A fleece lining and a waterproof shell answer different questions on a winter tee. Two pairs of golf trousers show where to spend your money.
Think about the last round when you wanted another layer on your legs. Was it the wait on a cold tee, or the moment rain began running off your jacket? A pair of trousers you put on at home for a frosty morning has a different job from a pair you reach for halfway round. Swing Out Sister’s Bridget and J.Lindeberg’s Bryn make that distinction particularly clear.
For a cold start
The Swing Out Sister Bridget Heavyweight Trouser in Navy Blazer was £64.95 on the UK listing when checked on 6 November. Its bonded fleece gives you a lining along the leg, while stretch in the fabric is useful when choosing a winter trouser to wear for the whole round. Swing Out Sister describes the outside as water-repellent. That makes it a candidate for cold, lightly damp mornings. If you usually take waterproof overtrousers for steady rain, there is still a reason to pack them.
Look at the Bridget in the W&G catalogue and you can see where the hem falls above the patterned socks. That is a more useful reference for length than the model’s height alone. The navy pair was listed in a 29-inch leg at the October stock check. Measure a pair that sits well over your own shoes and compare the inside leg before ordering.
When rain is the reason for buying
The black J.Lindeberg Bryn Rain Pants were £210 on the UK site on 6 November. The technical detail behind that price is the three-layer ripstop shell. J.Lindeberg specifies a 20,000mm waterproof rating and fully taped seams. The rating describes the fabric’s resistance to water under pressure, while the tape covers seams where the outer has been stitched. Neither tells you how warm you will feel standing on the tee.
The Bryn in the W&G catalogue has an adjustable hem and a regular cut. J.Lindeberg quotes an 80cm inside leg in size S. If you intend to wear a shell over another pair of trousers, try it over that pair and check the fit sitting down, bending for a ball and stepping up onto a tee. Look at the ankle with your golf shoes on, too. Enough room over the shoe and a hem clear of the ground are both worth checking.
For a cold, mostly dry round, the Bridget puts the lining where you want it from the first hole. For a forecast of persistent rain, the Bryn gives you a specific waterproof construction to compare with other shells. Start with the conditions you play in most often, then check the retailer’s current size options and the care label on the pair you choose.
