Comfort, function and style are the three pillars by which I measure golf apparel. Obviously, it has to be comfortable for me to even consider wearing out on the course. Nothing is more disconcerting than finding a great looking polo that just rubs you (literally) the wrong way. It also must to be functional. For example, it drives me crazy when you’re stuck with a tiny pocket that can’t even fit a tee or ball marker. Lastly, where the level of importance is debatable, it has to look sharp. Meet those three marks and we have a ballgame.

My evolution as a writer as well as a golfer has been an ongoing battle when it comes to style. Where in the past an off the rack pair of cargo pants and a clearance aisle polo from KOHL’s would suffice for a Sunday round, I’m now finding that there is a place for a little class in my wardrobe. With the addition of some new high quality threads from Dunning Golf’s new spring line, my status amongst the golfing public, without a doubt, has been elevated.

Dunning Golf is an apparel company that established itself back in 2001 and since then they have been making a name for themselves by putting out some amazing, functional clothes that are a perfect fit for today’s modern golfer. The clothes are incredibly well made and perform flawlessly on the course. In my opinion Dunning has nailed the simple yet classy style that most golfers I socialize wish they could pull off. Not to say my golfing buddies are slobs by any means, but there is no way they’d turn down a wardrobe upgrade like I received.

Where a good number of apparel companies look at style and appearance when designing a clothing line, I feel Dunning laid their foundation on performance. Utilizing some of the highest quality fabrics you can find and combining that with some unique tailoring, the performance of the Dunning clothes is hard to argue against. Having been very loyal to a single brand this past year, I’ve been snobbish when considering new clothes because I’ve yet to find anything that meets the performance, look and function of their gear. Much to my delight (and surprise), the Dunning apparel is on par at every level . So much in fact that lately I’ve been perplexed on which items to grab out of my closet when getting ready to hit the links.

Beyond the standard shorts, pants and polos, Dunning also has a well-crafted layering system that is unbelievably comfortable. While my excellent choice to reside in the desert southwest hasn’t allowed me to fully implement the base layering system (other than the superb boxer briefs that I wear all the time now), I did manage to wear the Long Sleeve Merino Dunning provided us one day when temperatures hit the unruly lower 50’s a few weeks ago.  Needless to say it was an amazing thermal and I’m looking forward to when the cooler temps return in the fall knowing I have this go to piece.

The two polo’s we received both have a tremendous feel to them. Lightweight fabrics are the new craze in golf, and while these are not the lightest you’ll ever put on, the comfort and performance again shined through. Not being the body type that likes to show off the six pack, mainly because it doesn’t exist, I enjoy a more relaxed fit with my shirts and the Dunning Polo’s were perfect.

The Heathered Stretch Pique Polo has a more traditional look and feel. It’s the type of shirt you can wear on and off the course so you won’t be limited just to golf to look outstanding. Made from 50% Luxury Polyester and 50% CD Polyester (I had to look that one up!) the polo has an amazing feel right out the bag and I had no doubt it was going to be an exceptional shirt before I even tried it on.

The Stretch Solid Jersey Polo is much more like the golf shirt you’re probably used to seeing. Made from 93% Technical Polyester and 7% Spandex it is heavier than the lightweight polo’s I spoke of earlier making this style polo designed for those players that prefer a denser feel to their shirts.

While the layering system and the polo’s were a surprise and highly exceeded my expectations, where Dunning really knocked it stiff was with their shorts.

The Players Fit Solid 4-Way Stretch Woven Shorts blew me away. Going back to my not so fit figure – when I unpacked the shorts from the bag and held them up my first thoughts were “There is no way these are going to fit.” With reluctance I stepped one foot then the other in the legs and began to pull up what has become arguably the best golf shorts I’ve ever owned.

The fit is outstanding and oh my goodness are these shorts comfortable. Direct from the Dunning site these words are what is used to describe the Players Fit Woven Shorts:

“Offering extraordinary playability, Dunning pants and shorts have repeatedly been identified as the best technical bottoms in golf.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Not only do the shorts look amazing but while playing in them I not only received a great look on the course but I also got great versatility while I was playing. The 4-Way Stretch design kept me out of those pesky situations where if you squat down just another inch you round and social life is over.

The shorts are available in a variety of color choices like, Black, Tan, Charcoal or White if you like to live life on the safer side. For the more stylish, Dunning also offers Dark Beige, Reef, Halo and Zephyr. You’ll have to visit their site to see the color pallet besides the Zephyr shorts pictured below.

I couldn’t have been happier with this order from Dunning, every piece they included not only looks outstanding and is superior when it comes to comfort but the playability was just phenomenal. I was easy for me to determine why players like Charles Howell III, Roberto Castro, Jim Furyk and Nicolas Colsaerts, to name a few, have been wearing Dunning as they make their way through the PGA season.

You can see all the products Dunning offers on their website.

Be prepared though – what I talked about here is just the tip of the iceberg. Jacket, Pullovers, Sweaters, Pants, Belts and so much more are available. It will be tough not wanting to pick up one of everything!

Dunning Golf Apparel: With the golf apparel world exploding over the last few years, we are seeing companies differentiate themselves in all sorts of ways. From the wacky patterns of Loudmouth Golf, to the cool dude styling of Travis Mathew, to the companies prioritizing playability more than style, we at Three Guys have noticed that each firm will decide what is most important and then chase that mission down like a madman. This time around I was sent some apparel made by Dunning Golf, and without even reading up on their background I was able to quickly surmise their vibe: performance, performance, traditional good looks, and then some performance.

Around since 2001, Dunning Golf’s slogan is ‘Engineered for Athletes, Designed for Players’. Catchy for sure, but the takeaway is that Dunning leans more towards technical performance than it does style. That’s not to say you’ll be wearing a high-performance brown paper bag, but it is clear that their top priority is performance achieved through cutting-edge materials while maintaining the classic look. Supporting my theory is the fact that they are the first company I have seen to have a ‘Technology’ page on their website, wherein they describe the technical aspects of each garment (shorts, pants, shirts, sweaters, etc.). And to absolutely slam-dunk my theory into your cranium: Dunning does not mess around with many funky patterns or newfangled styles – their polos are either solid or striped, their shorts are either solid colors or have a subtle pattern on them, they only have one pair of pants on the shelves (solid colors of course), their sweaters are all solid colors, and all of their outerwear is solid colors only. That might sound a bit boring given all the funky stuff that is available these days, but I also think it means that they intend to let their performance do the talking.

Yes, the belts are solid too.

Dunning is currently worn on Tour by Charles Howell III, Russell Knox, Roberto Castro, and Kevin Foley. Dunning is also a staple in clubhouses around the world so it is fair to say they are playing in the big leagues. It is also clear that they make good stuff; I had a polo shirt, a sweater, a pair of pants, and a belt sent my way, and there was no mistaking that every item was well made. Here’s the quick scoop: the pants and sweater looked very business-like . . . well made and definitely performance fiber-y, but nothing to really grab the attention. The belt had a clean/classic look to it that seems simple but cannot be faked by lesser quality makes. Now the shirt, the shirt looked crisp, professional, and somehow stood out as kind of badass in some weird way I have not yet encountered in my travels.

I chose a basic pattern called Stretch Pique Double Chest Stripe Polo: navy blue (called ‘halo’) with one green (‘reef’) stripe and one white (‘white’) stripe across the chest – no big deal. But somehow, this shirt pops. The quality fabric jumps right out at you, and the collar is a bit more regal than most with kind of a starched, disciplined look to it.

Simply put, the feel of the shirt is player. As dumb as it sounds, the fabric and cut lent itself to my believing that my swing was akin to a touring professional. Whether or not I “did or did not” yank my first drive deep into the woods is not of any consequence. The point is I looked and felt like a pro. Cash money!

Taking a step back to be fair to the entire outfit, Dunning Golf has developed its lines with the idea of “layering” being key to achieving comfort without sacrificing playability. Instead of throwing a big fleece on when it gets chilly, just utilize a few thinner layers to achieve the same temperature without hindering the golf swing. It makes sense, just as it did 30 years ago when my mom explained it before I went sledding. So when it was time for me to put the sweater on, this concept held true, as there was no interference with my sweet swing whatsoever and I still looked good.

Now, if we are keeping it real here at Three Guys (like you know we do), I think one would be hard-pressed to find a sweater that actually did interfere with the golf swing, unless you hockeywrestled one off of Dr. Huxtable himself. So I can’t act like Dunning Golf invented the playable sweater, but I can say that their model is sharp looking, playable, and has a lighter feel that I can only attribute to some cool high-tech material that I don’t even know about.

With regards to cost, I feel that Dunning’s price points accurately reflect the high-caliber apparel that Dunning Golf brings to the table: shirts run between $80 and $95, shorts and pants are $80 to $99, outerwear (pullovers, thermals, vests, sweaters, windshirts) range from $90 to $145, and belts are at $90.

Bottom line on Dunning Golf: this is quality apparel with a performance bent and clean, classic styling. Your swing will feel great in these clothes. And while you may not bowl over the hipsters at your club with your fashion, you will look damn sharp . . . no matter what your taste, that’s probably the most important trend there is.

Visit the Dunning Golf website for more info at http://www.dunninggolf.com/