Golf Views

When you go to your local golf super store or pro shop to buy a golf shirt most of the shirts are made of some type of polyester blend and have that technical fabric sheen. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to buy a golf shirt that breaks the traditional mold and be worn on and off the golf course, without looking like you played a round a golf? The first thing Ashworth did for Fall 2008 was to research and test the newest and most innovative blended fabrics, 100 percent natural fabrics and organic fabrics to determine which ones could work into the company’s design philosophy, which is to design more to a mindset than to an age demographic. Eddie Fadel, Ashworth’s President says, “Golfers will love the selection of our versatile lines, and the fact they can wear our apparel on and off the course in comfort and style.” I have to agree the new Fall 2008 line of golf shirts are probably the most versatile shirts on and off the golf course.

Ashworth Organics
New for Fall 2008 is an environmentally friendly line of golf shirts made of sustainable, recyclable or 100 percent organic cottons, called Ashworth Organics. In fact, this part of the collection is tagged with a new “Ashworth Organics” label and a hangtag that exclaims “For the Game, For the Planet.”

Look and Feel
The first thing I noticed about the Ashworth Organics line golf shirts is that it doesn’t look like your typical golf shirt.The color schemes feature heather color tones, giving the group a distinct natural depth.The clean Aqua Blue stripes contrast nicely against the natural white color of the shirt, giving the the appearance of polo, instead of your run of the mill golf shirt.  This makes the shirt very versatile, because you can wear it to work or out to dinner and no one will know its a golf shirt. The other thing I noticed is the softness of the 100 percent Organic Cotton used in the shirt that make soft to touch and felt good against my skin. Another added benefit of wearing a shirt made from Organic Cotton is there aren’t any latent pesticides or other chemicals that might disagree with your skin. The shirt is cut in a traditional golf shirt size, and provides plenty of room for movement and it does not constrict your movement. I wore these shirts several times playing golf in moderate temperatures 85 degrees and the Organic Cotton fabric is very breathable, keeping my body very cool.I wear a size medium in golf shirts and the generous cut of the Ashworth Organics line wears like a large, but that is done to allow for shrinkage when you wash the shirt (more on this in the next section).

Construction
The shirts are made from 100 percent Organic Cotton and the shirts I tested are made of two different types of fabrics. The Aqua striped shirt, is made of a jersey type cotton fabric, while the solid honey dew green has more of a pique cotton construction, with solid knit collar and sleeve tipped in white. As mentioned before the shirts are a little big, but that is to account for shrinking from washing The results of washing the shirts was very good, they maintained their shape  and color well and had very little shrinkage, that can happen to cotton shirts that are put in the dryer. Even after washing the shirts, the fabric still had that soft touch against my skin, which I love. Overall these have proven to be your not so typical golf shirt and can be worn everyday, even when your not playing golf.

If you want a golf shirt that is made sustainable materials and is both functional and stylish, then pick up some shirts from the Ashworth Organics line.

Available this summer from $55.00-$85.00 www.ashworthinc.com.

ASH33W
Also new for Fall 2008 is a line of more slim fitting youth inspired golf shirts called ASH33W geared for a slightly younger, hipper crowd. This avante garde look is designed with performance fabrics and unique graphic elements, stitching details and subtle treatments.

Look and Feel
The bold tonal stripe pattern of this shirt give it a very youthful and modern look. The shirt looks and wears more like a traditional polo and features a “mod fit,” which is a slimmer fit by one size from Ashworth’s classic fit. I really like the look and the feel of the shirt,the softness of the fabric and the slimmer cut is more in tune with the style of golf shirt I like to wear. This is the kind of shirt I can wear everyday and not look like I’m headed to the golf course, like you would in other golf shirts. Also what’s so nice about the shirt is that it features a four button placket and a button front pocket, that give this shirt a more modern look. The other thing you’ll notice is that the sleeves are not as long or wide, like you find in a typical golf shirt. This gives the shirt a more modern and youthful look, which I found appealing.Ashworth has deep respect for the game’s history and virtue, and attempts to incorporate that vibe into its clothing. The “33″ logo is open to interpretation. It’s basically a magical universal number.In life it’s where youth intersects experience. It’s a reminder to “mellow out.” And there are plenty of times on the golf course that you need to remind yourself to “mellow out.”

Construction
The ASH33W I tested in made of cotton, polyester blend, and with a touch of spandex to allow the shirt to stretch and retain shape. The “mod fit” like Ashworth describes the cut of the shirt on its hang tag, is not overly slim nor does it restrict your movement. That can be attributed to the addition of spandex in the shirt, which helps by providing you with just amount of give in the fabric when you need it. After washing the shirt, the ASH33W retained its color and shape, with no signs of shrinkage.  I’ll have to admit that I was a bit skeptical, that Ashworth would be able to successfully create a  golf shirt that is both functional and stylish. But in the end I was pleasantly surprised and Ashworth has pulled it off with the ASH33W line of shirts.

If you like wearing a more contemporary, slimmer fit, non-traditional golf shirt than checkout the ASH33W line.It will definitely bring some much needed versatility and punch of style to your golf shirt drawer.

Available this summer from $55.00-$85.00 www.ashworthinc.com.