Every major championship I wait for all the golf blogs and golf media to regurgitate the latest golf “apparel scripting” which is bulk emailed to them by golf PR firms and golf apparel companies. Such a win/win for all involved. The bloggers/writers don’t have to spend time actually writing content, and the PR gets their message out! And it is such valuable information!
I wasn’t going to get up a 2 a.m. and watch the Open Championship, but as soon as I saw Jonas Blixt’s scripting I couldn’t sleep. I HAD to watch it. Then after the first round, I went to the golf store and bought every piece of Blixt’s scripting for all four rounds. Unfortunately he missed the cut. So sad for those dead Saturday and Sunday scripts. I threw the two weekend outfits in the trash. I never even got to wear them.
In the spirit of “glory’s last shot” in the 2014 PGA Championship, I’ve spent a ton of time and effort crafting my own apparel script (above). This script takes on the Tiger Woods daily theme for the week.
Are you interpreting that I think Tiger will miss the cut this week? I sure hope not. The whole golf industry is dependent on Tiger and it costs jobs and billions of dollars in the economy when Tiger misses the cut. We need him. In fact, if he misses the cut I think I’ll cancel my weekend tee times.
Let me know your thoughts…
I’m excited to start “testing” a couple of new belts which just arrived from Mission Belt Co. These are sharp looking, and perhaps best of all they are the new ratchet style.
Mission Belt
Ratchet belts are great. First, they are custom cut to the wearer’s general size. Then they can be adjusted on the fly, allowing me to loosen it a bit in the office after eating a giant Philly cheesesteak at lunch.
Today’s golf belt apparel script gives us the first look at a belt maker called Nexbelt. A golf friend referred Nexbelt to me and I’m happy to make the connection.
Nexbelt Men’s Golf Belt
Nexbelts have a combination of three excellent and convenient features:
Custom Cut
Nexbelts all come in one (very long) length. The belt is custom cut down to size. This a fantastic, as many belts I have are just barely the wrong fit.
Ratchet
If you look at the belt photos in this post and in the Nexbelt photo gallery, you’ll notice the belts have no holes. A ratchet mechanism secures the belt and also allows for a perfect fit which is neither too tight or too loose.
Hidden Ball Marker
The belt buckle serves as a doorway to a hidden ball marker. Blow your friends away with this James Bond 007 ball marker setup and for the ladies, including bling.
Nexbelt women’s golf belt with hidden bling ball marker – click to zoom
Review Soon
I’m now in the testing and evaluation stages and will post my review soon. First impressions and conclusions are that my pants are not falling down. So I have that going for me, which is nice.
Dunning Golf has quickly become one of my top rated golf apparel makers. Since 2001 New York based Dunning has been making apparel “engineered for athletes, designed for players.” Every Dunning garment I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing has been made from the highest quality fabrics, features classy and timeless design, and performs flawlessly on or off the golf course. Today’s feature, the Stretch Jersey Button Down Polo is no exception.
Fantastic Collar – click to zoom
Stretch Jersey Button Down Polo Overview
The $89 Stretch Jersey Button Down Polo from Dunning Golf is a simple, yet very classy and stylish golf polo. The two-piece button-down collar keeps a fine shape and looks sharp on the course, or even when wearing a sport coat.
The luxurious fabric of this polo feels silky smooth to the touch like the finest cotton or silk, but performs like much more durable fabrics while resisting wrinkles.
The Stretch Jersey is made from 93% technical polyester and 7% spandex. These are fantastic fabrics for performance, breathability, and low maintenance.
Sizes/Colors
A wide variety of sizes is available in the Stretch Jersey: extra small, small, medium, large, extra-large, and double extra-large. I prefer a loose fit so the XL is great for me. Dunning suggests that those who like a cleaner fit simply choose one size smaller.
Three great and simple colors are offered in this polo: black, halo (dark blue), and gray (pictured).
Care
Caring for the polo could not be easier. No dry cleaning. Simply machine wash in cold water with similar colors. No bleach or softeners. Softeners are most definitely not needed. Tumble dry low. If ncecessary, the garment can be ironed on low heat.
Dunning Golf Stretch Jersey Button Down Polo – click to zoom
On or Off the Course
I’ve tested the Stretch Jersey Button Down in a very wide variety of conditions, from scorching heat in Arizona to cool temperatures in the northern mountains of Utah. In all conditions the comfort, breathability, and performance are flawless.
During the golf swing the polo performs perfectly, not impeding the swing keeping its form and fit throughout.
This past weekend the polo showed its versatility. It was Easter, and I snuck out for a round of 18 holes before the big family Easter festivities and dinner. I had a 10 minute window between putting out on the 18th hole and arriving nearby at the festivities. I figured the perfect apparel choice was the Stretch Jersey as it was great for golf, and very sharp and classy for a nice family celebration. Perfectly played on my part. I only wish my golf game that day matched my apparel scripting skills.
Conclusion
Five keys to great golf apparel are in order: performance, comfort, style, low maintenance, breathability. In all five of these areas the Dunning Golf Stretch Jersey Button Down Polo is off the charts.
Related Reviews
Dunning Stretch Pique Multi Stripe Polo
Dunning Stretch Thermal 1/4 Zip Pullover
Dunning Base Layer
Dunning Tour Edition Players Sweater
Ecco Street EVO One Golf Shoes
Ecco is widely known for its very comfortable street and dress shoes. That style and comfort has translated well to the new Street EVO One.
The Street EVO One is a hybrid golf shoe, meaning it is designed for use on the course and off the course. Rather than having removable golf spikes, the tread of the shoe provides high traction on the golf course yet is low profile enough to wear anywhere.
Part of Ecco’s advantage is the fact that they own their own factories and can completely control the entire shoe-making process.
Design
Ecco Golf designs their shoes with a “foot first” approach. This is the opposite of some golf shoe makers, who focus on traction and stability first, often sacrificing comfort. Ecco builds the shoe around the foot, yet manages to maintain stability and traction.
Traction Bars & Traction Angles
Traction is achieved through the shoe’s roughly 100 molded “traction bars,” which each have four angled spokes. Those spokes provide some 800 “traction angles.” Simply, there is more surface area on each spike, giving the shoe a vastly larger gripping surface. On my shoes I counted 78. Yes, I counted them. I suppose larger shoes have more surface area and thus would have more traction bars.
The Street EVO One is available in high-grade cow leather and genuine camel leather versions. Both versions feature Ecco’s “Hydromax” weather resistance treatment.
Style
The Street EVO One is as stylish as it is comfortable, and that is saying a lot. There are no crazy designs, no outlandish colors, no bizarre and unnecessary appointments. The two-color upper is modern looking but hints of a classic style.
On The Course / On The Street
Honestly I’ve worn the Street EVO One’s off the course at about a 10/1 ratio to on the course. They’re very comfortable, especially when worn with a high end wool or compression sock. Through the work day and even at times when walking long distances around town, the Street EVO One keeps my feet comfortable, dry, and feeling fresh.
Ecco Street EVO One – Style
On the golf course the Street EVO One performs flawlessly. Power and control starts at the base of the player’s body, where the feet connect to the ground. The stability and traction I have, even in my somewhat spazztic swing, is fantastic. With such a great foundation and great traction, I’m able to generate full power and control, yet keep a fine balance.
Shoveling Snow
Unfortunately it is winter here and the only golf I’ve managed to play for the last four months has been when I leave town and go south. There has been quite a bit of snow lately, and I’ve had to shovel the driveway numerous times in the last month. One day after returning from work I grabbed the snow shovel and got after it. After a few minutes I realized that I was shoveling snow, in shorts, wearing Ecco Golf shoes.
Ecco snow shoes!
I can now confidently say that the Street EVO One is a great shoe for snow shoveling. Great traction. As a bonus, it leaves really cool tracks in the snow thanks to the traction bars.
Critiques
My beef with Ecco golf shoes remains the same as it has always been, European sizing. My shoe size is a straight up USA 9. Ecco’s euro-sizing comes in USA half size increments. For instance, a 42 in their sizing equals a USA size 8-8.5. A 43 equals a USA size 9-9.5. Since I’m a 9, the 43 is too big. Sort of like wearing clown shoes. I end up having to order a 42 and “hope” the shoe fits a little on the big side. Fortunately for me the 42’s have fit great, though converting them to USA size says they should be half a size too small.
Conclusion
Most of my golf shoes sit in the garage and are only used on the golf course. My Street EVO One’s sit in the shoe rack of my closet. I wear them regularly. In fact, I’m wearing them right now, along with my pajamas. 🙂
Related Links
Ecco Street EVO One photos
Other Hooked On Golf Blog Ecco Reviews
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