Reviews - PING Apparel (Shirts, Pants, Shorts, and a Hat)

[iacas 6,946]

Newport Cup Participants Review

PING Apparel (Shirts, Shorts, Pants, and a Hat)

Product Name: PING Apparel
Product Type: Apparel
Product Website/URL: https://www.ping.com/apparel/default.aspx?gender=male
Cost: Varies

Below, twelve members of the 2017 Newport Cup squad will write thorough, in-depth reviews of PING apparel (shirts, shorts, pants, and a hat), complete with photos, an occasional video, and a wealth of opinion and information. They're encouraged to be as honest as possible. We'd like to thank the sponsors for the gear, apparel, equipment, and goodies, and we chose them largely because they produce quality products, but they know we value honesty and integrity in reviews as well.

[DeadMan 487]

Ratings (out of 5):
Polos

Quality: 5
Value: 3
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Pants and Shorts

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Hat

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4

---

My Review:

We got 6 apparel items from Ping: 3 polos, 2 pairs of pants, and a pair of shorts. Since we were the red team, all of our polos were red. One of our pairs of pants was grey, the other red, and the shorts were grey. For polos, we had the Karsten Rewood polo (https://www.ping.com/apparel/detail.aspx?category=20529&model=23384#), the Newman Redwood/Crimson Marl polo (https://www.ping.com/apparel/detail.aspx?category=20529&model=23682#), and the Lincoln Redwood polo (https://www.ping.com/apparel/detail.aspx?category=20529&model=23655#). For pants, we had the Lennox Trouser, in Asphalt and in Redwood (https://www.ping.com/apparel/detail.aspx?category=20530&model=23415#). The shorts were, I believe, the Blakely Dark Charcoal (https://www.ping.com/apparel/detail.aspx?category=20530&model=23421#). We also got a Rustic Red Ping Fairway Cap (https://www.ping.com/gear/detail.aspx?id=21943#).

Before I get too far into this review, I want to point out that I generally do not spend a lot of money on golf clothes. I have one expensive polo that I really like, but the rest of my golf clothes are around $20. I have a couple of golf polos from Target, for example. This Ping gear is more expensive than that, obviously. I could definitely tell the difference. You are not paying extra because the clothes say Ping; you’re paying extra because the clothes are better. The fabric is definitely higher quality. It feels softer and more comfortable than my other clothes.

(Me, putting, wearing the Lincoln polo and Lennox Trousers in Asphalt)

The polos were all moisture wicking. It was sunny and in the 70s in North Carolina, and I had zero issues in those temperatures in any of the polos. The fabric kept me cool. I am sure I can wear these when it’s 90 degrees outside with no problems. Among the three polos, it felt like the Karsten polo was the best for playing in more intense heat. The fabric on that polo felt a thinner and a little more breathable. Not to say the other two polos would be bad in hot weather, but the Karsten is clearly the best.

The look of these polos is great. I really like the darker red color they all have. The fit was good, too. I wear a large in shirts, and these fit me just fine. They might have been a little on the tight side for a large, but that’s fine with me. I prefer tighter to looser, and these were not tight enough to be uncomfortable or accentuate my body shape in the wrong way. As a bonus, all of these polos had the Newport Cup logo on them, which is a nice piece to have. The only thing I didn’t care for was the pocket square, with button, on the Karsten polo. That’s a personal preference of mine, though, and I imagine other people will feel differently.

(The Lincoln polo, with the Newport Cup logo)

Moving onto the pants, these are by far the best golf pants I own. They are comfy. Some of my other pairs of golf pants are sort of abrasive on my skin, but the interior of these pants is butter-smooth. It was as close to walking around naked as you could get without risking some sort of crime. Hyperbole aside, these are really great pants. I was pretty comfortable in them the entire time in North Carolina. I’m not sure I would wear these if the temperature got above 80, but I would be completely comfortable up to that temperature. I had no problem in the sunny high 70s we had in North Carolina.

Again, the fit was great. Look was solid, too. I don’t own another pair of pants of this caliber, and these pants will definitely be what I wear to the golf course when I wear pants. I normally wear a 36x32 or 34x32, and these were 36x33 and fit me just fine. I think a 36x32 would have been completely fine as well. I’m not sure I would have been comfortable in a 34 waist. That means the sizes are right on, or maybe on the smaller size.

(Me (R) and Hepp (L) in our Newman polos and Lennox Trousers in Redwood … the all-red is a great look, right?)

The shorts were nice, too. The fabric was also comfortable, and they looked great. They will be another mainstay in my golf wardrobe.

The one negative I had with both the pants and the shorts was the size of the pockets. They were fine for holding your normal assortment of tees, ball markers, and repair tools, but they were a little small for golf balls. Revealing might be a better word than small. The balls fit fine, but then you could see the outline of the balls in your pocket. If you had two balls in one pocket, it looked like you needed to adjust your jock, if you catch my drift. Because the pants are on the tighter side, a ball in my pocket bugged me while swinging. I also like to carry a second ball with me to save time if I need to hit a provisional (which happens far too often with my golf game), and I won’t do that with these pants. For what it’s worth, they all had a separate, small pocket you could use for a golf ball. These are sort of like a change pocket in your jeans or pants. They were more suited to put a ball when you go between holes instead of storing a ball long term. And the ball in that pocket still bugged me a bit. It’s not a big deal in the end, but something that could be improved on.

A cool feature of both the shorts and pants was this rubbery liner on the inside of the pants’ waist, and on the inside of the back pocket. It held your shirt in place, so you don’t have a situation where you come untucked and end up with plumber’s crack. In the back pocket, it means you can stick a glove there, and the pocket will keep the glove nice and crisp.

(The rubbery liner)

The hat is really nice, too. The fabric is very light, and very breathable. The hat is comfortable, and it fit snugly. This will be a good hat to have when it’s really hot out, because it is significantly lighter than most golf hats.

All in all, the Ping apparel was a home run with me. I will be getting heavy use out of all of these. The pants will definitely be my go-to pants, and the shorts and polos won’t be far behind.

Edited November 7, 2017 by DeadMan

[kpaulhus 321]

Ping Golf Clothing

Ratings (out of 5):
Polos

Quality: 5
Value: 5
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4

Pants and Shorts

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Hat

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 3
Aesthetic Appeal: 4

My Review

I was really excited to get the Ping gear at this year’s Newport Cup. The red team had the cooler of the team uniforms (even if Mike looked like Super Mario). The all red look is great.

Out of the 3 Polos, there are 2 that I think I'll wear often and the two-tone probably less. Only reason being you can somewhat feel the line in the material where the two colors were sewn together.

The red pants are amazing. I plan on wearing those on the select few cold days in Florida. Since the Newport Cup, I actually have worn the gray pants 3 times in business meetings and received compliments on how they looked and fit. It’s a nice business casual pant that moves with you and you can go straight to the course after work knowing the pants are going to be comfortable. The shorts are like most other top golf companies with a great fit and they include an elastic waistband that helps keep your golf shirt tucked in during the round. (I’m actually wearing them as I type this review)

The Ping hat looks great. I really liked the leather stamping on the front. It kind of reminds me of a southern California surfing brand. The only reason I gave it a 3 is because I have a huge head. Not all “one size fits all” fits my head. Can't really knock Ping for that, though.

[Golfingdad 2,009]

Ratings (out of 5):

Hat

Quality: 5
Value: N/A
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Polos

Quality: 5
Value: N/A
Comfort: 4
Aesthetic Appeal: 4

Pants and Shorts

Quality: 5
Value: N/A
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

---

My Review:

I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of some great new clothing from Ping; a hat, 3 shirts, two pairs of pants, and a pair of shorts.  The hat is the easiest to review; it's a great fit for (nearly - sorry @kpaulhus) everybody because it's adjustable, and it's a great style.  I like sporting the big name company gear, but I always like the idea of not being an unpaid advertiser, so the understated and small "medalion" logo on this hat is great.  I also like the "heather" (or denim, whatever you want to call it) look of the color of the hat.  The weather was cool and I didn't sweat too much, so I can't give a review on the personal durability of the hat on me, as the sweat ring and discoloration is always what kills my hats.  So far, so good though.

The polos were mostly great, with a couple of tiny things I noticed I'd like to have different.  The two-toned "Newman" polo is due to two separate material panels, and unfortunately, you can feel the seam between the panels across your back and chest, which I did not care for.  I won't wear that shirt much in the future, most likely.  The other two were both very comfortable.  One with a more modern moisture-wicking material feel to it (the Lincoln), and the other with a more traditional soft cotton feel to it (the Karsten II).  The pocket on the chest of the Karsten also looked cool to me.  Both were very comfortable and will stay in the rotation for now.  That is, as long as I don't gain any weight, as the fit on these shirts runs a little bit small.  I also wish these shirts were a bit longer; if I wear them without pants that have the rubber belt liner (more on that later), then they will come untucked on swings often as they barely go past my waist.  If only XLT was a more common size choice for us longer torsoed folks. :)

The shorts were good, solid and comfortable golf shorts.  I tend to lean towards wearing pants more lately, but on really hot days, these will get worn.

The pants were fantastic.  It's too bad I just bought a couple of pairs of golf pants recently, because they're not going to be worn now - these new pants are my go-tos for awhile depending on shirt fashion for the day.  Interestingly enough, the inseam lengths came in odd numbers instead of the traditional even numbers, and since I gave my size as 34", they split the difference and gave me one pair with a 33" inseam and one with a 35" inseam.  It turns out, the 33" is the perfect length, and those were my red pants which I wore the first day.  I worried that on day 2, I'd be walking on my own pants all day with that extra 2", but it turned out fine.  Because of the tapered fit, the pants just bunched up a little bit more at my ankle above the shoe rather than going around my heel, but not even so much as to make me want to get them altered.  The fit around the thighs is the more "snug" look that normally a slightly pudgy guy like myself would shy away from, but with the stretchy material these felt (and looked) awesome.  I love these pants and will be wearing them often ... just likely not the red and red together.  (Not because I didn't like it, but because I like to be at least a teensy bit understated.) 

All in all, the clothes were a home run.

[coachjimsc 213]

Ping Golf Clothing

Ratings (out of 5):

 

Hat:

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Shirts:

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Pants and Shorts:

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

The Ping apparel we received at the Newport Cup included:

• 2 pair long pants
• one pair of shorts
• 3 short sleeve shirts
• One hat.

Hat:

The Ping Fairway Cap we received is an adjustable hat with a leather strap on the back. I prefer the adjustable hats over the fitted kind because I have a small head. The Navy performance linen material has a nice look to it. I do not own another hat that looks like this one. And I own quit a few hats. It is lightweight and breathable. The stamped leather logo has a classic look to it and stands out from the others. This is a high quality hat that I look forward to wearing for many years.

Shirts:

The Ping Newman (navy/midnight), the Lincoln (midnight) and the Karsten (midnight)

These are high quality shirts as is usually the standard with any Ping apparel. They are lightweight and breathable. I usually don’t wear dark colors shirts on sunny days because they are often too hot against my skin. I have to say there were no issues with these shirts when it got warmer in the afternoons. The seam on the Newman didn’t bother me at all. Probably because I’m not quit as big as some of the other guys.  So the fit was a bit looser on me. TST/NC logo is the perfect size, big enough to get noticed but not too big. I ended up giving the Karsten to my dad because he likes pockets on his shirts.

 

Pants/Shorts:

We received the Ping Lennox Trouser (asphalt/navy) and the Blakely shorts (Dark Charcoal)

I own a couple of high end golf pants and have to say the Ping Lennox Trousers are slightly better. These pants fit me very well. Might be a tad long but that does not bother me all that much. The thin stretchy material feels great against the skin and have zero restrictions in mobility. They are very comfortable to where anytime and they look great. I have worn both of these pants to work every week since the NC and they will be staying in my rotation for some time.

The shorts were one size bigger than I normally fit into but that did not seem to be a problem. There were as light and comfortable as any shorts I own. Both the pants and the shorts have the Gripper Tape inside the waistband to help keep your shirts tucked in. That’s a big deal for me. I hate when my shirt comes undone while playing golf.

The Ping apparel was a home run for me. They are pricier than some other brands but their quality is unmatched.  

[jsgolfer 455]

Below is my rating and review of the ping tour apparel.

Ratings (out of 5):
Polos

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 4
Aesthetic Appeal: 4

Pants and Shorts

Quality: 5
Value: 5
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Hat

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4

---

My Review:

The apparel items we received from Ping were 2 pairs of pants, a pair of shorts, 3 shirts and a hat. I was glad to be on the blue team, as red is not a color I typically wear and blue is something I wear all of the time. 

I’m going to start with the Ping Lennox Trousers, and as everyone who played in the Newport Cup knows, I am not a fan of having to wear pants when I play golf, unless the weather dictates it (really cold).   So I’ll get it out of the way, these are the most comfortable and best pants I have ever worn while playing golf.  Some of my other golf pants are a little stiff on the legs, but these pants are the bomb. @DeadMan said it was like walking around naked and I would agree.  They fit great, look sharp (I wear them to work) and I can’t say how much I really like these pants.  And the gripper tape to keep your shirt from coming up is a great, great feature.  If and when I need more golf pants, these ping pants will be the only ones I buy. 

The Blakely shorts were fantastic as well, plus they were the perfect color, grey.  Grey is the color I wear a lot on the course.  They are really comfortable, look sharp and I will wear these often.  

As for the polo’s. I’m a big fan of the moisture wicking material that the shirts are made of.  They fit extremely well, and work really well in varying kinds of weather  I had two negatives, first the seam across the two-tone version of the shirt felt kind of odd, hard to explain but I could just feel it.  It was the best looking of the polo, but the location of the seam just seemed to make the shirt feel tighter.  I’m sure it wasn’t, just felt that way (I probably just need to lose weight, ).  Second, I’m also not a fan of pockets on polo’s, so not sure how often I will wear that shirt.

Sharp Dressed Men in their awesome Ping Attire at the Newport Cup

The hat was a nice addition to the overall outfit and wore very comfortably on my head.  I don’t usually wear hats (I’m a visor guy), but I did wear the hat the other day in our River Cup match when it was raining out.  And if hats are your thing, this is as good as any other hat I’ve worn.

The Ping Apparel overall was fantastic, the pants and shorts alone are worth a 5-star rating.  The quality of the apparel is top-notch.  And I would expect all of the items to remain in my wardrobe for a long time.

Blue team in their fantastic Ping Apparel.  This by far is my favorite outfit we wore.  Grey shorts, blue shirt, and blue hat.  

Edited November 16, 2017 by jsgolfer

[phillyk 352]

Ratings (out of 5):
Polos

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 3.5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4

Pants and Shorts

Quality: 5
Value: 5
Comfort: 4
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Hat

Quality: 4
Value: 5
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4

My Review:

The polos we received from Ping were mostly good.  The Newman had two slightly different colors and fabrics, and like others have said, you can feel the seem between the two materials on your chest and it is bothersome.  It wasn't that type of feeling you think about all day, it's the type that just pops into your head when your bored.  This polo also felt really tight when I first put it on.  It did loosen up a bit as the day went on, but I do like more loose fitting polos.  The Lincoln moisture-wicking polo is more my style.  It fit very well, is very comfortable, and kept me in a good body temperature.  The final polo we received was a Karsten cotton polo.  Super comfortable as cotton polos should be and it fit well.

We received two pairs of slacks (grey and red) and a pair of shorts (grey).  I haven't worn shorts on a golf course for 3 years or so, and like @iacas's nicely timed jest at Mid South hole 9 green, my legs look like OB stakes now.  But, they were very comfortable and I like the rubber liner of the back pocket.  Like polos, I prefer more loose fit slacks, and the ones we received were a bit tighter than that.  That really is the only down side to the pants we got.  They also have the rubber liner.  At first, I wasn't sure how much I'd wear the red slacks, because of the fact that they're red.  But, it's a muted red which fits well with some polos I have, so I like the differential it provides to my wardrobe.  I could always use more slacks since I wear them practically every day, so it was very beneficial to get two great quality pairs.

I go through hats very fast.  I'm not sure if it was the fact of playing 36 holes of golf a day or the material, but I already had a good sweat stain line on the hat after the 2nd day at the NC.  I also prefer hats that have a more sturdy composition and these hats are of the flimsier style.  Nothing wrong with it, just not my style.  I like the material and I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary while wearing them.  The hats were adjustable, so one hat fits nearly all. 

[cipher 432]

Ratings (out of 5):
Polos

Quality: 5
Value: 3.5
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Pants and Shorts

Quality: 5
Value: 3.5
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Hat

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 3

https://www.ping.com/apparel/default.aspx?gender=male

---

My Review:

I really enjoyed receiving our uniforms from Ping for the Newport Cup. It added a lot of enjoyment to the experience to have team uniforms that were of such nice quality.    

The polo shirts we received were very nice. I like the look of the Newman shirt the most. I did not really notice or was bother by the seam as others may have been. I think the two tone look is very nice on these shirts. I also like the look of smaller size of the collar on all these shirts. The feel of the fabric is nice and the shirts breathe nicely as well. These are one of the best fitting golf shirts I have used as well. It just has a much more modern fit that is not too loose as some of the golf shirts I have used in the past. I like all of these shirts and will continue to wear them for many rounds of golf.  

The pants that we received worked great as part of this complete set. They had a similar nice modern slim fit like the shirts. The look of these pants is great. I purchased some Adidas golf pants this year before heading to the Newport Cup and I won't be wearing them much as the Ping pants have a much better fit and feel. The the soft rubber grip on the inside of the waist as you can see above is nice for holding your shirt tucked in. I had no problems with my shirts coming un-tucked.

The shorts(shown above) fit great as well and have a great look. Basically they are the same as the pants just in a short.

I like the look and feel of the hat overall. I prefer a bit more support instead of the loose look in the brow of the hat, but overall I think it is a great product. The material and the Ping logo patch are a great look. I am not completely sold on the adjustable leather strap in back but it does seem to work with the patch.  

I enjoyed testing and wearing this new line of clothing from Ping. I will definitely continue to wear all of the products we received from them. My one gripe with major brand name golf clothing and products in general is I feel as if they are so overpriced. These items are quite expensive. I purchased a similar looking, feeling and fitting golf shirt from Target for around half the price. Maybe the quality will not last though, I am not sure. Either way,it is not the biggest deal though since it is not like you have to buy a large collection of clothing each year. A shirt or two per year is probably all I would desire to purchase on average anyway.  I have no worries about the quality of the Ping clothing line as they always have a commitment to making great golf products.    

 

Edited November 30, 2017 by cipher

[bkuehn1952 598]

Ratings (out of 5):

Hat

Quality: 5

Value: N/A

Comfort: 5

Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Shirts

Quality: 5

Value: N/A

Comfort: 5

Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Pants and Shorts

Quality: 5

Value: N/A

Comfort: 5

Aesthetic Appeal: 5

On the tags Ping says “Engineered to play.”  While it is a snappy slogan, it also is spot on as to the comfort and fit of all the clothing provided.

Hat: The Ping Fairway Cap we received is an adjustable hat with a leather strap on the back. The headgear was comfortable and easily adjusted to my smaller head size.  It is lightweight and breathable. The logo has an understated look to it which I appreciate; I don’t mind being a billboard, just not a really large billboard.

Shirts: We received three (3) shirts from Ping: Newman, Lincoln and Karsten.  All three fit me well.  I tend to take a “Small” from some manufacturers but the Ping’s were “Medium.” I think Ping sizes run a bit smaller, which worked out great.  The dark colors are perfect for me.  I use a fair amount of sun screen and lighter colors tend to stain in the collar area.  Dark colors tend to not show the stain.  All the shirts had excellent fit & finish one expects from a high quality company.

Pants/Shorts: As part of our gifts/uniform we received the Ping golf slacks.  The slacks were Lennox and the shorts Blakely.

The slacks fit well except for the length.  I have very short legs and it is difficult to obtain short inseams (28-29 inches).  As an interim measure, I just folded the ends upward into the pant legs, which worked well.  My wonderful seamstress wife has since permanently hemmed them.

The look and feel of the slacks is great.  The waist was perfectly sized.  I think Ping was going a bit for the “skinny look” but for me the legs/thighs were not tight or restrictive.  While not a fan of “skinny” styles, these slacks do not overdue the “skinny” part.  

The shorts were perfectly sized. I was a bit concerned that the length might make me look like an “NBA wanna be” with the shorts down to mid-calf.  My concern was groundless as the shorts fit me well and stopped right around the knee cap.  They were light and comfortable; as fine a pair of shorts as I have ever owned, and I have owned a few.

All in all, Ping did a wonderful job of outfitting both teams.  We all looked very sharp.

 

[NCGolfer 161]

Ratings (out of 5):
Shirts

Quality: 5
Value: n/a
Comfort: 4.5
Aesthetic Appeal: 4.5

Pants and Shorts

Quality: 5
Value: n/a
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Hat

Quality: 5
Value: n/a
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 3.5

Some of the most interesting things to check out during the Newport Cup are the different shirts, pants and gear that is provided.  Honestly, I was only expecting a couple shirts and possibly a hat for the outing.  Much to my surprise and pleasure we were outfitted with some great shirts, a couple pair of pants, shorts and a hat.  

Hat

I'm more of a visor guy, to @iacas's dismay.  That being said I do own a few pairs of hats and wear them from time to time.  The hat we received from ping was a nice, dark but semi-washed out blue.  The fit and feel of the hat was a lot better than i was expecting.  It was very, very light and snug.  During the warmer afternoons I didn't feel like my head was getting too hot either even though it was a darker color and that it was not made of (what appeared) breathable materials.  If I had one complaint about the hat is that I really didn't care for the logo/emblem at the top.  I would have much rather had the traditional PING logo at the top in white

Shirts

We received three different polos for the Newport Cup.  The Newman was a two-tone shirt that's style is trendy nowadays with players on tour and on the public courses.  I didn't own any shirt like this previously since I prefer solid or striped polos. That being said, I really liked this one and it looked very sharp.  The other two shirts were solid...one with a pocket and the other without.

As for fit, I really didn't notice the seam that the others are talking about on the Newman polo.  Perhaps I'm built slightly different but, for whatever reason, it fit just fine.  Overall, I really liked the fit of these shirts and would not hesitate to buy another ping shirt like these.  They were comfortable, cool and kept me dry even on the warmest days.  Two thumbs up from me for these shirts!

Pants/Shorts

Probably my favorite of all the clothing we received were the pants and shorts.  Especially the pants.  I like to wear pants even on warmer days when I play...unless it is ungodly hot.  Also, I will hit balls during work hours so I like to wear breathable, light golf pants to work that I don't have to worry about sweating as much.  These pants are just the ticket.  They are extremely light and, again, didn't feel hot or warm even during the warmest of the days and after playing a LOT of holes.

As for fit, the 34W fit me perfect like most other pants of that size.  The 34L was a bit long but I'm probably going to ask a family relative to hem them up a half inch or so like @bkuehn1952 had done.  Even so, I'm still wearing these on a regular basis and absolutely love them.  The shorts are great as well.  Sometimes the length of shorts can bother me if they are a bit too long but these are just right and, again, the 34W fit me just right.

Overall, I'm a big fan and Ping did a great job setting us up with the gear.  Not only did it fit great but the teams looked great too.  Especially the Blue team!

[mchepp 296]

I start off this post by admitting that prior to the Newport Cup I hadn't heard much about Ping apparel. I am of course very aware of the Ping brand related to clubs but not so familiar with with the clothing line offering. So when the outfits were presented at the Newport Cup I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw Ping on the bag. 

Last Newport Cup Ping was gracious enough to give everyone a bag for the event, so it was wonderful again to see Ping participate as a sponsor this year with the outfits. Upon opening the bag you could immediately feel the high quality that the shirts, pants, and shorts were made out of. The 3 shirts all were made from different materials making them each look unique. There was even a very fancy two tone version which we wore the first day. Each shirt was breathable and can be worn on and off the course. The stitching is all very high quality and I expect the all to last a very long time.

While the shirt were great my real fascination with Ping apparel is in the very innovative pants and shorts. For starters I love the material. It feels to touch very high tech. Stretchy, but firm, comfortable, and very surprisingly cool. Some of the afternoons we were out there it got kinda hot but the pants stayed very cool and I don't remember a time I felt uncomfortable in them. They also have some very high tech features they added. 

The first I have seen before which is the sort of sticky rubber material they put in the waist. This is done to grab onto the shirt so that it can prevent you from giving everyone in your group a shot of your stomach. As I have said, I have seen this before, but it is not an everyday thing with pants. I really only see it on very high end brands because it probably adds costs but it is something that really helps when you need it.

Another feature that I have seen before but I like just as much is the mesh pockets. Why would I like mesh pockets you ask? Because it lets the sand from the greens, and occasionally a bunker or two out of the pocket without having to pull it out in reverse. Again simple thing, but I really like this because causes me not to worry about getting sand in my pockets. I like this. 

Now the key features I haven't seen before. The first is a novel one which reuses the sticky material that was used in the waste area and puts it in your rear right pocket. Why is this important you ask? Because it holds your glove back there. Again, a genius idea where it helps to prevent your glove from falling out, which by the way with other pants, seems to happen all the time to me. This is really a great feature to add and was added to both the pants and the shorts. Some Ping fashion person has the same glove fall out problem that I do. Here the best picture I could get of it.

The last one is a pocket feature. This one has probably been done before, but I haven't seen it. It is a fifth pocket that is just to the left of the original normal pocket. It is large enough to fit the handy ball repair tool which I had in there, or could do pencils (the golf kind), tees, beer money, whatever you wanted to. I tried my iPhone but it was a little too big. It might have fit a regular one because I have the + but can't be sure. Either way I liked it. 

All in all, Ping really impressed me. Mostly it is the attention to detail for the clothes. If they are thinking this much about how to make a golfer more comfortable and things like not losing their gloves then the standard stuff should be easy. They have made me a fan.

[Pretzel 544]

Ratings (out of 5):
Polos

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Pants and Shorts

Quality: 4
Value: 5
Comfort: 5
Aesthetic Appeal: 5

Hat

Quality: 5
Value: 4
Comfort: 3
Aesthetic Appeal: 3

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My Review:

Starting out with the polos, I feel the need to preface my review by saying that my previous favorite golf shirts have all been PING branded. These shirts I've had and worn with frequency (both for work and for golf, probably an average of just under once a week for each of the three PING shirts I previously had) for the past five years and only this last summer, after hundreds of wearings and washings, did I start to stop wearing them due to wear or fading (one was white, one was red, one was black). I really liked the designs of each of those shirts, as well as the feel of the material, and I was a bit sad when the black faded and the white stained enough to warrant their retirement from my wardrobe. 

The polos we received for the Newport Cup have the same feeling fabric as my older polos, and I would confirm that they were identical if the tags on my old ones with any identifying information hadn't worn off long ago. That said, from wearing and feeling them they appear to be the same so I have good expectations for how long they will last. The three polos were all different styles, and if I had to guess which ones they were I'd assume they are the Newman and the Karsten II, with the third shirt being a style not listed on their website in the Men's Apparel polos section. The Newman and the Karsten II polos are made of the same silky fabric as my older shirts, while the unidentified shirt is more of a traditional feeling breathable material. I do prefer the Newman and Karsten II as a result, simply because they are much softer and smoother. 

As far as complaints go, there was only one thing that I think several of us at the Newport Cup noticed. the Newman polo does have a bit of a seam across the chest where the two fabrics of slightly different textures meet. There were a couple people who weren't fans of how that felt, but I personally was unable to feel it while wearing the shirt so it didn't bother me. The value aspect loses a small piece for the PING shirts, simply because they are towards the expensive side in general, but to me I feel the quality is well worth it due to the durability and comfort of the shirts.

 

With the pants, I was initially very surprised by the little rubber inserts mentioned in several other reviews. It honestly felt kind of strange at first to have it in your glove pocket, but after getting used to it I appreciated the little touch that actually did hold the glove more securely in your pocket. The rubber that lines your waist also meant that I could've worn either of the pairs of slacks and the shorts without a belt and not have them move on my waist all day, though I still do prefer to wear a belt. 

The one thing that concerned me a bit with the pants was the durability. This is certainly my fault, as I'm the one who hit the ball off into the weeds in the first place, but when I went on an expedition to find my golf ball I found that my pants snagged quite easily on most small little sticks or twigs rather than just allowing different things to slide off them. This is likely a function of the very soft and comfortable material used in the pants, but it does give me a bit of concern as to their durability since my pair of pants does have several snags in the fabric that I don't dare cut out in case it starts to unravel at all. 

To clarify, I wasn't stomping around looking for things to catch my legs on, this was just my usual search a little ways off the beaten path. What specifically got me was a light brush against a bush when I was leaning down to identify the ball and my leg swung out slightly behind me, catching my pantleg on the bush. I'll have to see how the damaged fabric handled repeated wear and washing in the future. 

 

For the hat, I don't have too much to say since I'm personally not a fan of unshaped hats. To me the aesthetic appeal isn't there as a result of that, but I do like that both the logo and the back strap of the hat are made of leather. It gives the hat a quality construction feel moreso than other unshaped hats that I've worn. If this style of hat is your thing, I would highly recommend you take a look at the PING offering.