Waterproofs/winter clothing

I assume this topic is covered every year or so. I am fairly new to golf (18 months or so) and I have decided to get some waterproofs. Having said that I see I can spend hundreds of pounds on W/proof suits even a jacket alone can cost the earth. As my budget does not extend to that sort of money ( £150 is my budget), can I ask others what they have found to be fit for purpose ,usable, does everything it says on the " Tin " i.e. value for money. What should I be looking for in w/proof jackets ,gloves ,hats etc.

I have only played regular winter golf over the past 2 winters and first of all I would recommend a thermal baselayer which will remove the need for wearing multiple sweaters and/or your waterproof jacket when it is dry but cold. My £4 thinsulate-lined hat has also been well worth the money - much warmer than a normal woolly hat.

If you hands suffer the cold, as mine do, winter mitts are worth getting as well.

John, I think a lot of golf clothing is nothing but a massive rip off. And nothing is more of a rip off than modern branded waterproofs. My advice would be to visit somewhere like Mountain Warehouse and see what Gortex or other breathable waterproofs they have. They'll be much cheaper and do the job just as well.

Norman, I think you need to start a new thread!

Richard

Hi John, just been through the same sort of thing, wanted full waterproof set for £100

First thing first, i would HIGHLY recommend you DONT go to mountain warehouse and buy a jacket, trousers id even be a bit dubious of but i bought a £60 jacket and fitted great, was lovely, first swing ripped the underarms clean through, these clothes arent designed for golf.

I picked up a ProQuip PQlite jacket on ebay for £25, 5m waterproof and fits beautifully, doesnt rub or make a lot of noise, looks great and performs outstanding, Secondly i bought PING tornado 2 waterproof trousers, £20, amazing fit, again great performance and so practical.

These were buy it now prices from golf retailers. Both brand new with RRP of over £100, retailers need to shift the old stock and sell it dirt cheap. Proquip make the ryder cup team stuff and Ping is, well, its ping!

i played last weekend and it hammered down on the 4th and i mean good old welsh hammering. i was dry as a bone, my mate had dunlop waterproofs on and was drenched. I love mine to death and you will really notice the quality difference, i was the only one in my group prepared to play on, everyone else was too wet. IMO goretex is overpriced, unless your playing golf on the sea bed, there are plenty of options out there for you

Thanks everyone. It's great to have peoples thoughts ,views ,experiences. On the topic of w/proofs etc. , do you recommend getting your normal sizing or should one go for the next size up..........or doesn't it matter?

John, I'm lucky that I have very good waterproofs, but I had a set of M&S ones (when they made specific golf ones) which lasted me for 15 or so years for not a lot of money (partly because they were well looked after and partly because I don't play casual golf in the rain!), there are plenty of brands out there, either new or ebay. It really depends on the brand you buy whether the size is your normal one, or one bigger. A lot of the golf branded waterproofs are designed knowing that you want to be able to swing, so give a little more space, some others aren't. Also some waterproofs are quite warm and you won't want loads of layers underneath, and others are basically a sheet of plastic over you to keep the water out but not the heat in, so you will need more layers and hence probably a bigger size, you won't know until you try them on, much like any other clothing item. Think about how much time you will want to play when it's raining and budget accordingly.

You originally asked about gloves and hats etc. You will always find that gloves get wet, but if you try to not grab wet items with the glove and take it off between shots when it is wet you will find it will stay dry a bit longer. changing through 2 or 3 normal gloves when it is wet it far better than expecting an all weather glove to be perfect when it feels like having a wet sock on you hand. As for hats, I've only ever worn baseball caps to play and have found them fine, like a hat, they will get wet, but I don't think i'd be able to play golf with a hat looking like a north sea fisherman!

The best tip for playing in the wet is keeping the grips dry, spare towel in a side pocket or similar and don't put clubs on the ground

John. As for waterproof sets most of the online retailers (onlinegolf etc) are doing a full Nike set for undet £100 at the moment. I wouldn't usually push products but I recently bought this for my friends birthday (it was a present from his mrs but she wanted help buying it). We have played golf in the rain a couple of times since and he is over the moon with them. They look stylish (which I think is important) and he has always been bone dry afterwards. He has also said that they are really comfortable to swing in etc. As for size he is 6ft 2 and average build. A large fits perfectly with a jumper underneath. Here's the link:

http://www.onlinegolf.co.uk/Nike-Golf-Storm-Fit-Waterproof-Suit/Nike-Suit-Storm-Fit-Rain-Water/238784,en_GB,pd.html

John defo get some under armour baselayer type of thing, i swear by mine now and play all winter sometimes with just a T shirt over it. As for waterprrofs i bought a simple pair of Dunlop bottoms and top in a deal at Sports direct for i kid you not, £20. Ive had em 3 years n they are mint nice fitting and not too bulky. I wasnt prepared to pay too much and just came across them in Sports direct.

As one might expect in a debate like this, we have differing opinions, most based on their experience. I think what I take from this is that I will not " Start a Round " if it is heaving down with rain therefore I do not need to shell out hundreds of pounds on waterproofs. I need something that will keep me dry if and when it starts to rain during a round . So paying under a £100 is definitely achievable. Next question........Someone has my waterproofs and I have their money. Who's the lucky retailer LOL

By the way, what is " Under armour base layer" ? I have heard of base layers ,not sure what under armour is.

John Underarmour is a brand of clothing. Some of their flagship products (I think they may have launched the brand with these but don't quote me on that) are their baselayers. They aren't the cheapest in the market but are top quality.

John, as for sizing, of course try them on if you can. If online, in general, buy your regular size they usually come a fraction bigger and importantly, once you find the type you like, google the brand and sizing guide, I wondered the same thing and found ping had a fitting size chart online giving you dimensions of the garment which you can compare to other garments you have. This was the same for proquip, I simply googled "ping size chart" and "proquip size chart" and they were both near the top

Thank you all for some very sound advice. But for the moment it will have to take a back seat as I'm off to Spain tomorrow with my brother in law and friend for a weeks golf . 4 rounds with a mid week break . You could argue that when I come back is when I would need the w/proofs. But truly I can only think Sun and golf.

Different tack

4 rounds of golf all high handicappers, how could we benefit from this experience? One friend suggested to change the types of play for each round. What do others think, any suggestions

Dunlop do some great cheap base layers and they are as good as any. all winter i wear just that with a t-shirt and a sleevless jumper thing like a tank top and keeps me toasty. Dont try and take off the base layer on the course though as last time i did that i actually got it stuck half on and half off and had to ask a golfer passing by to help me out of it!!!!

As for your four rounds of holiday golf, I would just suggest you go and enjoy them don't worry about different types, enjoyment is the prime motivator for golf, then enjoy the sun and the beer, not that I'm jealous at all!