Financial Times FT.com

Back in the swing

By Josh Sims

Published: July 21 2007 03:00 | Last updated: July 21 2007 03:00

When amateur golfer Paul Williams tired of what he calls golfing apparel's "20-year slump of blues and beiges", he decided to visit a tailor and have something more interesting made: specifically, shirts with neon panels and trousers in purple, red, orange and tartan. It was a personal thing; he hadn't intended to turn it into a crusade. And yet, last year, inspired by the number of people who asked after his course attire, he launched Williams Golfwear.

He soon discovered that not everyone liked his aesthetic quite as much as he and his customers did. That mock turtleneck top? Not allowed in certain clubs because it didn't have a collar. Shorts? Ruled out by most, regardless of the climate. PGA Tour regulations, after all, stipulate that clothing should be "conservative". And yet, says Williams, "there are a number of professional players now who want to look different - they're bold and brash, like their game. And the money in the game derives from TV coverage and that needs showmanship."

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