As a typical golf meathead barreling towards my 40s, I have never been all that adept at procuring high-fashion apparel to complement my golf game. In fact, I still don’t see what the big snafu is with wearing cargo shorts on the course, but Adam has recently convinced me to at least put them on furlough for a while. So if I really want to look good on the course, my best chances are to take my own brain out of the equation and put myself in the hands of professionals. Problem is, some experts would have me looking like a bit too much of a ninny for my taste (see: every outfit Adam has worn since March, 2012), and of course, like with anyone, some apparel lines just aren’t going to match up right with my build.

Sometimes you stumble across a line of clothing that just hits the sweet spot for you seemingly without fail, and when it comes the THIS golf guy, Travis Mathew fills that role. The company has only been around since 2008, but in the world of progressive golf apparel, we’re talking dog years. You’ve seen their stuff on Bubba Watson before he went Oakley, and a long list of other golfers that may not be as notable but are always looking sharp on the course.

Folks, this Johnuary polo is just a good damn golf shirt. Looks cool, fits right, and is well made.

The only logo is the subtle “Travis Mathew” on the back right shoulder, allowing me to keep things classy as I sneak my cooler onto the back of the cart.

It deserves mention that after donning this puppy for a few months during my most important rounds, my boy Tiger has all of a sudden started hauling out the contrasting collars and plackets.

Travis Mathew also ushered in a new era for me – the golf “outfit”.  Yep, they sent me the shirt, the belt, AND the shorts, and let’s be honest – simply ravishing. Don’t believe me? Okay, then why is someone sneaking up behind me on the tee box to take pictures of my arse, wiseguy? Really though, I had no idea that picture was being taken.

Up until now I’ve always had a strict one-fruity-item-at-a-time policy when it came to what I wear on the course . . . my golf game simply could not sustain anything more than 1 item making it look like I thought I was a good golfer. But under Travis Mathews’ watch, I realized that I could actually match a pair of true golf shorts to a true golf shirt (and even a color-y belt!), and still feel like a normal dude. A well-dressed normal dude actually, who now thinks that cart girl might be kynda diggin’ that little wedge shot he just carved into the 7th green.

Wait, I think she’s asleep and just has the cart facing our direction. Whatever, I’m pretty sure I look like James Bond so she snoozed and loozed.

The clothes have that top-caliber feel to them when you’re playing the round, which can help make one feel like an official golfer. Maybe that’s just me, but they handle the heat and humidity with no trouble and all the stitching/buttons/collars/belt loops are up to snuff.

You’re probably hip to this by now, but I am a huge Travis Mathew fan – I have two of their shirts and they are my true go-to shirts. Now I have a belt and shorts to round out the package, and they are the sharpest looking items I have. I never have to worry that they are tacky or cheesy or lame, I just trust that if Travis Mathew made them, they’re money. My only disappointment is this little label inside the shorts . . . seems a bit Team Britney to me and I’m hoping it was just a momentary lapse of judgement by my favorite tailors. I guess as long as I hold up my end of the bargain and don’t leave my fly down, no one will know the difference.

You can visit Travis Mathew on their website.

Travis Mathew: Why does Bubba Watson button his shirt all the way? Believe it or not, this seems to be a burning question in the golf world. How do I know this? Well because when you run a blog you get to see all the crazy ways people end up on your site, and it just so happens that each day way too many people find my blog post on Bubba Watson by searching on the phrase “why does Bubba Watson button his shirt all the way up?” Unfortunately, I still do not have an answer to that question, but I am happy to report that I am now going “Bubba Style” whenever I wear this sweet Travis Mathews shirt.

It is hard to believe that Travis Mathew has only been on the scene since 2008, because judging from their monster presence at the PGA Merchandise show, you would think they have been a staple in the golf industry for a century. Plus now that Bubba Watson has broken through with his insane Masters win, in which he strode down the fairways on live TV for six hours sporting Travis Mathew, I expect bandwagon to grow exponentially.

What impresses me about Travis Mathew is that they are somehow forward thinking in their style while maintaining classic good looks. Moreover, they are also one of the few companies that is getting back to cotton. It seems that ever since the polyester fad of 8 or so years ago, golf shirts have been primarily made with some type of performance material rather than a softer cotton. Personally, I was of the opinion that cotton was going to go the way of the dodo bird when it came to athletic gear, but the new prima cotton is changing my mind. Perhaps it’s not quite as wicking as some of the poly blends, but this new cotton is a long way from the old Izod alligator shirts that weighed about 4 pounds.

My first round with the Travis Mathew shirt was in a balmy 87 degree NC day. Honestly, I was expecting to have to wring out the shirt at the end of the round, but to my surprise, it was dry as a bone. So seeing that cotton is about the most comfortable material known to man, I say “yes to cotton”. I mean there is a reason we wear blue jeans and not polyester leisure suits-right?

From a style standpoint, I categorize Travis Mathew as classic cool. In other words, you will look sharp without looking like you are trying to make a fashion statement. You just cannot go wrong with a well cut, cleanly designed, quality outfit.

In terms of the shorts, the Travis Mathews have instantly become my favorite pair of golf shorts. First, they are cut really well. Trim enough to be stylish but plenty of length with a few cool details like the white stitching on the side pocket. However, what sets the Travis Mathew shorts apart from most others is the material. It just says “polyester and cotton” on the tag, but they have a plush feel similar to suede. It’s hard to explain, but they are money – trust me.

Finally let me touch on the Travis Mathew website which is one of the few sites (frankly, the only one I know of) that tells you exactly how big the model is (ie “6’2″ 180 lbs”) – brilliant! Seriously, did it take until 2012 for someone to figure this out? I am always confused by sizing charts, but if I see a guy who is my exact size and it says he is wearing a medium – boom, even I can figure what to order. Huge kudos for the rocket scientist who added that gem to their website.

Bottom line: Top quality, well cut, reasonably priced good looking golf clothes!

You can see the whole line of Travis Mathew on their website.