Opinion & Analysis
Dress like the great Adam Scott
A game my friends and I occasionally play is “which athlete/movie star/rock star” would you trade places with if given the chance. Usually, we tailor the pool of eligibility towards cream-of-the-crop types from certain sports, time periods or music genres and generate hilarious discussion. A guy’s hairline, bank account, dating history/potential are all in play. You know you’ve done this too, don’t lie. Shoot, Vinny Chase had a nice fictional career capitalizing on this very fantasy from guys everywhere.
Occasionally when we play this game, my friends and I will even propose head to head battles like Stallone/Segal, Gosling/DiCaprio or Springsteen/BonJovi (for those wondering, I’ve chosen the former each time). Sure, all of this may be tad pathetic, but it’s just innocent fun. Except for that time when we drunkenly screamed at one another for hours concerning the plusses and minuses of trading places with either Mark Sanchez vs Eli Manning. That got personal, and feelings were/still are hurt.*
To apply this game to golf, which my friends and I somehow have not done yet, I’d have to imagine Adam Scott would be great to trade places with for a few days. My man has a green jacket, is a national hero, has a wrinkle-free swing and the cool charisma/good looks to most likely woo any gal he dang well pleases, mate.
But while most of us will never attain his swing, his bank account, or a date with serbian tennis star Ana Ivancovic, there is one thing about Adam Scott that we can realistically replicate: his style. A-Scott may only be the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world, but when it comes to looking impeccably dressed on the course, he’s No. 1 in my book.
Let’s recap two awesome looks from Adam Scott’s 2013 Masters wardrobe for pointers and inspiration.
No. 1 — The Hat: No ears tucked into the sides of an alien-blood green hat; just a perfectly curved, crisply peaked, Titleist hat. Clean, handsome, functional.
No. 2 — The Shirt: Sure, it helps if you look like an Abercrombie model like Scotty, but you don’t necessarily need to be a fitness celebrity to don some fitted shirts. Have some confidence in yourself, gents. Here, he’s rocking Uniqlo polos that are slim fitting, with sleeves that are considerably above his elbow. Leave the smock sleeves for pre-school finger painting and the ER.
No. 3 — The Belt: Notice that you don’t see Adam wear too many thick white belts or unsightly buckles on tour. Why? Because he’s a gentleman, that’s why. Not a club promoter in South Beach.
No. 4 — The Pants: One of the few (thank goodness) guys who is still holding out from the latest trend where a golfer’s pant leg splits at the bottom. Even better, Adam exhibits a slightly tapered, slim fitting pant leg which works great for him, and it could work great for you. The backs of your pant leg openings should not have grass stains on them.
No. 5 — The Shoes: Adam keeps it classy with a pair of clean, all white FootJoy Sports. Again, notice that we’re able to see Adam’s laces and heel details, as his pant legs are not swallowing his footwear.
*Sanchez is now a Philadelphia eagle, which was not the case during the argument.
As the editor-in-chief of this website and an observer of the GolfWRX forums and other online golf equipment discourse for over a decade, I’m pretty well attuned to the grunts and grumbles of a significant portion of the golf equipment purchasing spectrum. And before you accuse me of lording above all in some digital ivory tower, I’d like to offer that I worked at golf courses (public and private) for years prior to picking up my pen, so I’m well-versed in the non-degenerate golf equipment consumers out there. I touched (green)grass (retail)!
Complaints about the ills of and related to the OEMs usually follow some version of: Product cycles are too short for real innovation, tour equipment isn’t the same as retail (which is largely not true, by the way), too much is invested in marketing and not enough in R&D, top staffer X hasn’t even put the new driver in play, so it’s obviously not superior to the previous generation, prices are too high, and on and on.
Without digging into the merits of any of these claims, which I believe are mostly red herrings, I’d like to bring into view of our rangefinder what I believe to be the two primary difficulties golf equipment companies face.
One: As Terry Koehler, back when he was the CEO of Ben Hogan, told me at the time of the Ft Worth irons launch, if you can’t regularly hit the golf ball in a coin-sized area in the middle of the face, there’s not a ton that iron technology can do for you. Now, this is less true now with respect to irons than when he said it, and is less and less true by degrees as the clubs get larger (utilities, fairways, hybrids, drivers), but there remains a great deal of golf equipment truth in that statement. Think about it — which is to say, in TL;DR fashion, get lessons from a qualified instructor who will teach you about the fundamentals of repeatable impact and how the golf swing works, not just offer band-aid fixes. If you can’t repeatably deliver the golf club to the golf ball in something resembling the manner it was designed for, how can you expect to be getting the most out of the club — put another way, the maximum value from your investment?
Similarly, game improvement equipment can only improve your game if you game it. In other words, get fit for the clubs you ought to be playing rather than filling the bag with the ones you wish you could hit or used to be able to hit. Of course, don’t do this if you don’t care about performance and just want to hit a forged blade while playing off an 18 handicap. That’s absolutely fine. There were plenty of members in clubs back in the day playing Hogan Apex or Mizuno MP-32 irons who had no business doing so from a ballstriking standpoint, but they enjoyed their look, feel, and complementary qualities to their Gatsby hats and cashmere sweaters. Do what brings you a measure of joy in this maddening game.
Now, the second issue. This is not a plea for non-conforming equipment; rather, it is a statement of fact. USGA/R&A limits on every facet of golf equipment are detrimental to golf equipment manufacturers. Sure, you know this, but do you think about it as it applies to almost every element of equipment? A 500cc driver would be inherently more forgiving than a 460cc, as one with a COR measurement in excess of 0.83. 50-inch shafts. Box grooves. And on and on.
Would fewer regulations be objectively bad for the game? Would this erode its soul? Fortunately, that’s beside the point of this exercise, which is merely to point out the facts. The fact, in this case, is that equipment restrictions and regulations are the slaughterbench of an abundance of innovation in the golf equipment space. Is this for the best? Well, now I’ve asked the question twice and might as well give a partial response, I guess my answer to that would be, “It depends on what type of golf you’re playing and who you’re playing it with.”
For my part, I don’t mind embarrassing myself with vintage blades and persimmons chasing after the quasi-spiritual elevation of a well-struck shot, but that’s just me. Plenty of folks don’t give a damn if their grooves are conforming. Plenty of folks think the folks in Liberty Corner ought to add a prison to the museum for such offences. And those are just a few of the considerations for the amateur game — which doesn’t get inside the gallery ropes of the pro game…
Different strokes in the game of golf, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I believe equipment company engineers are genuinely trying to build better equipment year over year. The marketing departments are trying to find ways to make this equipment appeal to the broadest segment of the golf market possible. All of this against (1) the backdrop of — at least for now — firm product cycles. And golfers who, with their ~15 average handicap (men), for the most part, are not striping the golf ball like Tiger in his prime and seem to have less and less time year over year to practice and improve. (2) Regulations that massively restrict what they’re able to do…
That’s the landscape as I see it and the real headwinds for golf equipment companies. No doubt, there’s more I haven’t considered, but I think the previous is a better — and better faith — point of departure when formulating any serious commentary on the golf equipment world than some of the more cynical and conspiratorial takes I hear.
Agree? Disagree? Think I’m worthy of an Adam Hadwin-esque security guard tackle? Let me know in the comments.
@golfoncbs The infamous Adam Hadwin tackle ? #golf #fyp #canada #pgatour #adamhadwin ? Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz – MaSssuguMusic
Episode #16 brings us Cliff McKinney. Cliff is the founder of Old Charlie Golf Club, a new club, and concept, to be built in the Florida panhandle. The model is quite interesting and aims to make great, private golf more affordable. We hope you enjoy the show!
Last week, I came across a reel from BBC Sport on Instagram featuring Scottie Scheffler speaking to the media ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush. In it, he shared that he often wonders what the point is of wanting to win tournaments so badly — especially when he knows, deep down, that it doesn’t lead to a truly fulfilling life.
View this post on Instagram
“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about it because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said. “To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”
Ironically — or perhaps perfectly — he went on to win the claret jug.
That question — what’s the point of winning? — cuts straight to the heart of the human journey.
As someone who’s spent over two decades in the trenches of professional golf, and in deep study of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the game, I see Scottie’s inner conflict as a sign of soul evolution in motion.
I came to golf late. I wasn’t a junior standout or college All-American. At 27, I left a steady corporate job to see if I could be on the PGA Tour starting as a 14-handicap, average-length hitter. Over the years, my journey has been defined less by trophies and more by the relentless effort to navigate the deeply inequitable and gated system of professional golf — an effort that ultimately turned inward and helped me evolve as both a golfer and a person.
One perspective that helped me make sense of this inner dissonance around competition and our culture’s tendency to overvalue winning is the idea of soul evolution.
The University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies has done extensive research on reincarnation, and Netflix’s Surviving Death (Episode 6) explores the topic, too. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, the idea that we’re on a long arc of growth — from beginner to sage elder — offers a profound perspective.
If you accept the premise literally, then terms like “young soul” and “old soul” start to hold meaning. However, even if we set the word “soul” aside, it’s easy to see that different levels of life experience produce different worldviews.
Newer souls — or people in earlier stages of their development — may be curious and kind but still lack discernment or depth. There is a naivety, and they don’t yet question as deeply, tending to see things in black and white, partly because certainty feels safer than confronting the unknown.
As we gain more experience, we begin to experiment. We test limits. We chase extreme external goals — sometimes at the expense of health, relationships, or inner peace — still operating from hunger, ambition, and the fragility of the ego.
It’s a necessary stage, but often a turbulent and unfulfilling one.
David Duval fell off the map after reaching World No. 1. Bubba Watson had his own “Is this it?” moment with his caddie, Ted Scott, after winning the Masters.
In Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, reflecting on his 2011 Super Bowl win, Rodgers said:
“Now I’ve accomplished the only thing that I really, really wanted to do in my life. Now what? I was like, ‘Did I aim at the wrong thing? Did I spend too much time thinking about stuff that ultimately doesn’t give you true happiness?’”
Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Eventually, though, something shifts.
We begin to see in shades of gray. Winning, dominating, accumulating—these pursuits lose their shine. The rewards feel more fleeting. Living in a constant state of fight-or-flight makes us feel alive, yes, but not happy and joyful.
Compassion begins to replace ambition. Love, presence, and gratitude become more fulfilling than status, profits, or trophies. We crave balance over burnout. Collaboration over competition. Meaning over metrics.
Interestingly, if we zoom out, we can apply this same model to nations and cultures. Countries, like people, have a collective “soul stage” made up of the individuals within them.
Take the United States, for example. I’d place it as a mid-level soul: highly competitive and deeply driven, but still learning emotional maturity. Still uncomfortable with nuance. Still believing that more is always better. Despite its global wins, the U.S. currently ranks just 23rd in happiness (as of 2025). You might liken it to a gifted teenager—bold, eager, and ambitious, but angsty and still figuring out how to live well and in balance. As much as a parent wants to protect their child, sometimes the child has to make their own mistakes to truly grow.
So when Scottie Scheffler wonders what the point of winning is, I don’t see someone losing strength.
I see someone evolving.
He’s beginning to look beyond the leaderboard. Beyond metrics of success that carry a lower vibration. And yet, in a poetic twist, Scheffler did go on to win The Open. But that only reinforces the point: even at the pinnacle, the question remains. And if more of us in the golf and sports world — and in U.S. culture at large — started asking similar questions, we might discover that the more meaningful trophy isn’t about accumulating or beating others at all costs.
It’s about awakening and evolving to something more than winning could ever promise.
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Greg Hunter
May 4, 2014 at 4:23 pm
I’m 55 and don’t care if guys tuck their ears under their hat, or split bottom pants. In fact I don’t care what anyone wears. As long as the person is having fun and promoting the game, that’s all that should really matter. Clothing fashion varies for each individual. I like the way Adam dresses, but it doesn’t fly with the younger generation.
Professional means that you get paid for the craft you do. Unless you’er required to wear a uniform, Police, Military, Fireman, Cook etc…dress codes shouldn’t apply to the word “professional”. My two cents
Jay
May 27, 2014 at 10:18 pm
Great points Greg. I agree.
Tucking your ears in your hat is ridiculous, but Ricky is a great kid.
John
Jun 6, 2014 at 11:59 am
Ricky is indeed a great kid. His style will come around sooner or later; it’s already making some strides as of late.
golfpunk
May 2, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Anyone know what brand of belt he wears?
Nathan
May 14, 2014 at 11:32 pm
Uniqlo go to their website. you can also find similar belts at target…
Albert Sewill
May 2, 2014 at 9:50 am
Agreed on the pants! Don’t understand the ankle high slits.
John
May 21, 2014 at 9:42 am
you’re a good man Albert
MBA-J
May 2, 2014 at 8:33 am
…but who does his nails? What salon does he go to? Are his eyebrows waxed or threaded?
=\
jpm
Aug 20, 2014 at 2:27 pm
Yes because clearly if you care about your apperance and wearing properly fitting clothes you also have to go to salons. Enjoy your cargo shorts
Thumperaccuracy
May 1, 2014 at 9:22 pm
It doesn’t matter what he wears, he’ll always look like a clown with that putter.
BA
May 2, 2014 at 3:00 am
Beleee dat! Amen
Golf Shop Boy
Mar 12, 2016 at 7:47 pm
Doesn’t look like a clown now.
ed
May 1, 2014 at 5:53 pm
Adam scott is with Uniqlo for the past year.
Adam wearing the Dry Stretch Pant is correct. As for his shirts he is wearing their regular polo and the Michael Bastian line. I have 2 of Bastian shirts and they are great for golf, I have order 5 more.
You can not go wrong with a $23 golf shirts that has a sleek fit and very fashionable. Now if they are able to ship to Canada….
As for Nigo being the creative director for the UT collection, that is just the T-shirt collection. I dunno if I want him designing golf shirts. I’m a fan of Babe and BBC but not on the golf course.
Kasey
May 1, 2014 at 4:22 pm
Great article! I couldn’t agree more. Adam Scott sets the bar high for how to dress on the golf course. You’ve pointed out all of the main things that make it so as well.
Some of my greatest pet peeves are guys who wear baggy, ugly pants to the course. Not to mention shirts that are two sizes too big. But the worst, I’m learning, are the 35 year olds rocking 100% puma gear, bright colors and all. Just like Tiger is the only one who can have a Tiger head cover, Rickie is the only one who can rock the head to toe Puma…because it started with him.
Tony Lynam
May 1, 2014 at 9:47 pm
Probably a good thing you are not working for Nike or Puma with the “only Tiger can” and “only Rickie can” comments. You do know they (Nike and Puma) market their clothing lines to be worn head-to-toe, and by the masses.
Dan
May 1, 2014 at 2:32 pm
Adam Scott looks fantastic. Now if you would only get rid of that terrible Belly putter.
John
May 6, 2014 at 10:09 am
to be fair, it is not a belly putter
Nick
May 1, 2014 at 11:05 am
Adam Scott does NOT wear Uniqlo!! He wears Aquascutum clothing with a Uniqlo patch on the chest. His clothing is extremely expensive!!
John
May 1, 2014 at 11:13 am
I’m pretty sure you are wrong, Nick. He is definitely, at least some of the time, wearing Uniqlo shirts:
http://www.uniqlo.com/uk/adamscott/us.html
Nathan
May 14, 2014 at 11:35 pm
i just bought two of them at the website ^ $22.98
Nathan
May 14, 2014 at 11:41 pm
$22.98 each
John
May 21, 2014 at 9:43 am
great value
connor
May 1, 2014 at 12:26 pm
adam WAS an Aquascutum ambassador but has since switched to uniqlo for reasons unbeknownst to me. maybe more comfortable, more breathable…who knows. what I do know is it wasn’t the price tag that forced him to switch haha
John Wilson
May 1, 2014 at 1:34 pm
Its maybe to do with Aquascutum no longer being in the golf apparel business. Also he is being paid a hole lot of money from a massive clothing retailer to promote their inexpensive, rather dull clothing. The clothing may get better though as Nigo has recently been appointed Creative Director.
John Wilson
May 1, 2014 at 10:55 am
They are hardly stylish but more a sort of cheaper J Crew or updated Gap?
Seems like a cheap but clever way for a mass producer of clothing to get some marketing in fort of men. I doubt it they are concerned about the game of golf though.
Danny
May 1, 2014 at 8:01 am
Adam Scott is the man, plain and simple.
sendi
May 1, 2014 at 12:40 am
He’s wearing uniqlo which is dirt cheap clothing compare to his previous clothing endorsement.
But uniqlo is for fit guys.
callmehandsum
May 1, 2014 at 12:04 am
I like that your touching on fashion, we can all use pointers, but Adam’s sense of style is a bit dull. He needs to expand his color gamut and match them a bit better. But that’s ok because his choices are limited. He makes clothes look good though because of his physique. It helps to be fit, tall, good looking and wear properly fitting clothing as well.
Lefty Light Hitter
May 1, 2014 at 9:22 am
Tell that to Giorgio Armani who only wears navy blue or Steve Jobs and his black t-shirts and sweaters. The limited colors and the fit are his style. If he started wearing a large variety of colors it would take away from his unique (no pun intended) look.
erkr
May 2, 2014 at 4:32 am
He is stylish in a cool way. Lot of golf clothing is tacky and too colorful. Color matching is confused with style. On females too. A a good looking stylish girl friend of mine told me she wouldn’t put on the golfclothes you see in stores, even if she had a gun to her head. That goes for me to. 🙂
geek
May 1, 2014 at 12:03 am
Trendygolf.com
Adams clothing sponsors make expensive clothes. That’s probably why they look so good and fit well
blink3665
May 1, 2014 at 1:27 am
Actually, the top half of his outfit is very reasonable. Uniqlo makes affordable clothes. The Titleist hats aren’t exactly expensive, and you can get a plain belt anywhere. No idea about his pants and his FJs arent exactly cheap.
Robert
May 1, 2014 at 1:57 am
I don’t think you’ve ever been to a Uniqlo. Expensive would not be a term I would describe their pricing.
Hector
May 1, 2014 at 4:06 am
yep, scott’s clothing sponsor is more in the running for least expensive golf clothes. uniqlo targets the young demographic with prices that match a young budget. scott’s just fit enough to look good in the more athletic cuts that target that demo.
love the uniqlo stuff and the great prices, unfortunately i’m about 20 years and 40 pounds away from making those cuts work. too bad cause it’s one of the few golf brands where i don’t have to run around advertising adidas, fj, puma etc. I got some great plain golf shirts from llbean once that didn’t have logos. wish they still made those. I can find the short of polyester style polos in non-golf lines but they are typically cut too short in length to stay tucked for me (I’m on the taller side), but golf shirts are cut at better length for staying tucked. those llbean shirts came in tall sizes which made them perfect.
Kenny
Apr 30, 2014 at 11:57 pm
I agree 100%, but, where does a guy find slightly tapered golf pants like that without going to a tailor?
Kenny
Apr 30, 2014 at 11:58 pm
Slightly tapered and slim fitting pants like that*
John
May 1, 2014 at 9:57 am
I believe Uniqlo is Adam’s pants as well as his polos. Dry fit polos.
Dillon
May 1, 2014 at 10:58 am
Uniqlo! Cheaper than dirt, and if you have a slim-to-athletic build, chances are they will fit you quite well.
These are their featured golf pants right now – http://www.uniqlo.com/us/men/bottoms/pants/dry-solid/men-dry-stretch-pants-124174.html
I have several pairs of their standard slim chinos, and I’ve ended up playing rounds in them after work when I forget to bring clothes…they work out just fine (provided you aren’t sweating a ton).
http://www.uniqlo.com/us/men/bottoms/pants/slim-fit-chino/men-slim-fit-chino-flat-front-pants-086451.html#67
Kasey
May 1, 2014 at 4:24 pm
Agreed. I can’t find good slim golf pants ANYWHERE!
Nathan
May 14, 2014 at 11:40 pm
Kasey, try Pac Sun, that’s what i wear for golf pants. The brand is called Bullhead, they have all colors like Adam’s collection and they are all slim fit. Very comfortable too and not a bad price.
John Iaciofano
Apr 30, 2014 at 11:33 pm
Curtis good observation, but i believe the belt was striped/colored blue.
Curt
May 1, 2014 at 12:30 am
Interesting…so is that the way belts are going? Seems to be a lot of striped belts out there on the market. I wish my 6’2″ 250+ frame could fit in Aquatuscum!!
froneputt
May 1, 2014 at 2:38 am
Brown leather with a blue grey red cloth insert.
John Iaciofano
May 1, 2014 at 8:11 am
and his shoes have brown accents in/on them as well.
froneputt
May 1, 2014 at 8:45 am
Next question is whether he chooses the outfit or whether it is chosen for him.
Belts are tough – Usually black is an easy choice. Brown with white shoes does work if the rest of the outfit works with the belt. I also have a black belt with blue accent (Poulter Design) that is a safe bet if you have blue in the pants and black shoes.
Curtis
Apr 30, 2014 at 11:31 pm
Very good article, love Adam and his style! I don’t know if you are a fashion guru but how can he wear a brown belt with white shoes? I thought that wasn’t allowed?
ok
May 1, 2014 at 1:41 am
Black belt with brown shoes is a no-no. Brown belt with black shoes isn’t good, but likely the black shoes don’t go with the (hopefully) neutral color scheme you’re wearing that would match the brown belt so the whole outfit would be in trouble. Basically brown/black – bad idea.
So, no, brown belt and white shoes are just fine assuming you’re not contrasting that with a black top or black pants – think gray’s, blues and white’s as safe.
As for Adam. The guy has “clean and classic” style. Unfortunately the writer should also point out the guy is incredibly fit and would look good in a garbage bag. The reality is he has an image to promote and possibly, as long as he’s got Mercedes and other high-end luxury companies on the bag, unable to deviate from that look. Sooooo, clean cut, muscular and looking like a model are the only options. Good job if you can get it.
froneputt
May 1, 2014 at 8:49 am
Adam does take advantage of his physique with slim fit shirts. At 6ft, 170, I’ve gone to slimmer fit Shirts in L, or have gone down in size (sometimes that still does not work) and it makes a huge difference in look. I’ve had the garbage bag look, and it doesn’t look good on anyone…