The Emergence of Under Armour - Breaking Into the Golf World

When thinking of Under Armour, one might envision football players battling tackling dummies during practice and steam rising from their heads in a locker room celebration but not a sleeveless golfer. Under Armour, previously thought only for muscle men, is a relatively new company. Embracing its name from the beginning, Under Armour prides itself in tight fitting shells that go beneath shoulder pads. They are swinging into the golf attire industry, offering flexible durability and nudging for a spot at the table.

The days of cardigan sweaters are gone. Founded in 1996, Under Armour is the David hoping to slew the Goliath of Nike. Founder Kevin Plank started the business from his grandmother’s basement. Plank, a former University of Maryland football player and special teams captain, exhausted with repeatedly having to change t-shirts, realized that moisture wicking material is the perfect fabric for athletic wear. A premium is placed on performance and this is especially true in golf. Maneuverability is the key. Players are seeking to be seen as athletes rather than mere golfers. Under Armour prides itself in being performance enhancing gear.

Professional golfers who use Under Armour include Hunter Mahan, Josh Short, Tommy Gainey and Gary Woodland. Under Armour is trying to take a chunk out of the larger household names such as Nike, Wilson and Adidas. Golfers hoping to follow in Tom Brady’s footsteps, incorporating a versatile company priding itself on comfort, should enjoy Under Armour. The nice thing about Under Armour golf apparel is that one can show off their muscles if they want or opt for the loose fitting line.

Lest one wonder what country club would permit these sleeveless, skin tight shells on their premises, the style of Under Armour is more traditional and catered to the golfer’s body, providing lightweight durability with optimal flexibility. This is not a tight-fitting line. Most of the shirts have collars and are similar to Polo. The loose-fitting material is being promoted as youthful but with no flashy designs so the appearance should not turn off conservatively attired golfers. Under Armour can blend into the course without anyone even knowing you are wearing it. Don’t worry about a huge shell or a crippling mesh that will expose every ounce of flesh.

This is all about the Polyarmour, a type of polyester that is performance enhanced. This material will not stick to your skin which is one of the greatest benefits of the Under Armour shirts: breathability. Air is able to penetrate the porous fabric and provide a comfortable golf shirt. Flexibility is offered by the capability of the material to stretch four ways.

Another advantage of Under Armour is the nearly wrinkle free quality of their clothing. This is ideal for traveling golfers and those looking to select a good golf outfit for vacation. Under Armour goes beyond just shirts for men; providing an extensive clothing line for women and children. Options include shorts, skirts, golf dresses, headbands and everything needed to keep you cool on the course. Nike beware.

Under Armour HeatGear is specially designed to maintain coolness using an anti-bacterial component for fragrance free golfing. The ColdGear is for adverse weather conditions to maintain comfort in extreme golfing environments. The AllSeasonGear wind shirt is lightweight and warm, maintaining heat nicely. The rain and cold climate clothes are among the most popular, offering imitation turtlenecks with long sleeves (tight-fitting or loose) for those looking for something to shoot in the mud.

The cold weather gear is so nice it may infuriate desert golfers. Don’t expect them to prance around the house doing rain dances but you’ll see it in their eyes, waiting for that opportunity to break out the bad weather duds.

Under Armour Golf can be found in golf shops around the world and the full catalog is available at www.UnderArmour.com.