Let’s face it, there are a whole lotta options out there when it comes to golf apparel — you could spend the entire year just researching the possibilities, then there’s choosing colors and styles, trying things on ... and, above all, they gotta work — keep you warm, cool, dry, whatever you need — under real conditions when you get out on the golf course. So we asked our guest experts: What’s the Best Piece of Golf Apparel You Own, that one item you consider your absolute favorite? Here’s what you won’t catch them dead tired without.

ProQuip pullover
No doubt waiting for your tee time at The Old Course is one of the most nerve-wracking yet giddy feelings in all of golf. Depending on how you book a time at The Old Course, your green fee may or may not come with a pro shop credit. Thankfully mine did, as I never would have spent the 40 quid (90 U.S. bucks at the time) on this longsleeve windbreaker (complete with logo, of course) on the last day of my trip, since I had only $30 quid left in my pocket. This jacket has been as solid as it gets for me — windproof, stylish and a cool golf souvenir from the most coveted round in all of golf. —Brian Oar
www.proquipgolf.com

True Linkswear shoes
I’ve played golf for more than 30 years and have obviously had a wide variety of golf shoes. Though there have been others I’ve really liked, nothing — repeat, nothing — has come close to the feeling of wearing True Linkswear. Vic Williams wore his pair every day in Oregon on our “Essential Bandon” trip, over the huge dunes and on flat fairways, in the rain and sun, and kept saying how amazing they were. He was beyond right. Not only do they hold up to any weather and ground condition, but when you have them on, you feel like you’re walking the fairways barefoot. No idea how they do it, but True Linkswear manages to combine great shoe (and shotmaking) support and a connection to the playing fields that is, in a word, awesome.
—Mitch Laurance
www.truelinkswear.com

Kentwool socks
In my book, wrapping the feet in the best pair of golf socks possible isn’t just required for 18 holes of comfort, it’s absolutely vital. I fell in love with Kentwool’s high-performance, mega-cushy merino wool and high-tech fiber wonders at the PGA Show a few years ago, and now I own a bunch of ’em, in both the summertime-ankle and full-length varieties. I’ve employed them during five-day walkathons at Bandon Dunes and through sweaty high-season forays through the muggy Michigan woods, and the toes have kept smiling through it all. And, yes, I wear them off the course, too — why let my spiked feet have all the fun? —Vic Williams
www.kentwool.com

Sun Mountain pullover
The best apparel I own is an old blue polyester pullover from Sun Mountain Sports with a nylon lining. It was fashioned for the Arctic Open, in which I played back in 1997, and the thing appears to be indestructible. It keeps me warm, as a garment meant for Iceland should, but it also has a cool Arctic Open logo on it, one that regularly sparks some conversation with other golfers about weird places we’ve played. Akureyri, Iceland certainly qualifies although it was also one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in golf. So the garment is both a souvenir and still useful. —Tom Bedell
www.sunmountain.com

GustBuster golf umbrella
When I “wear it,” I really, really need it and it always does the job. —Dan Vukelich
www.gustbuster.com

ECCO Street shoes
“Best golf shoes ever, bar none. Oh, and don’t forget golf visors — visors are way underrated,” says David Wood. While Blaine Newnham adds, “Perfect for travel, one pair fits all occasions. And you look like Fred Couples.”
www.eccousa.com

Adidas ClimaCool
Adidas’ ClimaCool golf skorts are a must for any female golfer. I literally have one in every color. There is a color and texture to match any and every color palette. They are versatile, comfortable and easy to pack for wardrobe variety on extended golf trips. —Nichole Brophy
www.adidasgolf.com

Sun Mountain rainwear
Maybe it’s somehow a byproduct of having mostly been lucky when it comes to golf weather, but my Sun Mountain rainwear has stood me in good stead. It’s far from the most expensive, but the absence of an expensive lining dovetails with my view that clamminess is a bigger problem than cold, which is treatable by adding a sweater or other layer. The minimalist design is easily compacted, too, rolling up into a slightly inflated sausage roll. —Tom Harack
www.sunmountain.com

Sunice Windstopper sweater
The best piece of golf apparel I own has to be my Windstopper sweater. It’s a full zip, so none of that on-and-off stuff. It completely insulates me from wind — which does like to howl on some of the coastal courses I love so much. Yet it somehow keeps me from overheating when I need wind protection on a not-too-frigid day. And the bonus is that the guys seem to like the way it looks, so it’s apparently not a Manstopper sweater! —Susan Fornoff
www.sunice.com

Zero Restriction Windstopper vest and Dawgs shoes
My black zip-up windstopper vest from Zero Restriction is indestructible and makes anything I wear look better. It’s tapered, so it makes me look thinner, too — can’t argue with that, plus it has a cute little pocket in the back. It takes no room in my suitcase, yet when I pull it out, it’s unwrinkled. I can wear it for golf to take the chill off and wear it out at night over a shirt with pants and boots to create a trendy look. Can I have a runner-up? My Dawgs golf shoes, which are the only shoes I can walk 18 holes in without having my old tennis-caused neuroma kick up, can splash through puddles and walk through streams. The only drawback? When I hit out of the sand, it gets inside the shoe through the holes. I hate that. But then again, I shouldn’t be in the bunkers. —Katharine Dyson
www.zerorestriction.com | www.dawgsgolf.com

Loudmouth Golf pants
Currently, my favorite golf apparel is a pair of Loudmouth Golf pants that I purchased in September 2011. I own the Money-A pattern, which features a wide array of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills. I also plan on purchasing the John Daly Lions Yellow-A pants. —Chris Lewis
us.loudmouthgolf.com

Cross Golf pants
Cross Golf USA Classic Chino pants, Carbon Tartan pattern, are my favorites. —Ron Montesano
www.crossgolfusa.com

FootJoy rain gloves
My FootJoy rain gloves because as long as I can hold onto a club, I can play in any conditions. I also love my Ecco Street shoes because they work as golf and walking shoes and save real estate in my luggage. —Anita Draycott
www.footjoy.com

Straight Down pullover
Years ago, I picked up a Straight Down knit pullover in the Bandon Dunes golf shop, and I’ve worn it ever since in any kind of cold that’s come my way, both on and off the golf course. It’s soft yet durable and does a pretty good job in wet weather, too. I keep thinking it’ll wear out soon, but it never does. My only problem now is that it hangs pretty loose on me since I’ve dropped about 60 pounds since those days. —Darin Bunch
www.straightdown.com

FootJoy golf shoes
“Do shoes count as apparel?” asks Tony Dear. “If so, I choose Footjoy Dryjoys — unfailingly waterproof, consistently comfortable, stylish, durable and, in a sale, surprisingly inexpensive. If not, my grey lambswool 2000 Open Championship round-neck sweater. Meanwhile, Ken Van Vechten also loves his FootJoys, but goes for the street shoe model.
www.footjoy.com

FootJoy Premium Rain Jacket
Multi-layered comfort, perfectly handles any kind of weather short of a blizzard. Provides the perfect combination of style, flexibility and warmth. Looks great, feels great, and every etc. that is significant to a golfer. —Eric N. Hart
www.footjoy.com

Any shorts
Best apparel? Any pair of shorts! Wearing them means I’m playing in a warmer climate, which best suits my game and body. —Robert Kaufman

The Hat Rules
Best golf apparel I own? Hat. I prefer a ballcap or a skull cap (for cold weather), but if I don’t have a hat on while playing golf, I feel naked.

I also have rules when it comes to hats. First, the color of the hat has to either match the color of your trousers, slack or shorts — or contrast to your shirt. For example, if you’re wearing light-colored khakis, then your cap should also be light khaki. Also, if you’re wearing a black shirt, then your cap has to be either white or another color other than black.

Another Robert’s Rule of Hat Order: The cap must not have a different golf course logo than your shirt. I cringe when I see someone wearing a shirt with one golf course logo and a hat from another golf course. If you’re wearing a golf shirt with a course logo, sport a golf equipment manufacturer’s hat.

I’m quite odd when it comes to hats. —Robert Rodriguez