Subtle successes

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

First thing I liked here was the belt. It's the perfect shade of brown. So rich. I want one. Then I realized that shade of green goes ideally with everything else, its kind of heathered and doesnt jump. I don't normally like brown golf shoes (which is odd, because I only wear brown dress shoes), but if he wore saddle shoes with white in there, the look wouldn't be nearly as successful. I'm not trying to overcomplicate his look - its really as basic as you get. But this photo caught my eye because of the belt and then I noticed other details I liked as I went.

-KC

The sub-20 set

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

17 year-old Ryo Ishikawa and 19 year-old Rory McIlroy are great examples of how to dress a slender frame. I particularly like Ryo's look above - it's one of my favorite shots of the year. The cut of everything- the pants, the jacket-is perfect. The pants look like they could be tracksuit fabric. There's enough polyester on the course today to make the Bee Gee's envious.

Ryo finished 2nd in the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan, while Rory cracked the top 50 in the world with a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open. Keep it up gentlemen.

-KC

Gonzalez Fernandez-Castano

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

The first thing I thought of when I saw these photos was: "Davis Love III." It's not just the Polo logos; it's the way he's wearing the clothing. I was struck by how many similarities there were with the way Love and Fernandez-Castano carry their RL. Both make classic golf style virtually effortless.

Doug Sanders eat your heart out...

(AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara)

Love it or hate it...Who are you kidding? You have to appreciate it... A little bit too overthought for my taste, but in the end I really just find myself excited to see what he'll wear next...

Let's hear some comments. How do people feel about Ian's style?

The Cardigans

(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

(Photos from the Fairway.com)

Arnie and Geoff show off how to wear cardigans with the perfect amount of room to swing, but maintaining that trim look. These looks are decades apart, but strikingly similar. Take a good look at the sleeves; both have a little extra material for comfort and performance, but without bunching. Nothing worse than a loose-fitting sleeve that gets in your way on short shots. The most apparent thing to me in these photos is both sweaters look really, really comfortable. Comfort is a huge part of the equation on the course. You look good, you feel good, you play eh... good.

-KC

Friday Throwback: Perfect Pant Length

(Photos from the Fairway.com)

Many of today's players could learn a thing or two about pant length from a photo like this. I see alot of bunching out there and I don't like it. Cary Middlecoff's pants, in my humble opinion, are perfect here. (They may be a little slim for some people's taste.) The point: have some pride and get those pants hemmed to the correct length. You'll be happy you did.

-KC

Retro Stripe

(AP/Isaac Brekken photo)

I like all the retro looks we are seeing from golf apparel manufacturers. Here is Stewart Cink wearing a 70's looking stripe from Nike. These are great because they're basic. We went through a period of busy-ness in the 90's on tour. (Think bad diamond shaped patterns and Tabasco shirts) If you owned or still own a Tabasco shirt though, you're probably not a regular reader of this blog. Sorry Woody.

More fall layering inspiration

(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Thought this was an interesting look from Oliver Wilson. He's layered a textured cardigan over some kind of lightweight zip-neck shirt. I really like the spontaneous look of many Euros clothing on the course. I know I've spoken about this before, but they really do seem to have more of an arsenal of options and wear them all interchangeably with no noticeable effort. It's not that I think this look in general is so fantastic that I feel the need to point it out - it's just something cool to consider. Anything that makes you re-think your everyday golf wardrobe is what I'm after.

-KC

Cool Jacket Geoff

(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

More fun with patterns

(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Here are two great ways to incorporate argyle. Jesper in marine hues in Florida and Adam in bold blacks and reds in China. Both are appropriate but also interesting.

Prom King

(AP/ESPN photo)

(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Check out golf's take on the tuxedo shirt in the above photo. Poulter in ruffles. (You might need to click on the photo to see the detail.)

The close up shot is Poulter on Day 3. He was wearing royal blue corduroys with western (jean-style) pockets from his own line and a sweater with a solid navy front and a green plaid-patterned back. I loved it. Cords on the course is an idea I love and I'm surprised we don't see more of it - especially in Europe. This style of cords with a jean-like fit look great and are as versatile as any golf trouser out there.

-KC

Pink pants and the human response...

(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

I was disappointed I couldn't find any full length shots of Villegas in China wearing the pink trousers you can see the waist of in this shot...I really need to start hitting the road and taking my own photos.

The hair up there

(ESPN/AP Photo) Serg sans beard

Does anyone else think Sergio looked much cooler with an ever-present 5 o'clock shadow and shaggy hair?

I was liking the whole grunge (and I use that term lightly) thing with the younger guys on tour this year. Adam Scott, Camilo, Sergio - it was another element that made them stand out, made them youthful, fearless and edgy. When Camilo finally gives in to a pair of scissors, now that will be a story. My guess is he will just cut it all off and start over again. We'll see in Hawaii.

-KC

Golf is a game of layers

( ESPN/AP Photo) Sergio Garcia

(ESPN/AP Photo) Michael Letzig

(ESPN/AP Photo) Justin Rose

When the temps drop on tour, we tend to see this "combo" look alot. Growing up playing junior and high school golf in Maine, we used to throw a long sleeved cotton shirt under a golf shirt quite often - achieving the look that Letzig has above. Nowadays, you're seeing alot of the younger guys sporting more athletic-fitting synthetic fibered shirts that fit very close to the body and keep in warmth while wicking moisture. Sergio and Justin favor this approach.

I think both approaches can look great, however, as I preach often you need to make sure to proportion everything correctly. If you're wearing a slimmer fitting modern golf polo - you cant have a billowy LS cotton shirt underneath. It will look wrong. You can't go wrong following the examples above - if you're working with a closet full of more traditional golf shirts (Letzig) or if you've adopted a more modern sillouette (Sergio and Justin.)

Hello all...

The Khak' is back...

I've decided I'm going to give credit on the photos going forward and if anyone finds it necessary to question me, at least I'm doing nothing illegal or immoral.

So I'm making my return just as the Fall Finish will wrap up this week at Disney and it's been one heck of a year on the tour. Tiger at Torrey Pines, the US Ryder Cup victory, young stars like Camilo and Sergio making the FedEx interesting long after Vijay had shut the thing down. Can't wait for the Mercedes and a new season of style and shotmaking on the links. I'm getting amped just thinking about it.

I should do a year-end wrap up type of thing and I may, but for now I'm going to move forward like I never left and continue to bring you the very best of what I'm seeing in golf style.

-KC