Travis Mathew

Travis Mathew: Why does Bubba Watson button his shirt all the way? Believe it or not, this seems to be a burning question in the golf world. How do I know this? Well because when you run a blog you get to see all the crazy ways people end up on your site, and it just so happens that each day way too many people find my blog post on Bubba Watson by searching on the phrase “why does Bubba Watson button his shirt all the way up?” Unfortunately, I still do not have an answer to that question, but I am happy to report that I am now going “Bubba Style” whenever I wear this sweet Travis Mathews shirt.

It is hard to believe that Travis Mathew has only been on the scene since 2008, because judging from their monster presence at the PGA Merchandise show, you would think they have been a staple in the golf industry for a century. Plus now that Bubba Watson has broken through with his insane Masters win, in which he strode down the fairways on live TV for six hours sporting Travis Mathew, I expect bandwagon to grow exponentially.

What impresses me about Travis Mathew is that they are somehow forward thinking in their style while maintaining classic good looks. Moreover, they are also one of the few companies that is getting back to cotton. It seems that ever since the polyester fad of 8 or so years ago, golf shirts have been primarily made with some type of performance material rather than a softer cotton. Personally, I was of the opinion that cotton was going to go the way of the dodo bird when it came to athletic gear, but the new prima cotton is changing my mind. Perhaps it’s not quite as wicking as some of the poly blends, but this new cotton is a long way from the old Izod alligator shirts that weighed about 4 pounds.

My first round with the Travis Mathew shirt was in a balmy 87 degree NC day. Honestly, I was expecting to have to wring out the shirt at the end of the round, but to my surprise, it was dry as a bone. So seeing that cotton is about the most comfortable material known to man, I say “yes to cotton”. I mean there is a reason we wear blue jeans and not polyester leisure suits-right?

From a style standpoint, I categorize Travis Mathew as classic cool. In other words, you will look sharp without looking like you are trying to make a fashion statement. You just cannot go wrong with a well cut, cleanly designed, quality outfit.

In terms of the shorts, the Travis Mathews have instantly become my favorite pair of golf shorts. First, they are cut really well. Trim enough to be stylish but plenty of length with a few cool details like the white stitching on the side pocket. However, what sets the Travis Mathew shorts apart from most others is the material. It just says “polyester and cotton” on the tag, but they have a plush feel similar to suede. It’s hard to explain, but they are money – trust me.

Finally let me touch on the Travis Mathew website which is one of the few sites (frankly, the only one I know of) that tells you exactly how big the model is (ie “6’2″ 180 lbs”) – brilliant! Seriously, did it take until 2012 for someone to figure this out? I am always confused by sizing charts, but if I see a guy who is my exact size and it says he is wearing a medium – boom, even I can figure what to order. Huge kudos for the rocket scientist who added that gem to their website.

Bottom line: Top quality, well cut, reasonably priced good looking golf clothes!

You can see the whole line of Travis Mathew on their website.