Hip Golf in Scotland
BY ED HODGE
3 MINS READ
To this day, the Bell’s Scottish Open over The King’s Course at Gleneagles is longingly recalled by many a golf aficionado in Scotland. Held in the late 1980s / early 1990s, the stars came out to play over a glorious venue in front of record crowds, a week before The Open.
Wonderful memories abound, and for me fashion also springs to mind. Oozing elegance and charm, the late Payne Stewart would appear on that inviting opening hole, his distinctive plus fours both colourful and conversational.
The Australian, Roger Davis, was another who strode the Perthshire fairways dressed for success with his famous ‘long socks’, often sporting flashes of tartan amid his famous outfits. The pair offered a throwback to golf’s formative days, witness black and white images of the ‘Great Triumvirate’ of James Braid, John Henry Taylor and Harry Vardon in their knee-high socks, jacket and tie and flat caps back at Gleneagles in the 1920s.
Fast forward to the present day and golfers who enjoy competing in hickory events at Scotland’s historic venues still take great pride and delight in pulling on attire from a bygone era, alongside striking their hickory clubs with enthusiasm and a little humour.
Of course, while traditions are upheld where golf began, the sport has long been known for its lack of chic, its lack of progression. Indeed, giant polo shirts, V-neck old-school jumpers, pleated trousers and goofy-looking shoes have regularly been seen as barriers to entry for young people, women and girls, and families looking to get into golf. C’mon, we’ve all purchased that wacky sweater with more colours than a rainbow at some stage in our golfing lives!
Thankfully, times have changed, the sport is progressing. The phrase ‘golf is cool’ is regularly used now, aided by a celebrity list from stage and screen who like nothing more than grabbing the clubs and heading for the 1 st tee. Heck, Gareth Bale even has a course in his backyard! Athletic, fitness- driven professional golfers on the men’s and women’s circuits have aided the trend.
Since Tiger Woods’s prime – dominant, cool and in such great physical shape that he made things like mock- neck red shirts a natural purchase – trends have again changed. The likes of Brooks Koepka now think nothing more than pulling on a pair of trainer-style shoes, a short-sleeved sports shirt and a cool cap for tournament play. While Tyrell Hatton perhaps instigated ‘hoodie-gate,’ the fact thousands then rushed to buy hoodies said it all.
Put simply, thanks to a new crop of athletes, young casual golfers, and independent brands embracing the game, an otherwise staid genre is experiencing an injection of fashion energy it’s rarely seen before. There are now brands aplenty that make legitimately good-looking clothing that is dedicated to golf apparel.
Back on our shores, picture the film maker Erik Anders Lang making his way across our golfing landscape decked in natty hats and colourful shirts for the Un/official Golf Guide to Scotland. Today’s ‘hip golf’ goes beyond fashion. Look at classy accessories, stylish ball designs and golf bags themselves. US-based FlagBag, for example, produces bags using both new and repurposed golf flags. Appreciating the Scots’ love for walking golf, they feel they are kindred spirits.
“As a superintendent at a few good clubs and a ‘carry bag, lay down leather bag guy’, I saw there were many ‘lightly used’ flags being changed out in favour or a fresh set each season,” says Josh Smith from FlagBag, who have worked with Royal Dornoch in the Scottish Highlands. “The old flags all went in a box to collect dust. I thought it might be a fun project to upcycle flown flags patterned into a small golf bag. It has a soulful and throwback feel. The flag at the green has long been a focal point of the game, and golf has nearly always been played with a bag to hold clubs. It’s just a fun way to tie the bag even more to the course itself – almost like a team uniform for that particular golf club.”
You can almost picture the late, great Payne throwing one over his shoulders on The King’s. Mixing past and present, golf is now hip.