By Eric Flockhart

If you take a stroll down the South Coast Highway in Oceanside, California, you’ll find that casual comfort rules. This is a common theme in southern California, and who could blame them? With fabulous weather year-round, the Pacific at your doorstep, and a prevalent surf culture, comfort reigns supreme. This casual comfort has become more familiar in the game of golf over the past few years, challenging the status quo in a sport where players were once expected to compete in tweed sportscoats, knickers, and a tie.

For SoCal native John Ashworth, Oceanside, CA was the obvious choice for the base of operations for LinkSoul, his latest foray into golf apparel. A lifelong golfer and surfer, Ashworth has always valued comfort and style over anything, a theme that is apparent in LinkSoul’s entire product line. LinkSoul, which is new to Golf Town, is at the forefront of the trend toward a more casual look on the golf course, offering versatile pieces that can be worn to work, a night on the town, and even for a walk on the beach.

“We have tried to make it so it’s transitional,” said Ashworth. “It’s geared towards the everyday recreational golfer who wants to go play nine holes after work. It’s definitely more relaxed, and if you’re out in public, you’re not going to be called out for your style screaming ‘I’m a golfer!’”

You’ll find PGA Tour players Geoff Ogilvy, Lucas Glover, and John Huh wearing LinkSoul this season, and all on their own accord.

“They came to us because they liked the gear,” said Ashworth. “They like the comfort, they like the designs, and they’re happy to wear it.”

LinkSoul is certainly not the only brand bringing the California lifestyle to the north. In fact, if you didn’t know any better, you might have thought Rickie Fowler had just come up from the beach when he walked to the first tee on the North Course at Torrey Pines for the second round of the 2019 Farmers Insurance Open.

Sporting an untucked, Puma button-down marked with a pattern of pine trees, surfboards, and golf clubs in a cross, Fowler certainly added to his reputation as a fashion trendsetter on Tour—though his style has calmed significantly since his early days on Tour that often featured fluorescent orange from head to toe. Fowler’s fashionable homage to his southern California roots is just the latest example of the growing SoCal casual trend that has quickly become a more common theme on Tour.

Sure, the traditional collared polo and slacks combination—which has fortunately become increasingly tailored over the last two decades—will likely be a mainstay on tour until golf takes its dying breath. Tradition is the barefaced nature of the game. But as golf’s top circuits have become increasingly populated by a younger generation, players have begun to push the limits of golf apparel toward a more athletic, more comfortable style.

Fowler’s untucked look—which he had to gain approval from the tour to wear—is part of Puma’s Play Loose collection, which features a combination of polos, hoodies, button-downs, board shorts, and t-shirts that can be worn seamlessly on or off the course. Drawing its inspiration directly from the diverse California landscape, the Play Loose collection features patterns with a mixture of palm trees and evergreens while using comfortable materials to maximize the laid-back look.

“Our brand is all about game enjoyment,” said Kristin Hinze, Head of Apparel at Cobra Puma Golf. “Everyone wants to play well, but we try to look at golf as a way for friends and family to be together. Obviously, we put a lot of emphasis on our product technically performing, but our outlook is on more of a casual performance.”

When the Play Loose collection is combined with Puma’s latest footwear, the Ignite NXT, comfort and casual are taken to a whole new level. Easily mistaken for a training shoe you’d see at the gym, the Ignite NXT are a style upgrade from the previous Ignite Sport models.

“There’s a real appetite in the market for something that’s both comfort-driven and style-driven,” said Hinze. “The NXT takes that great Ignite foam and adds some additional stability. There’s support wrapping the sides, and there’s a mesh that’s very breathable, but gives you additional support.

TravisMathew is yet another brand that has been synonymous with casual since it was founded in 2007. With its southern California roots, TravisMathew labels itself as “apparel for work and play.” On Tour, TravisMathew is worn by the likes of Patrick Cantlay, Keegan Bradley, and Canadian Austin Connelly. With high-quality materials and designs that can be seamlessly transitioned between the golf course, the office, and anywhere in between, TravisMathew is another clear leader in the SoCal comfort trend in golf.

“When we started, we had a simple goal: to make great looking clothes that perform both on and off the course, for both work and play,” said Gabriella Nichols, marketing representative for TravisMathew. “And from concept to creation, we draw inspiration from all aspects of Southern California culture and lifestyle, and we let people present themselves well without having to be flashy or over the top.”

Not to be forgotten, adidas has taken steps over the past few seasons to capitalize on the new comfort-driven market segment, and though not directly inspired by SoCal culture, adidas has adopted the casual style with ease. With the introduction of Adicross in late 2017, adidas offered an alternative to their usual performance-driven apparel. The Adicross collection, which has been doubled for 2019, features Adicross Bounce shoes, modeled after their popular Alphabounce trainers but modified for the elements of a golf course, and versatile apparel options that will look great on or off the course.

“Adicross is that balance between style and performance,” says Casey Lennon, brand activation manager for adidas Golf Canada. “You will have the DNA that’s in our sport performance apparel present in different silhouettes in the Adicross line. It has that urban inspiration combined with some traditional style, and you fit in from top to bottom no matter where you are.”

A game rooted in its traditions, some golfers will likely never stray from what they deem to be a classic style. But what cannot be ignored is the fact that golf apparel has never been static—it has continuously evolved away from the restrictive and hindering toward the comfortable and athletic. The southern California culture is the epitome of laid back, casual, and welcoming, and it’s the perfect example for golf to follow.