Who in their right mind would want to play golf in Death Valley during July? How about the kind of guy who thought this picture was in focus rather than realizing his brain was on the wrong side of “medium well done”.
Still, for the second year, I put rational thinking aside and participated in my fundraiser I call The Death Valley Challenge.
As regular readers know, I am not shy about wearing goofy golf clothing, but the other day I had an epiphany while I was getting ready to play a round of golf (okay this is where the story becomes a bit girly but get over it). When I got to the “pants’ part of the equation, I was momentarily stumped. I put on two trendy pairs and was driving myself crazy with second-guessing . . something was not right. Finally I decided the heck with it and threw on my pair of QED Park City Trousers. Sure I wear them all of the time but they are just so money. No fuss, no mess, just damn good golf pants. I paired them with a QED Logan polo and boom – simple, comfortable and great looking.
Last fall I reviewed the first line of QED which included a few polo,s but this winter, QED came out with a greatly expanded line including shorts, pants and even a button down and pullover. True story: I was at a high school reunion and I literally had two guys ask me what kind of shirt I was wearing (and one of those guys placed an order the next day).
So here is the deal with the polos. They have a great cut and style with many featuring two breast pockets and/or over-stitching which gives them just enough flare to stand out but not too much that you look over the top. The button down, called the Roy Woven Shirt, while not a golf shirt, is a perfect shirt to wear after hours either tucked or untucked. The other new detail added to the shirts are the enhanced snaps. I am not sure but they are some kind of stone or something, but whatever the case, I don’t have any other shirt with this type of snap. Money!
The pants are perfect in a bunch of ways. First the cut is generous. Not euro, not trendy, just mens cut. The waist has a band that helps keep your shirt tucked in, and they have a snap instead of a button and the material is water resistant. As an added bonus, they also have a small zipper on the cuff.
Made with a nylon spandex they are excellent in terms of give and they never wrinkle. And again, I won’t say waterproof but definitely water resistant which comes in real handy in a light drizzle.
So here is the bottom line on QED: Straight forward golf apparel for the golfer who wants function and style without all of the hoopla. Every detail has been carefully considered, right down to the matching black squares on the back shoulder of the shirt and waist of the trouser. QED is a math term for “finished” or “done”. When you wear QED, you know your are complete, you are set, and you will never, ever get called out for looking like a dope. QED.
NOTE that the new Holden, Logan and Torrey Polo sizes run fair rather than small which is a change from the Eureka, Francis and Heber which run a size small.
You can check out the whole new line of QED apparel on their website.
In 2012 we reviewed over 100 items so narrowing it down to just 12 was painful at best. The task was extra hard because frankly, we only review products we like. Therefore, the below items are truly the best of the best. Our requirements were simple: these would be the very last items we would give up. While price was not an overriding issue we did consider it in terms of value. The list is in alphabetical order:
I am a huge belt buckle fan and I like all the buckles I have but this was an easy choice for me. Even though it is fairly big (okay honking big), I wear it all of the time. 59 Belts really made a mark in 2012 as players like Beau Hossler were spotted wearing them on Sundays. Besides the buckle, the strap itself is awesome as it just feels more substantial than others. Full Review Here.
This was a really tough choice between a few gloves we reviewed but ultimately it came down to value. The fact that Asher sells for way less than most premium gloves ended tipping the scale in their favor. Despite the very reasonable price, we found the Asher glove to hold up extremely well, even in summer heat. Specifically, the cool tech versions were our favorite. The other factor of course was the outlandish style. Full Review Here.
Any golfer who can no longer carry his bag, but still prefers not to ride, understands the value of a good push cart. Since Wade and I walk about 80% of our rounds we know a good cart when we see/push one. The ClicGear 3.0 is a simply a work horse that has been engineered to take up a tiny footprint in your car. By the time this cart dies it will have paid for itself 100 fold. Full Review Here.
Ask anyone who has Kentwool socks in their drawer and they will tell you that they are the only sock that gets pulled out of the dirty hamper to be worn a second time. Seriously, I hate when all of my Kentwool socks are dirty and I don’t care if they match or not, it is Kentwool or bust. True story, my mother-in-law actually touched my feet to see if the 19th Hole Edition socks were as soft as they looked . . . seriously! Whether you choose the tour profile socks, dress socks, or funky 19th Hole Edition, Kentwool socks rule. Honestly at $20 a pair they are a steal! Full Review Here.
Yea, I know it is not for everyone, but I have fallen in love with LoudMouth this year. For me, I just have more fun when I am wearing LoudMouth. Sure you get comments like “nice clown pants”, but you will never be short on conversation. Moreover, both of our women bloggers love the ladies side of the catalog and have even purchased additional patterns. My advice: Man up and get some LoudMouth! Full Review Here.
Fortunately, we do not play in the rain too often, but the addition of the Mizuno Impermalite rain gear has made foul weather golf bearable. Water-proof is an understatement with Mizuno. Every detail is top notch and it is built to last. Any serious golfer needs rain gear and the Mizuno will never leave you wanting – or wet. Full Review Here.
Think of everything you would ever want in a golf bag (minus the beer tap from Al Czervik’s stick hauler), put a swoosh on it and you’ll have yourself the Performance Carry from Nike. A 14 slot top, carry straps that are removable, and kick stands that tuck away while on a cart. Nike looked at every possible feature they could put into a bag and striped one right down the middle of the fairway with the Performance Carry. Full Review Here.
When we were faced with choosing an apparel company from the 20 or so we have reviewed, it was nearly impossible since every one of them makes cool stuff that we dig. We chose QED for some of the same reasons we like LoudMouth. QED is also pushing the design envelope with styles built not only for the course but also for the evening. This hip new brand is also very affordable and has just released a full line including trousers, shorts, sweaters and dress shirts. Full Review Here.
Every now and you run across a product that you wonder how you ever got along without it. The Rukk Net by Rukket can easily be described as so. Solid construction, the easiest set up and take down you’ll ever experience and with a handy ball return feature – you just can’t go wrong. In season or off-season the Rukk Net is an amazing at home training product that you’ll quickly ask yourself “How did I get by so long without one?”, and think about all of the time and money you will save at the range. Full Review Here.
I am usually gun shy about recommending a training aid, but given the fact that Wade (who is by far the best player of the bloggers) is such a fan pushed us to add it to the list. The Swing Shirt is easy to use, inexpensive, and most importantly effective (and fairly easy to disguise when you wear it on the range). The basic idea is that it helps you stay connected during a full swing. We have also found that it is great for grooving your chipping motion. Again, Wade chips very very well so I figure if he digs it, who am I to argue. Full Review Here.
The primary reason why we chose the Scor Wedges is because they are appropriate for a wide skill level. Personally I carry 5 of these and have really improved my short game with their addition. The other big selling point is that they can be ordered in 20 different lofts from 41 degrees to 61. Finally, the V-Sole make them playable in a variety of conditions whether tight lies or fluffy rough. Full Review Here.
2012 was a great year for Three Guys Golf. We want to thank all of the companies that allowed us to review their products and all of the readers who spent part of their day reading our blog. Please help us spread the word – Share this post!
QED Style: As regular readers know, I am on a bit of a cotton kick. After years of only wearing performance material, I am rediscovering why we wear jeans and not leisure suits….cotton is just more comfortable. Sure I know in the heat of the summer cotton can be tough but there are lots of months cotton is perfect for wearing on the course. Even though Q.E.D. has only been around since 2011, they clearly are in agreement as 1/2 of their collection is cotton.
While I know there are lots of really good apparel companies, I love when I find a small firm with great products in part because I know no one else will have a shirt that looks like mine. Unlike the big boys, Q.E.D. makes only three basic styles of polos. the Eureka and Francis and Heber. The Eurkea and Francis are essentially the same except the Eureka is 100% polyester and the Francis is 100% cotton. The Heber is also cotton but does not have breast pockets. Got it?
From a style standpoint, Q.E.D. has a couple of features which I really dig on any shirt, namely breast pockets, contrasting stitching and buttons that stand out. Together, all of these features give the Q.E.D. shirt a very hip feel and while I may be delusional, I think the look is not too youthful that a middle-aged guy like me can’t pull it off. This is where I trust my wife who is never afraid to tell me I look like a jack-ass. Fortunately, she gave Q.E.D. the thumbs up.
Ironically, despite the fact that Q.E.D. shirts are more hip than most, they only come in just a few solid colors. Maybe I am the minority but I find I have very few solid colored shirts as I have always gravitated toward stripes or patterns. Great strategy if you only want to wear solid shorts or pants, but a total disaster when you suddenly get a pair of plaid shorts. That’s the beauty of a white shirt – it goes with virtually everything. Unfortunately I have had horrible luck with white shirts because they tend to be too thin. No one, not even my wife needs to see me in a sheer white shirt! The solution of course is cotton.
Thankfully, the Francis polo is thick enough to avoid any unnecessary translucent nightmares. And while it is “just a white shirt”, the silver buttons and wide collar give it a cool factor that is void in most generic white golf shirts. Speaking of collars, I have washed this shirt a number of times and the collar has remained well shaped. P.S.- the care instructions say dry clean, but I completely ignored that advice with no consequences.
Despite the fact that Q.E.D. is a self reported “Golf Apparel” company, at least half of the styles are equally suited for off of the course. For me, I try my darndest to never wear a golf shirt unless I am playing golf. I am literally pained to go into a bar or eating establishment looking like I just finished a round of golf. True that the Eureka style is more suited to the links, but the Francis and Heber are appropriate for any casual event. In fact, I probably wear this shirt off the course as much as I do on.
Q.E.D is sold in a number of west coast golf courses and on their website. Unlike many of the shirts we review at Three Guys Golf that retail for north of $85, the Q.E.D. shirts are only $40 or $50 making them a great bargin. Final note on sizing: typically I wear a medium, but Q.E.D. runs a size small such that I was comfortable in a large. In other words, order a size larger.
You can see the whole line on their website, and be sure to check out the video as well.
