PSA: Your Golf Glove Need Not Be White

At some point, golf lost its swag. For me, this happened when we decided that every golf glove needed to be white.

Back in the day, gloves of all colors were commonplace. Sam Snead was one of the first players to popularize the golf glove way back in the 40s, and his OG glove certainly was not white. Leather, after all, isn’t white to begin with.

Later, legends like Arnold Palmer and Chi Chi Rodriguez made gloves part of their on-course aura, equal parts performance and style. This is when the golf glove finally became an indispensable piece of gear for pros and amateurs, alike.

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The gloves they wore were white, but only sometimes. They wore baby blue gloves, black gloves, brown gloves — you name it. The white golf glove was common, but it wasn’t ubiquitous like it is now.

I don’t have a problem with a white glove, I think they look great. A crisp, clean, white glove you break out of the packaging right before around looks stellar. But it’s only clean for maybe a couple hours, then it becomes a dirty, dingy disaster. Whether we like it or not, golf is played outdoors, and the outdoors are messy.

So why not mix things up a bit? Your glove might change colors anyway, so pick out a glove that’s not white and stick out from the crowd. Golf is no longer the stuffy game it was 20 years ago. These days, a non-white golf glove may get a side eye or two, but it will also earn the respect of your more stylish playing partners.

Shockingly enough, there are actually a bunch of great options for non-white gloves. Sure, the local pro shop might be fully stocked with run-of-the-mill whiteys, but venture a bit off the beaten path and you’ll find a bunch of colorful gloves that will help you get a grip and get a ‘fit off.

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