The Best Golf Gear for Swinging in the Rain

Rain is one of the few weather phenomena that can swiftly derail a perfect day on the golf course. A rain shower will throw off your groove, narrow your field of vision, disrupt your swing, and turn an otherwise straightforward shot into a veritable nightmare. (Not to mention its ability to kill the vibe immediately.) While you can’t control the way rain affects the landscape—saturated fairways will always be squishy, and damp greens will be as slow as molasses—you can pick up some gear that will alleviate the unbearable discomfort of soggy feet, wet pants, and a soaked-through top. Rain is no excuse not to hit the links. Like the Norwegians say, “Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær!”

By picking up just a few quality pieces of rain gear, bad weather is stopped in its tracks. Seriously, your entire relationship with rainy days will change in a heartbeat one you stock up on weather-ready golf apparel. A rain jacket you can easily throw on at the first sign of precipitation is the foundation, but once you add in some rain pants and an umbrella, you’ll be dry as a bone and ready to play another 18 holes in the mud and muck. And if you want to get really serious, throw down on some waterproof golf boots or Gore-Tex golf shoes and you’ll be cookin’ with gas when the rain threatens to put the round in jeopardy.

Much like other modern rainwear, Gore-Tex is a common denominator in golf rain gear, but by no means is it the only technology that works. You can easily save yourself a bit of cash by opting for a brand that does its own version of waterproofing at a high level. Also, don’t be scared of a brand you haven’t heard of: Even longtime golfers will find themselves perusing brands that are new to them, such as Galvin Green or Kjus. If you do want to pick something a little more versatile than what a golf brand has to offer, check out Adidas Adicross, Nike ACG, or an upstart streetwear-inspired golf brand for solid picks that transition well from the links to the mountain to the city sidewalk.

The Best Golf Rain Gear, According to GQ

Best Golf Rain Jackets

The rain jacket is, as you might imagine, the most important garment for golfing in wet weather. The prolific rise of gorpcore has put people on to countless rain jacket options, but golfers have been perfecting this layer for hundreds of years (golf was invented in Scotland, after all). We don’t have to wear waxed cotton on the course anymore, but don’t be shocked when we don’t inundate you with picks from Arc’teryx and Patagonia. Those are great picks, of course, but some golf brands are doing amazing things in the waterproof world, tailoring their rain gear to the exact specifications and needs of the modern golfer. Most golf jackets eschew the outdoorsy storm hood in favor of a small, packable hood—or, in many cases, no hood at all. The top picks also blend waterproofing with materials that allow for a wide range of movement, handy pocketing, and a fit that allows you to throw it on over your golf ‘fit of the day.

Best Waterproof Golf Shirts

Sometimes a jacket is a bit much. If you golf in Florida, Hawaii, Colorado, or somewhere else that gets frequent, sudden rainstorms in the summer, you probably won’t want to pull on a jacket that turns your upper body into a sauna. For that, there are short-sleeved rain shirts. These are perfect for pulling out of your bag and throwing on when the wind starts whipping and the black clouds cover the fairways. Once the storm passes, shake it off and throw it back in your bag.

Best Waterproof Golf Pants

The best thing about rain pants explicitly made for golf is that they’re super lightweight, highly stuffable for carrying in your golf bag, and easy to pull on over your pants and shoes without having to drop trou in front of your playing mates. Most pairs are pretty straightforward: You’ll find an easy-wearing elastic waist, a pocket or two for essentials, maybe a zipper to access the pockets on your shorts or pants, a zipper or elastic cuff at the bottom, and some form of waterproof material, ranging from polyester with a DWR coating to full-blown Gore-Tex (remember Scotland?). Plus, in our opinion, the swag you get from the baggy, gorpcore-adjacent rain pants is an underrated style flex.

Best Waterproof Golf Shoes

Most golf shoes have some form of water resistance built-in, whether that’s waterproof leather, a waterproof membrane under the upper, or a gusseted tongue to keep out water and debris. However, when shit hits the fan, you will want to be prepared with some sturdy, fully waterproof rain shoes. Adidas and Footjoy make our favorite rain boots, which are virtually bombproof and probably wouldn’t look out of place on the football field. If boots seem like a bridge too far, you can pick up a comfy low-top that doubles down on water protection. With footwear, it’s important to read the product details closely to distinguish between water-resistant and waterproof.

Best Waterproof Golf Bags

When the rain starts to fall, you have to protect your clubs and other gear from the downpour. An umbrella will go a long way in keeping you dry, but an added layer of rain protection from your actual golf bag is clutch. Nothing is worse than pulling out that brand new range finder you bought only to realize it’s soaked to the bone, er, battery, and can’t give you any real yardages. Most golf bags have at least some modicum of water resistance, but if you plan on stepping out into inclement weather, you’ll want a bag that’s up to the task. This is not the time to tote around your coveted vintage canvas carry bag.

Best Golf Rain Hats

You don’t want to get caught in the rain without a good hat on your head. A solid, waterproof lid will keep the rain off your face and out of your eyes, even when you find yourself stepping out from under the coverage of a cart or umbrella and onto the green. Good rain hats come in bucket form or standard ballcap form—just be sure you’re getting one that’s actually waterproof, or it will be the first thing to soak through. There’s nothing worse than raindrops running down your face while you’re lining up that round-winning put.

Best Golf Rain Accessories

For warm, sunny days on the golf course, you really don’t need much more than a good glove and a cap. When the storm comes, though, accessorizing is the name of the game. The number one accessory you’ll want to carry with you is a solid, windproof golf umbrella. Unlike the tiny umbrellas made for city sidewalks, a golf umbrella has a huge diameter to cover you and your bag even during the harshest downpours. After you get your umbrella game dialed in, you’ll want to pick up some storm-ready rain gloves, which will help you keep your grip when your usual glove is fully soaked. From there, you can go a little wild or keep things simple. We like to bring at least one towel, if not two, for drying off your grips, your hands, and clearing mud from your clubs. (And one for your caddie to throw in after you lose your fifth ball of the round.) Toss in a rain-ready bucket hat and you’re set.