By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Images Courtesy of Fairway & Greene

SHELTON, CT – There’s lots of good-looking golf apparel out there – at least when you peruse the golf shop.  But it always comes down to the inevitable question:  how can you tell the difference between one piece and another, other than the numbers on the price tag?

It’s a good thing we have companies like Fairway & Greene to provide the answer.

Recent years have certainly produced an explosion of colors and styles, and all the major manufacturers seem to be touting some sort of ‘performance’ apparel that you hopefully can turn to your advantage.  Unlike golf equipment, however, it’s harder to grasp the notion that your clothes can actually help you play better golf.

Even shoes and gloves provide a clearer visual on how one brand might be better than another, especially when you’re receiving feedback for several hours at a time.

But clothes?

Become a believer, because it’s true.  Since everyone plays in the elements, you can expect that your apparel will be working overtime to protect you from the weather, and sometimes even from yourself.  Anyone who lives in a hot, humid climate can attest that some fabrics are far superior to others, lest you end up soaking wet by the end of a round.

Fairway & Greene has jumped head-first into this new realm of ‘performance’ apparel with its new ‘Pureformance’ product line.  The Connecticut based company has always been at the top of the list for traditional golf apparel with exceptional quality and stylish good looks, but now you’re getting the best in ‘technology’ with the Pureformance line as well.

The Pureformance line features everything you’ve always found in a Fairway & Greene cotton golf shirt (luxurious pima cotton, double mercerized patterns and stripes), but adds an ultra high quality micro-denier wicking yarn.

Huh? 

I don’t care what it’s called, it just ‘works’ better.  The double-layered fabric acts to keep moisture away from your skin, which is the number one cause of discomfort on the golf course.  The shirt will retain its look, feel and style of a pure cotton golf shirt, but includes the best moisture wicking fabric available – so you get the best of both worlds.

Fairway & Greene certainly isn’t the first company to introduce such ‘performance’ golf apparel, but they don’t make a product that’s found in every discount shop, either.  It’s taken time for the leader in comfort and style to perfect a product they’re happy with, and now that’s been achieved.

Todd Martin, President of Fairway & Greene, said the company had to move with the times in producing a ‘performance’ product.  “We simply could no longer ignore the technical category.  While we’ve always been a natural fiber company and stayed away from technical yarns in the past, our golf professionals kept telling us there was demand out there for this product.”

He continues, “If we are to continue being a great partner to our customers, we needed to listen to what they and their members want.  So far, our bookings and response to the product have been overwhelming.”

The company is also excited about its new ladies collection, which has grown by 30% in recent times.  With the women’s apparel market growing at a rapid rate, Fairway & Greene has responded with a huge new focus on luxury fabrics, great fit and sportswear styles.  No longer do the ladies have to choose from less – equality in the shop as well as on the course!

Martin says the new ladies products and Pureformance line is just a portion of what’s exciting and new at Fairway & Greene.  When asked what separates his company from the competition, he answered “The finest products, green grass exclusivity -- and service, service, service and more service.”

That’s great for the golf shops – they can expect to be treated well by the company.  For us consumers, Martin says it’s bold colors and designs that sets his product apart.  “Color and design is something our design team feels and interprets.  They’re paid to be creative and ‘see’ color and styling before others do.”

One thing we’ve noticed about Fairway & Greene’s shirts is that the collars remain in good shape a lot longer than other shirts.  Martin had a response here as well.  “Like tires on a car, a shirt’s collar is the first thing to go.  A great looking shirt with a bad collar is a bad shirt.  With quality yarn, finishing and stitching, we’re able to keep the collars looking great on our shirts, and that’s why our customers love our shirts.”

You’re not really saving money in the long run if a ‘cheap’ shirt wears out in half the time.  You’ll pay more for a Fairway & Greene product, but you’ll get more quality use out of it, too.

Fairway & Greene has expanded into other apparel areas as well, including men’s slacks.  Here, again, it comes down to quality that sets them apart.  “We’ve got great fit, great fabrics and a great price in our men’s slacks,” Martin said.  “And we’re finally offering finished inseams so you can buy and wear, with no tailoring involved.”

As for the future, Martin says the company will seek to expand its reach into existing golf shop customers and also attract new customers – with more shelf space, and hope to become a bigger and better partner with their golf professionals, the folks who make sure you have the best products on your shelf at the club. 

But no matter how much the product lines expand, you can be assured that the heritage of Fairway & Greene will be honored and they’ll stand for what they always have – producing the highest quality apparel in the styles you’ve come to expect from a company whose motto is ‘Respect for the game.’

Having sampled many different shirts over the years, I can say that Fairway & Greene is the one I wear the most.  My wife and I have a closet full of F&G products, not just because of the vast selection of styles and colors, but also because the products just won’t wear out.  That’s one heck of a nice problem to have.

And on the odd occasion that we’ve had a problem with the products, the company’s service has taken care of it promptly.

We’ll take the combination of products and service every time – and we’re very happy that Fairway & Greene is advancing with the times, meeting our expectations around every corner.