The 15 Best Golf Shorts to Wear This Summer

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First, an admission. Here at Esquire, our golfing enthusiasts tend to avoid wearing shorts on the golf course. It could be a number of things, but the main reason is often, on days when the thermometer is about to burst, pants can make you feel taller looking down at the ball in your stance, more professional, even. (In fact, PGA Tour pros aren't even allowed to rock shorts.) Because golf is mostly a mental game, maybe they think it makes them hit better...But you? You are normal. When it's hot and you're playing golf, please wear shorts.

Depending on where you're playing, the course's dress code may lead you directly toward the right style of shorts, but as standards begin to loosen up everywhere, the term "golf shorts" has come to mean more than one thing. Gone are the days of sliding into an ill-fitting pair of cargo shorts; you now have endless stylish and comfortable options to choose from.

Although every course has its different rules, we know that not everyone is regularly playing a track that'll allow your '97 Celtics replica shorts on its tee boxes, which is why the shorts below are mostly made up of chino shorts that support belt usage. But don't limit yourself—if you're not tucking in a polo, the opportunities to build a fit that speaks to both you and tips your hat to the dress code are limitless. And if you are, well, we've got some tried and true suggestions here for you, too.

Commission Classic-Fit Shorts

As easy to wear and easy to style as they come, Lulu's best-selling shorts have all the right stuff. Equipped with secure pockets and stretchy fabric, they'll keep up with you on even the toughest course.

Adicross Delivery Printed Shorts

If you're gonna go printed, make sure it's not corny. Not only do we dig the leopard pattern, but we also love the baggy silhouette and long inseam for a mix-up on the short shorts you'll see most of the season.

Chino Shorts

A pair of shorts you'll want in your arsenal whether you play golf or not—but they work perfectly for the game.

Garment-Dyed Short

Sid Mashburn chose a 7" inseam here to find a happy medium between long and short, formal and casual. These shorts are also soft but not too soft, which makes them truly an all-purpose option.

Pleated Hudson Shorts

The problem with most pleated shorts is length. Todd Snyder split the difference here with a pair of mid-length cotton-linen shorts with a coin pocket that’s perfect for a ball marker.

Helmsman Shorts

Golf shorts you can wear over and over again—the perfect pair to keep in your bag for those days where it's hotter than expected.

Easy Lightweight Shorts

You're wearing shorts for a reason—it's spicy out. This lightweight option from bottoms-experts, Bonobos, will help make for a breezy round.

Classic Twill Polo Prepster Shorts

These are the perfect pair of shorts for days when you're not tucking in your top. They have everything you love about comfortable, active shorts without the belt loops—talk about a win (we just hope we can say the same about your golf game).

Beck Shorts

From the Golf pros at TravisMathew, a stretchy short that delivers on comfort all the way.

Playa Shorts

Dockers makes damn good pants and shorts. Malbon makes damn-cool golf apparel. In fact, it's one of the brands that launched a whole new wave in golf style. These shorts deliver on that mix of classic quality and a modern vibe.

Eloy Shorts

Golf shorts that look sleek and will last you quite a while, because the fashion heads at J.L. don't mess around when it comes to quality and outdoor performance.

Stretch Chino Shorts

Tried and true 7-inch shorts from the brand occupying most of your closet. A solid on-and-off-the-course pa(i)r.

Spruces Chino Shorts

These golf shorts by Mugsy Jeans are a hole-in-one (don't judge us for that pun; we couldn't help it). Crafted with a four-way flex Chino fabric, they're soft, breathable, and perfect for any golf day or after-work outing.

Knit Inseam Shorts

Foot Joy's performance fabric will become your new best friend on the Fairway and will allow you a complete range of motion during your golf swing.

Drive Tapered Shorts

Ask any pro about Under Armour (a certain Master's champion is their sponsor, after all!), and they'll tell you the same thing: the brand is an expert at creating light and flexible gear that you'll want to train in on and off the course.

How To Choose

Length: When deciding on the perfect length for a golf short, a couple of variables come into play. How tall are you? If you're on the shorter side (hey, it's short king spring, after all), you'll want to choose a shorter inseam length for your shorts, between five and seven inches. If you're on the taller side (good for you, no need to brag), your legs are longer, which means you'll want to look for shorts with a longer inseam of between seven and nine inches.

Style: Just like most golfers have a different style swing, your personal style should be reflected in your course apparel. If the most important part of playing the game is the drink cart, grab a pair with a funky print. If you're more of a serious player, stick to the classics like a solid color or minimal striped pattern. Whatever kind of guy you are, you'll want to make sure you find shorts with deep pockets so you can store extra tees, goofballs, scorecards, etc.

Material: As you hit the back nine, you may start to feel it in your body. That's why you need shorts that are lightweight and breathable to give you some relief. Look for fabrics like cotton or polyester to help keep you cool (we're only talking about body temperature here, not your anger level if you keep hitting a bogey), and seek out materials with UV protection to keep you shielded from the sun.

Why You Should Trust Us

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 shorts—especially performance-driven ones, 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 performance-driven golf shorts 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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