With winter well and truly here we don some Sunderland & Glenmuir gear to brave the elements.
We do battle with the winter conditions by testing out Sunderland & Glenmuir gear
It's winter, it's cold, it's wet, it's miserable, but that's no reason to let your golf game suffer, so for those hearty soles that still want to defy the weather and get out on the course there's a selection of gear from Glenmuir and Sunderland to help you do just that!
Decked out in a Sunderland Endurance base layer, a Glenmuir Jupiter lined sweater and to top it all off some Glenmuir MacWet winter gloves to try and keep out the elements.
Like start from the bottom, or the base as it is, Sunderland and Glenmuir, two of Europe's leading golf apparel brands, have launched high-performance compression base layers for the first time in their Autumn 2011 collections.
Glenmuir also have a base layer called the Baffin, but we tested out the Sunderland Endurance model, which included their ThermoCool Eco material - a blend of fibres said to keep you warm when it's cold but also cool when you're working up a sweat.
Like all compression tops it's a snug fit, but not a restrictive one, something which is crucial when out golfing as a major problem during the winter is bulking up too much with layer after layer and then not being able to swing a club properly!
Glenmuir and Sunderland marketing director Brian Mair said: "Performance base layers benefit everyone, from superfit Tour golfers to the casual player and many golfers will enjoy wearing them."
Enjoy might be a bit of a stretch, literally as is the case with the fabric, but to be fair the Endurance top is by no means as uncomfortable as some of these varieties can be - and it is also a multi-purpose product as you can go out for a walk, run, or in my case even a game of football and still keep the chill at bay.
Bionic Finish
But what if it's cold and raining? Well if you still want to stay outdoors then Glenmuir believe they have the answer with their new water repellent knitwear range, which includes their intriguingly titled Bionic-Finish.
This technology comes in a range of jumpers, including the Performance range but also in two types of 100 percent wool lined sweaters where a lightweight StormBloc wind proof lining also adds further warmth.
Glenmuir's Bionic-Finish uses 'nanotechnology' to form a waterproof layer at the base of the textiles, which means it is lighter and more durable than other waterproof materials but doesn't affect the quality of the wool.
"As well as increasing the natural water resistance of the wool, Bionic-Finish® adds more abrasion resistance, protecting the wool and making it much more effective and long-lasting," Mair adds.
Of course, jumpers will never be enough in heavy rain, but this one will at least keep you dry during showers and avoid the on-off use of the rain jackets - plus it is warm, comfortable, and not too bulky so as to hamper the swing.
Gloved up
Winter gloves are probably the items I have the most problem with out of the bunch, that could be because I don't usually wear a normal golf glove, much like Fred Couples, although that's where any similarity ends sadly.
This means that wearing just one gloves would feel different let alone two, but maybe it worked the other way as it was just as strange on both hands and not just one.
The MacWet Winter gloves come with a special gripping palm which helped with slipping, and that is a main problem for golfing in the wet, once the clubs starts to slip it is the beginning of the end for your enjoyment on the golf course.
Trying gloves out on the range is a good tester, as you spend much longer with your hands exposed and gripping a club than you would playing a round, with time in between shots when you can take to the sanctuary of the pockets.
These gloves did not prevent the cold getting in completely, but they certainly provided an improvement on bare hands on what was an icy day up in Leeds, and even though there was some discomfort at first they are smooth and slick enough not to be too restrictive like normal gloves would be.
Glenmuir's have over 130 products in the Autumn/Winter range, for more details go to http://www.glenmuir.com.
Product Details:
Sunderland Endurance: RRP £45: Colours, White & Black; Sizes S-XXL
Jupiter: RRP £81: Colours - Navy/Grey Mix, Lead/Black, Black/Burnished; Sizes S-XXL
MacWet Winter gloves: RRP £27.75
