Spring is upon us. The index is lower than it should be, and the new season is replete with hope.

There’s something oddly refreshing about shooting 78-82-86 early in the season. After the ceaseless self-hate and biting derision directed at myself over pedestrian ball striking and chunked chips, the dust settled.

A quick call with my my swing coach (younger brother, his price point is good for me— $0) and some laughs, I walked away with a few good drills and swing thoughts as we head to member-guest and country club tournament season. The important things in life.

The Spring releases have dropped from some of my favorite brands. Over the next few weeks, I will compile the best of the best here, so you don’t have to look elsewhere.

As a reminder, each Wednesday from now until the Masters I will be dropping a buyer’s guide for the best golf products I see on the market right now. No affiliate links or paid ads. Just the good stuff that you can wear to any golf club in the world.

Without further ado…

No prints or patterns here. If you’re just starting to build out your golf wardrobe, stick with whites, light blues and greens. You can then build from there.

Holderness and Bourne. The Prize Fighter of men’s golf shirts at the moment. I’m a fan of the Neville shirt. One simply cannot own enough white cotton shirts. If you’re looking for a polyester shirt, I’d recommend any of their Airation shirts.

Arnie McNair. Arnie is a close friend and confidante. His eponymous brand is something we talk about at great length. It will one day be mentioned with the H&Bs and Peter Millars. I recommend reading up on the story of the brand and what it stands for.

Peter Millar. Peter Millar's two-track system is worth understanding. Crown Sport is your on-course performance line; Crown Crafted is the lifestyle play. For spring polos, the Crown Sport mesh shirt is a solid option.

Many other solid options exist, but for my money the these are the top three which are head-and-shoulders above the rest.

While not necessarily for the golf course, a crisp light blue OCBD and/or sport shirt should be a staple in your wardrobe. It’s versatile and can be worn anywhere.

Sid Mashburn. I just bought 2 dress shirts from Sid. For your money, it’s the highest quality shirt I can recommend.

J. Press. The King of prep. Often imitated, never duplicated.

Paul Stuart. This is a brand I haven’t spoken about here before, but it deserves time in the lime light. I own 3 sport coats of theirs and I’m fairly sure I’ll wear them for the next 25-30 years. I like the look of their “Classics” collection.

This section will be short becasue the list of brands that are not selling big-lettered billboards disguised as hats dwindles each day.

Imperial. A classic. Timeless looks and fits here, especially the coveted Tour Visors.

American Needle. Most of their golf stuff skews “trendy”, but they still make some simple, solid custom hats for golf clubs. A go-to in any pro shop, but I’d stay away from the majority of their ecommerce offerings.

Spring outerwear usually consists of a few layers, depending on what type of weather you’ll encounter. The polo-sweater-vest combination is undefeated. Here are a few layering brands I like:

Holebrook. Many brands talk about “windproof” vests and sweaters. Holebrook is the only jacket I’ve worn that holds up to the standard. I’ve had mine for 15 years and it hasn’t shown any sign of wear and tear. High quality stuff.

Zero Restriction. Solid outerwear and vest options, and they make a good rain suit as well.

Kjus. King of the rain suit. Buy it, take care of it, and it will last you at least a decade.

RLX Cashmere. Good price point for 100% cashmere when you look at some of the other options out there.

The most important thing about golf pants is that they shouldn't look like golf pants. They should look like trousers a man would wear to lunch who happens to be able to swing a club in them.

Duck Head. A personal favorite of mine. I own a pair of the classic fit Gold School chinos and I’m convinced they are the best pant on the market. I’m going to buy a few more pairs for the spring and summer. Not just for golf, but for casual wear as well.

Bills Khakis. Another brand I just so happened to stumble upon during my research. Everything designed and cut-and-sewn in the USA via Amish-run factories. I see Bills as the spiritual sibling to Duck Head but from a Pennsylvania/military-surplus angle rather than a Southern campus one.

J. Crew. There is a saying in the business world, “No executive ever gets fired for buying IBM”. Well? You’ll never get tossed from a club for wearing J. Crew chino pants.

Arnie McNair. Mr. McNair is selling real American-made Alligator belts for $225 a pop. Fairly certain he’s losing money, but go get them while you can. Sale ends Thursday EOD.

Doc Murphy. If reversible belts are your thing, check these guys out.

Smathers. The New England prep staple. They have an excellent assortment of patriotic belts, which I expect will grow as we close in on the 250th.

Duck Head. A cotton option for those who don’t sweat as much and prefer a traditional look.

Holderness & Bourne. I’m intrigued by the Cameron short. Its a cotton-modal blend that I believe will offer some benefits of polyester while maintaining a professional look.

Red Vanly. If you want a pure polyester short, this is probably the one for you. I recommend staying away from the patterened prints and sticking with the traditional look.

Bombas. Yes, it’s a big D2C brand, but I’ve yet to find a better pair of go-to golf socks that keep their form like the Bombas golf socks.

Feetures. I learned about the brand when I endured a short-lived running phase about a year ago. The socks are moisture-wicking and work well for long summer days on the golf course.

Kentwool. I was gifted a pair of these at a junior tournament many moons ago, and have been a fan of the brand ever since.

Next Wednesday I will break down the best shoes on the market right now. We will touch on everything from on-course options to what you’ll wear to grab a drink after the round. See you there.

The oldest golf course in continuous use in America is not in the Hamptons. It's on a bluff above the Allegheny River in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, population 291.

It started because Joseph Mickle Fox (Mount Rushmore golf name) traveled to Scotland with the All-American Cricket Team in 1874 and wandered over to St. Andrews. Foxburg Country Club He befriended Old Tom Morris, who taught Fox the fundamentals and sold him a set of clubs and balls to take home. Fox came home, laid out holes on his estate, and eventually gave the land rent-free to whoever wanted to play. The fairways were cut by scythe for an annual salary of $15.

The clubhouse was built in 1912 as a private residence and acquired by the club in 1942, and it houses the American Golf Hall of Fame on its second floor. It’s a priceless collection of clubs, balls, and artifacts dating back to the 1800s, including clubs made by Old Tom Morris himself.

I’m a sucker for a logo from the 1890s, but I’m always blown away by the ones from the 1880s.

I’ve been fully “red-pilled” on the state of golf fabrics and material. It’s not to say that any of the above poly/tech products are bad, but polyester seems to be omnipresent in the game. Where are the alternatives?

I played golf at Kiawah over the weekend, and I think I was the only guy there wearing cotton khaki pants and a cashmere sweater. Out of the many players I encountered, very few wore cotton, even though the temperature never broke 65. Where has the demand for natural fabrics gone?

Has the shift in taste and preference been driven by the big manufacturers or by the consumer? My guess is it’s a mix of the two. Outsourcing production and the rise of “Athleisure” in the workplace has certainly put some fuel on the fire.

After a quick mental audit on the flight home, I realized 90% of my golf wardrobe is some sort of performance fabric. This is not the product of a singular conscious decision, just a result of solving for fit, color and brand first. Fabric, until now, has been an afterthought.

I vow to be more conscientous about the type of fabric that I wear. It matters!

It’s time to go back to the foundations. It’s time to embrace high quality cotton clothing.

It’s best to avoid giving swing advice on the golf course, even if you are asked for it directly.

When giving advice, do it after the round, and only when asked. I’d recommend sharing a personal story about how you learned to hit a specific shot or overcame some obstacle.

Leveraging a personal experience and telling the story in first person allows the recipient of the “advice” to take what they want to from the story.

Prescribing advice (“You should…”) puts the recipient on the defensive, and the tips won’t land the way you think they will.

It’s best to tell a story, (as that is how the human brain is wired to process information) and allow the person to come to their own conclusions on how best to proceed.

Snacks in a Men’s locker room are sacred. With any luck, you’ll find some combination of pretzels, chips, and mixed nuts, along with the Ritz cracker and mystery cheese spread. A spread like this means you’re in a good place.

Occasionally, you’ll find some wasabi peas. Avoid these at all cost, as they are disgusting.

On the other hand, you may encounter some peanut M&M’s which are a top 1 post-round snack.

Until next time.

-BTG