Fashion on the Fairways

Cool cats or marketing mayhem?

Trends in golfing attire have changed over the course of history nearly as much as the game itself has progressed. From the throwback Scottish styles Payne Stewart favoured (consisting of tweed plus 4's tucked into long tartan socks and a Tam O'Shanter hat) to the Clima-cool shirt and sponsored baseball cap prevalent in today's game, fashion no longer has a fringe part to play in golf.

Wadrobes of some of the modern golfers must be something to behold; Jesper Parnevik, Darren Clark, Duffy Waldorf, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Camilo Villegas have a bright and pastel multi-coloured cacophony of trousers and shirts. Most people wouldn't think about wearing these items in any situation but to the circus, let alone dazzling millions of viewers in the PGA Tour events.

Camilo Villegas (Columbian rookie on tour) has used his good looks, style, charisma, and talent for the game to obtain a fan base in just a few months that compares favourably to the crowds that follow the very top players. Sponsors, clothing manufacturers, stylists, and possibly Camilo himself, all may have had a say in the overall look you see out on the course.

Don't be hasty in judging him and others on their fashion faux pas, take a look at their impact as players. Larger crowds, rising popularity of the game, bigger purses etc, are all part of the wider affect such trends have on golf. Even Tiger Woods has his own fashion superstition of wearing only red shirts on the final day of a tournament.

Let's not forget the impact of Michelle Wie and other stylish ladies on the women's game; she likes to be seen wearing chic ensembles (with large dangling earrings of course) on and off course. Elegant and attractive as she may be, if her game didn't have the quality to back up the look, the marketing machine would stop in its tracks (golfing versions Anna Kournikova beware)

Without the talent to back up these wild looking garments would we even notice them?

When Ian Poulter pulls a tee-shot into the trees is it his Union Jack trousers that enable him to find his ball through the undergrowth? - No, but we can see and identify him without the need for a commentator.

When Sergio Garcia sports garish yellow trousers only to find sand on a short approach, does he disappear from view? - Maybe briefly, but his red shirt and hat give us an idea where he is.

Does Jesper Parnevik's upturned peak on his cap help him to read putts? - Only in the early part of 2006.

Do you think the previous winners of the US Master's have problems deciding what to wear with their green jacket? - ..well, would you?