(Photo courtesy of Harbour Town Golf Links/IJGA.com)When the PGA Tour stops in Hilton Head every April following the Masters I tend to get a little nostalgic. I spent a year in the post-graduate program at the International Junior Golf Academy in 2001-2002 and it was easily one of the best times of my life. Along with all the friends I made and the times we had, I also got exposure to how stylish a game golf could be. Besides having an ex Tour-pro with a penchant for exotic-skin shoes as a coach, alot of my newfound mates were really into clothing. I was seeing a wide range of color on the course that I hadn't experienced growing up in Maine. It was in Hilton Head I learned the finer points of Polo Golf, pastel shorts, plaids, white FJ classic Dry Premieres (blems for 150 bucks in Savannah!) tailored golf trousers and accessories of all kinds. One of my buddies' mottos was "If you look good, you play good..." and my roommate, given the opportunity, didn't hesitate to pick up a pair of black and white patent leather Classics spectators...What a crew. I quickly went on a buying frenzy to make up for lost time - Lacoste at Belk, Polo Golf at every tournament stop the IJGT took us to. I remember vividly playing at a tournament at ChampionsGate - just outside Orlando - I had played well (75 in the pouring rain and wind) and was positioned in the top-15 going into the final round. We were supposed to always wear our IJGA gear when we played in tournaments, so being wary of protocol, I wore my student's pique polo (heinous) to the course, but right before we were set to tee off, I ran into the bathroom and came out looking like DL3 in my new striped Polo Golf shirt and slacks. Unfortunately, I didn't play so well that day, but I felt amazing. From then on, we all wore what we felt like wearing in tournaments. I actually still have a bunch of shirts given to me by one of my roommates that year. (Possibly borrowed and never returned...) Wil, if you're out there, thanks buddy! Anyways, while the Tour guys are out striping it around Harbour Town today, I'll be at my desk in Manhattan, kicked back, very likely dodging deadlines and dreaming of those days when my only professional demand was showing up for golf practice at 1:30 every afternoon. FML? Yep. Sounds appropriate to me.
-The KC
2 comments:
I get nostalgic for playing 6 hrs straight of T-Woods golf on the projection screen, buying buckets of beer, and hanging with the lovely SNHU coeds
Great story, I think you need a do a little bit of travel before you can really develop your own sense of attire and style. You are absolutly right, players in different regions wear different things. I think it shows on the PGA Tour as well. Great post.
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