15 Golf Pants That’ll Serve You Well Whether You’re Playing 18 Holes or Zero

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Golfers and their pants have had an interesting public relationship over the past century or so. Men and women who've walked and carted around the grounds of the world's most iconic golf courses have done so in everything. Seriously. People have been playing golf in skirts, tights, knickers, plus fours, sweatpants, dress slacks, suit pants, full-plaid abominations—and I haven't even mentioned shorts yet.

But as is true with most things, the journey toward the best golf pants is the simplest of them all. You cannot go wrong rolling up to the bag drop in a pair of classic tapered chinos. Brands like Ralph Lauren, Bonobos, Dockers, and Todd Snyder all make trousers suited for fairways and greens and even have golf-specific styles themselves. Throw bona fide golf brands like Nike and Adidas into the mix, and add some exciting newcomers like Students Golf and Manors, and you've got yourself one hell of a crop to pick from.

Speaking of crops, you may be saying to yourself, "I play golf in the summer, when it is mostly hot, and therefore am not a foolish person who'd wear pants to play a sport outdoors for five hours." And to you we say—touché, go for a pair of shorts. But to be honest, in our humble opinion, the most classic look on the links starts with a well-fitting pair of pants.

Cotton Relaxed Ankle Pants

The lightest pants on the list, these aren't technically made for golf. But they are the best pants on the list for a warm-weather round, especially if you're walking.

Utilitech Pull-On Classic-Fit Pants

Lululemon knows its way around a pant—and this straight-leg number is a wider silhouette than you're used to from the activewear behemoth.

Ultimate365 Tapered Pants

Adidas' core multi-purpose pant in a performance fabric tailor-made for golf's movements.

Original Chinos

Malbon Golf's team-up with Dockers was probably its best collaboration to date, and these Original Chinos are its flagship garment.

Plaid Sutton Pants

If you're gonna sport plaid pants, subtlety is key. Leave it to Todd Snyder and Footjoy to create exactly what we're talking about.

Ellott Pants

An iconic brand, a classic silhouette, and some classy pleats. Everything a golf pant should have, TBH.

Performance Jogger Pants

For when you feel like wearing sweats, but you don't wanna dress down, turn to Malbon. These joggers manage to stay cool, with belt loops, an embroidered logo, and plenty of pockets.

Performance Seersucker Golf Pants

Bonobos has widened its golf pant offerings with this seersucker change up worth a look. These are easy and breezy, whether you're on or off the green.

Pleated Dress Trousers

Steal a cue from Keith Mitchell, one of the best-dressed players on the PGA Tour, who wears Sid Mashburn's

Helmsman 5 Pocket Pants

If you're looking for the pocket structure of your favorite jeans, but can't wear denim where you're playing, grab these in dark blue or black and you'll only feel the difference.

Dri-FIT Victory Slim-Fit Golf Pants

As straightforward and classic as it gets—a goes-with-anything, performance-forward golf pant from the brand that outfits the G.O.A.T.

Navy Cotton Canvas Games Trousers

You'd be hard pressed to find a Drake's garment we wouldn't recommend, or find any excuse to slide into. If you feel the same, buy these trousers and play golf in them. Voilà, they are golf pants.

Lightweight Course Trousers

Not only would you be flexing a more progressive silhouette out there, you'd be flexing one of the best golf brands to emerge over the past half decade, Manors golf. Bonus points for resistance.

ABC Pant Classic Warpstreme Pants

Lulu's ABC Pant is perfect for golf. It's got just enough of all the performance elements you're looking for, but are cut for modern wear so you can pair them well with almost anything.

Limitless Athletic Fit Pants

Dick's' in-house brand VRST offers a straight-leg option that has all the performance of your go-to golf pants without being so dang tight.

What To Consider

Choose your golf pants wisely. When you're selecting from our 15 favorite pairs above, take into consideration a few things: primarily, fit and fabric.

Some people prefer a more relaxed, jogger-like style for the green, and some like to keep things slim. Both are great options that give totally different vibes, so make sure you take into account the fit of the pants before buying. The fabric will also go a long way in determining how much wear you get out of your pants; summer is approaching, and seersucker is probably going to be a healthier choice for the season than wool.

Why You Can Trust Esquire

We’re not going to say something is great unless it’s actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our fashion and e-commerce teams.

When it comes to golf pants, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting styles that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved, along with styles that the rest of our stylish colleagues here at Esquire endorse for their own wear. We’ve had to go through a lot of trial and error, and these golf pants are the ones that are simply the best.

Every pick on this list (and our other lists!) comes from years of wearing different things, seeing what we love and what we don’t, and going from there. No two tastes are the same, and no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who and care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.

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