t love the sport. He just likes a little peacocking now and again.

6. Sun Mountain Rain Pants

Best for the Rainy Day Player

We already mentioned that golfers from less agreeable climates stick to long pants for protection from the elements. Sun Mountain designs and manufacturers gear dedicated to holding back the rain on what Scottish golfers call “soft days.” Their Monsoon editions are comfortable and smartly concocted with leg-end zippers for easy donning and removal over golf shoes.

7. William Murray Golf

Best for Easy Going Player

The cool, casual William Murray line offers plenty of straight-up, solid color golf pants to fit any mood, course or event. These particular offerings feature the Murray Tartan and add a little more flare to the player’s round. All William Murray products are lightweight and made well with modern materials that actively wick water away from the body.

8. PGA Tour Golf Wear

Best for the Tour Player Wannabe

Never overlook the golf fashions offered by the PGA Tour’s own product line. Well-made and very affordable, these trousers from the merchandising arm of the world’s biggest golf events offer an expandable waistband to keep the player feeling comfortable and flexible off the tee or bending down to snag the ball out of the cup. 

9. Golf Knickers

Best for the Lover of the Game

We’re making a judgment call here. These aren’t pants. They stop at the knee. They’re also not shorts as they cling to the leg and require knee socks to complete the look. What they are, however, is classic golf fashion. If there’s any quibble to be made for this brand, it’s all in the name. These are golf plus fours, not knickers. “Knickers” is a colloquial name for women’s underwear. Now, a man can were women’s underwear if that’s what gets him through the night, but it would be frowned upon at the golf course. Still, “golfplusfours.com” doesn’t have the same fun ring as this brand’s URL, so we’ll cut them some slack(s).

10: Golf Knickers Pants

Best for the More Conservative Lover of the Game

Essentially, these golf pants offer the same patterns and colors as the Golf Knickers plus fours, but in full-on trousers. If that very traditional look of the knee socks throws you — or if you can’t get used to the feel of your trousers cutting off at the knees — you can show off some flair with full-legged versions.

11: Royal and Awesome Golf Pants

Best for the Bold

You need to have guts to wear the “slap you in the face” patterns of Royal and Awesome (a name playing off the governing body of the sport, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at Royal St. Andrews in Scotland). We’re talking real Rodney Dangerfield from Caddyshack fashion here. They might not work in the country club ambiance, but they’re a good choice for the player who wants to remind the world golf is a game.

The Wynn Resort Golf Club Is Alive Again on the Las Vegas Strip