Short Par 4
In late February 2019, during the winter of our discontent in North Carolina, we had been subjected to torrential rains for many, many weeks. During this monsoon season, I accepted a hard truth, my 7-year-old Ecco Biom Spikes and 2-year-old Ecco Biom Hybrids were in dire need of replacement. I needed waterproof (not water resistant) golf shoes stat.
On a cold and wet Sunday afternoon shortly after (most likely watching golf), I was mindlessly scrolling through my social media feed wishing I was on the golf course, and I saw an ad for Short Par 4 with a discount subscription code, indicating the March box would contain shoes. Needing a new pair at a low price (I decided 2 lower cost pairs was better than 1 high cost pair), I decided to take the leap. For the 2nd pair, I got a good deal on a black pair of Footjoy Contour Fits, which I won’t review since there is already a review on this site by Adam:
I am always looking at golf equipment, clothes, and accessories online, trying to find a good deal. I live close to an Outlet Mall and I’ve found a fair amount of stuff there over the years for a good price. For the last few years, most of my golf shirts have been purchased from courses that I have played. My work attire consists largely of golf shirts and khakis, so I like to have a good number of golf shirts hanging in my closet. Living in the south, it is essential to have golf shirts that breathe well since it gets hot and humid for a good part of the year.
Signing up was a breeze. I chose the Fairway Subscription for $30 the first month, $59 afterwards. There are 3 different memberships, Fairway for $59 per month, Executive for $80 per month, and the Tour Experience for $125 per month.
Fairway: “With the Fairway, you get the most bang for your buck. Our Fairway package holds the most items that will allow you to discover high-quality brands that we’re sure you’ll love. We wanted the Fairway to be curated for the cutting-edge gentleman who wants to look like a million bucks without paying a fortune for it.”
Executive: “With the Executive package, you’ll receive premium golf brands for a fraction of the price. Each monthly box will include items from leading brands such as Travis Mathew, Ralph Lauren RLX, Sunice, and Greyson. Our Executive members get the full VIP treatment with exclusive deals and VIP Customer Service so you won’t have to deal with chatbots or phone calls. We want our Executive members to look and feel like a million bucks while getting the full treatment.”
Tour Experience: “We’ve teamed up with PGA pro, Rickie Fowler, to bring you gear and outfits from his tour sponsors such as Puma, Cobra and more. On top of that, you’ll receive signed memorabilia from the man himself. But it’s a good idea that you jump right on this package deal because quantities are limited. This package may seem too good to be true, but it can be yours in only a few minutes.”
After choosing the Fairway Membership, I was asked to provide some information on my dimensions and style preference. There are 3 styles, Loud & Wild, Traditional, and Athletic. The All Styles option sends you a mix of the 3 styles. To help you choose your style, they share names of pro golfers who are your “style icons” to help you understand what you are signing up for. For example, under Loud & Wild, Ricky Fowler and Ian Poulter are listed as “Style Icons”. I opted not to make a choice by going with the All Styles option.
With the coupon code, my first month’s fee was just under $30. I got an email shortly after indicating my box was being prepared. On March 15th, I got an email that my box was on the way. A few days later, it arrived.
March Short Par 4 Box
I eagerly opened the Short Par 4 box to find a sharp looking pair of white Puma Grip Fusion spikeless shoes with a 1-year waterproof warranty. There was also a Short Par 4 branded divot tool and ball marker. Trying on the shoes, I realized they were a bit too snug on the right foot on the outside toe area. I called Short Par 4 and took care of the return. Note, when returning, you will pay a $10 fee for the shipping of the order you are returning and the replacement item. They also give you the option to purchase items from their store with credits if you don’t want or like the item you are returning.
Back to the shoes, these are a limited edition (what isn’t these days?) collaboration with Short Par 4, basically the same Grip Fusions with a slightly different look that My Golf Spy loved so much in their 2018 Shoe Guide. After receiving a new pair, a half size up, I was ready to rock.
The first round was a day after another period of heavy rain. The course drained well, but there were still a few wet spots. My feet stayed dry all day. There was only 1 swing where the traction wasn’t sufficient (I’ve read on this blog that spikes always do better when it’s wet). The shoes were very comfortable the first round, my feet felt fine after riding 18 holes. Next, I wanted to test them walking my home course. I didn’t think about them all day, which is exactly what I am looking for in a golf shoe. There was no blistering and my feet felt as good as they could after walking a few miles, like what I experienced playing exclusively in Ecco’s for the past 7 years. Ecco’s are a premium shoe sold at a premium price. The Puma Grip Fusions are not premium in materials or price, though they are built well considering I had $40 in them versus over $150 for a pair of Ecco’s. They are also waterproof as opposed to water resistant, which is reassuring.
Recently, I wore them during a round where it rained for 45 minutes, and my feet stayed dry throughout. Traction was a bit dicey from bad lies but was good on the tees and in fairways. One thing to note about the sole is they tend not to pick up too much debris, so you won’t bring most of the golf course into your car after the round.
The fit of the shoe is comfortable, a with a bit of support but not stiff. The feel is that of an athletic shoe, and I consider that a good thing. Apparently, I am not the only one who finds Puma’s run small, so a good rule of thumb is to go a half size up if there is any doubt.
3 months in, I am overall pleased with the shoes performance and comfort. There has been some slight creasing in the toe area, but they have been easy to keep clean by wiping them down with a towel after each round and applying a conditioner from time to time. I plan to keep them in the rotation for quite some time.
April Short Par 4 Box
The Short Par 4 April Box was a pleasant surprise, with a Greg Norman pair of shorts, an Under Armour Polo, a Puma Knit Belt, and a ball marker.
The shorts have an elastic waistband (yay for us fat boys) and a bit of a gray sheen. At first, I wasn’t quire sure about the look, but reserved judgment until I put them on with the shirt and belt. Glad that I did, they are comfortable and light. With the shirt, belt, and Puma shoes, they look great!
The Under Armour polo was a softer shirt than I am used to with them, with a slight camouflage like pattern throughout the body. This shirt does not seem to stay wet; it feels soft and dry even after a downpour on a hot and humid day. One thing to note about me and shirts, it seems like there is a fine line between it feeling like I am wearing a bed sheet or a muscle shirt two sizes too small. This shirt straddles that line well, remaining a bit loose, but not overly so.
The belt is a knit, grey belt from Puma with a blue plastic clasp. It’s very adjustable and looks clean and athletic. As someone prone to slight weight fluctuations, the easy adjustability belt is great, I just adjust it to my size for that day. It certainly beats trying to choose between a belt notch that is too tight or too loose.
Overall the outfit was an upgrade from any of my other golf outfits and is my current favorite outfit for the course.
May Short Par 4 Box
The May Short Par 4 Box contained a Linksoul polo, a Short Par 4 hat made by Ouray Sportswear out of Colorado, a Short Par 4 glove and an Oakley collapsible backpack.
The shirt is comfortable and made of cotton. Stripes don’t always look the best on me, but this shirt looks alright. The sizing is on the larger side, so the shirt feels airy and loose. It’s become part of the work rotation, I have yet to wear it on the golf course, though I will once the humidity dies down later in the year.
A word about me and hats. I have a huge noggin (7 5/8”), and have a hard time finding a hat that fits well. All too often, I see a cool looking hat, but when I try it on, it sits on the top of my head like a cardboard crown from Burger King. Over the years I have purchased several hats that did not quite fit due to being overly optimistic about how it really fit. Fortunately, with Short Par 4, they ask about head size when you sign up, so the hat they sent me fits my head well. I like the look of it, and it is well made for a ball cap. I’ll likely be purchasing another Ouray hat in the future.
The glove is very soft with a thin and premium feel, since I have some other gloves in the rotation, I have not played with it yet, but plan to do so.
I have yet to use the Oakley collapsible backpack, though I imagine I will take it to a concert or some other event where I want to carry a small amount of stuff without having to worry about using a larger bag.
At this point, I was paying full freight for my subscription, so I called Short Par 4 to cancel. They asked why I was cancelling, and I said the cost was the reason. They offered to extend my introductory rate for 2 more months starting with the June box, so I took them up on it.
June Short Par 4 Box
The June Short Par 4 Box contained 3 items, a Callaway polo, Callaway shorts with the Chevron pattern, and a ball marker.
The outfit was not something I loved right away out of the box. My wife wasn’t a fan of the blue and gold shirt, but she suggested I try the entire outfit on. Both of us were pleasantly surprised by the look of the outfit, which went well with the belt that I was sent in my April box. It just goes to show that clothes need to be tried on to see how they look on you.
The shorts are very light, and I like the look of the chevron pattern. They will pair with a good number of my golf shirts.
The shirt is also very breathable, and I like how the sleeves are a little tight around the biceps. Did I hear someone say, “I got 2 tickets to the gun show?”
Overall Impressions
Short Par 4 is an easy way to keep your wardrobe fresh. Not having to think about getting new golf apparel is great if you want to look good but don’t like shopping. There is also a little bit of excitement when your box arrives around the 20th of the month. The items pair well together as a whole, providing options to mix and match shorts, shirts, hats, belts, etc. The brands are well known, and the quality is good across the board. You certainly get your money’s worth with the Fairway subscription. Each shipment for the Fairway box is supposed to contain $100 worth of items, which seems about right based on my experience. Yes, you can probably get a better deal by scouring the web and discount racks, but that takes time, and time is money.
Total Money Spent March through June: $174
Items received: Shoes, 3 polos, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 hat, 1 glove, 1 divot tool, 3 ball markers, and a collapsible bag.
The total spent so far is about what I would have paid for a single pair of Ecco’s, so in comparison I feel like I got a great deal.
You need to weigh whether the convenience of getting new gear is worth spending upwards of $60 per month, every month. Over the course of a year, that works out to $720. Granted, they cut me a deal to stay longer, so the sticker price may be negotiable, at least a little while. You can cancel your subscription at any time. If this price point isn’t a problem for you, I would recommend trying it out, especially if you find a good introductory rate. Check out Short Par 4h
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