Honest Holderness & Bourne Golf Clothing Review 2026 | Three Putt Golf

Updated on: July 23, 2026 • ~11 min read

Author: Graeme

We test golf apparel the way we play. Hard, social, and honest.

Holderness & Bourne is tailored American golfwear at its most serious: engineered collars, proprietary fabrics, and pro-shop credibility money can't fake.

How We Review Golf Clothing Brands

Every review on the Three Putt journal is written by Graeme Whiles, the founder of Three Putt Golf Clothing. As a competing brand, we have an obvious conflict of interest. We take this seriously and address it directly in our review methodology, which explains how we assess brands consistently regardless of whether they compete with us.

Verdict: 8.5/10

Holderness & Bourne was started in 2015 by two Yale MBA classmates who couldn't find a golf polo that fitted properly, and it has since become the tailored benchmark of American golf. We liked the obsessive details (the famous structured collar, Swing Knit™ and AIRATION® fabrics, a tailored fit that actually is one) and service terms (60-day returns, return shipping always covered) that match the price tag.

What tripped us up: this is the most expensive brand in our comparison set, with polos at $115–$150 and trousers at $185 before UK import charges, and the tailored cut genuinely runs trim, which catches out anyone sizing on hope.

This brand is best for golfers who want the sharpest-fitting, best-collared polo in the pro shop and are willing to pay what that costs.

Key Features

• Signature tech/fabric: Proprietary Swing Knit™ and AIRATION® performance fabrics with an engineered, structured collar
• Design language: Classic tailored golf: refined patterns, club-ready polish, zero streetwear
• Fit profile: Genuinely tailored with a defined taper; runs trim, so size up if between
• Range depth: Polos (performance, cotton, patterned, long-sleeve), pullovers, sweaters and cashmere, pants, shorts, outerwear, boys', and accessories

Pros

• The best collar in golf: structured, sharp, and famous for staying that way
• Stocked in more than 90% of America's top-100 golf shops, an extraordinary green-grass endorsement
• Return and exchange shipping is always free, with a 60-day window
• Tailored fit is consistent across the range, so once you know your size, everything fits

Cons

• Premium-plus pricing ($115–$185 core range) that lands painfully in the UK after duties
• Trim tailored cuts don't suit every build, and there's no big & tall programme
• Embroidered and personalised items are non-returnable
• Conservative aesthetic, with nothing here for golfers who want personality pieces

Holderness & Bourne Pricing

H&B sits at the top of the American premium bracket, above Johnnie-O and Criquet and shoulder-to-shoulder with Peter Millar. Nothing about it is cheap, and nothing about it feels it either; this is deliberate pro-shop pricing for a pro-shop product.

Sterling figures below are converted from verified July 2026 US prices (polos $115–$150, pullovers $145–$185, pants $185) and exclude shipping and import charges.

Comparison:

• Holderness & Bourne vs Three Putt: Opposite ends of modern golf. Three Putt is UK streetwear identity at £31.99–£78.99; H&B is tailored American formality at £100-plus a polo landed. Clubhouse tie vs clubhouse playlist.
• Holderness & Bourne vs Criquet: Criquet's $104 organic-cotton Players Shirt is vintage and social; H&B's $115–$150 performance polos are tailored and competitive. The 19th hole vs the 1st tee.
• Holderness & Bourne vs Johnnie-O: Johnnie-O is the relaxed, do-everything wardrobe with bigger sizing and lower entry prices; H&B is sharper, more technical, and more golf-pure. Weekend vs member-guest.
• Holderness & Bourne vs Birddogs: One brand names polos after dad jokes at $99; the other engineers collars at $135. Both excellent at what they do; what they do just never overlaps.

Promos/Outlet Notes:

Discounting is rare and quiet, with occasional private promotions rather than sitewide sales. Free standard shipping starts at $150, group and corporate orders run on a two-week turnaround, and gift-guide pages segment by budget rather than markdowns.

Verdict: 7.5/10

You get what you pay for, and you pay properly for it. From the UK, this is special-occasion money for everyday golfwear.

Holderness & Bourne Fit & Sizing (Usability)

Fit is the founding reason this company exists, and it shows. Everything is cut tailored, trim through the body with a clean taper, and held consistent across fabrics and seasons, which is rarer than it should be in golfwear.

Notes:

• Polos: Tailored and trim with a defined taper; Reddit's verdict (“runs a little tight… nice taper but not skin tight”) is accurate. Size up if between
• Pullovers: Quarter-zips and quarter-snaps layer close to the body without restriction; knits and cashmere run true
• Trousers/Shorts: The McDaniel five-pocket and Anson chino ($185) wear like smart trousers with performance stretch
• Outerwear: Vests and jackets cut to layer over a tailored polo, not a hoodie
• Heat/Humidity: AIRATION® and lighter performance knits handle summer well; cotton polos run warmer
• Size Charts: Detailed fit guide plus fabric and collar guides: the brand documents its tailoring unusually well

Accessibility/Range:

• Men's core plus a boys' range (“Dads & Lads” matching sets); no women's line or big & tall programme
• Trim tailoring narrows the audience at larger sizes

Verdict: 8.4/10

The most consistent tailored fit in golfwear, provided the tailored silhouette is what your build wants.

Holderness & Bourne Core Product Categories

Polos

The category benchmark. Performance, cotton, patterned, and long-sleeve polos ($115–$150) all built around that engineered collar, the one the brand literally publishes a guide about. Product ratings hover around 4.5–4.6 stars, and pro shops treat them as the house standard.

Verdict: 8.9/10

Pullovers (quarter-zips/quarter-snaps)

Quarter-zips, quarter-snaps, crewnecks, and sweaters ($145–$185) up to genuine cashmere. The quarter-snap has become an H&B signature: tailored warmth that looks intentional in the clubhouse rather than athletic.

Verdict: 8.7/10

Trousers/Shorts

Performance five-pockets and chinos ($185) with stretch, polish, and 4.5-star owner ratings. Expensive for bottoms, but they finish the tailored look properly; this is one of the few US golf brands whose trousers match the shirts.

Verdict: 8.3/10

Outerwear

Vests and jackets extend the layering system with the same restraint. Well-made and wind-worthy, though the range is compact and priced like everything else here, confidently.

Verdict: 8.1/10

Caps & Accessories

Hats, belts, bags, and the H&B x Tremont headcover line have quietly become status pieces at nicer clubs. The accessories are where the brand lets a little personality out.

Verdict: 8.2/10

Holderness & Bourne Materials & Tech (Construction, Sustainability)

H&B invests where golfers actually feel it: proprietary knits, engineered collars, and construction consistency. Sustainability, by contrast, barely gets a mention; the pitch is longevity through quality rather than certification.

Backend (manufacturing & standards):

• Founded and designed in New York's Garment District; manufacturing partners not publicly detailed
• No published sustainability certifications or recycled-fabric programmes
• Green-grass-first distribution (90%+ of top-100 US golf shops) implies serious wholesale quality control
• Collabs and collections with the U.S. Open, Yale Golf Course, and Tremont

Application (on-garment features):

• Proprietary Swing Knit™ and AIRATION® performance fabrics with stretch and breathability
• The engineered collar: structured, stand-up construction that survives washing and untucked wear
• Performance stretch wovens on bottoms; premium natural fibres (merino, cashmere) in knitwear
• Published fabric, care, and pairing guides: unusual documentation depth for apparel

Verdict: 8.6/10

Best-in-class construction and fabric engineering for the money's upper end. A sustainability story is the only thing missing.

Holderness & Bourne Customer Support

Premium price, premium safety net. H&B's service terms are the strongest of any brand in this comparison set, and they're consistent with how the brand does everything else: quietly, properly.

Channels & Hours

• Phone (914-305-1990), email (support@holdernessandbourne.com), and live chat
• Group-order specialists for clubs, events, and corporate programmes

Policies

• 60-day returns and exchanges on unembroidered items from delivery date
• Return and exchange shipping always free on domestic orders: no fees, no games
• Canadian orders refund-only without prepaid labels; other international returns are on the buyer
• Embroidered and personalised items non-returnable except for defects; refunds issued in 3–5 business days

Self-Serve

• Comprehensive FAQ, fit/fabric/care guides, order tracking, and e-gift cards
• Free standard shipping on orders over $150

Verdict: 8.6/10

Sixty days, always-free return shipping, and humans on the phone. The service justifies more of the price than you'd expect.

What Are Holderness & Bourne's Review Ratings from Review Sites?

(As of July 2026)

• On-site reviews: Core products average 4.5–4.6 stars (the McDaniel pant holds 4.5 across 60 reviews; the Anson chino 4.6).
• Reddit (r/golf): Consistently glowing with one caveat: “Great stuff but tends to run a little tight… collars stay sharp, I think their quality is the best.” H&B-vs-Peter-Millar threads treat it as a coin-flip at the top of the market.
• Industry signal: PGA of America coverage and presence in 90%+ of top-100 US golf shops, the strongest trade endorsement in this review series.
• Trustpilot / Google Reviews: Minimal footprint; feedback concentrates on-site and in golf communities.

Synthesis:

As close to universally respected as golfwear gets. The only recurring criticisms are the trim fit and the price, both of which are arguably the product working as designed.

Is Holderness & Bourne a Good Golf Brand?

Yes, Holderness & Bourne is the best pure golf apparel brand in this comparison set: the sharpest tailoring, the strongest collar, and trade credibility no marketing budget could buy. The trade-offs are top-of-market pricing that UK import charges make eye-watering, and a trim, conservative cut that isn't for everyone. If your golf wardrobe leans more music-on-the-tee than member-guest, Three Putt dresses the other half of your golfing life for a quarter of the landed price.

About the Author

Graeme is a golf enthusiast and writer who believes the best golfwear should work as hard off the course as it does on it. Drawing on years of testing brands across every level, from high street to heritage, he writes honest, wearable reviews that cut through the marketing noise. When he's not reviewing the latest drops, you'll find him on the fairways of West Yorkshire, usually three-putting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Holderness & Bourne

Who founded Holderness & Bourne?

Alex Holderness and John Bourne, whose names the brand carries, founded the company in 2015 after meeting as MBA students at Yale, where the idea was born on the university's golf course. Both left finance careers to build it from New York's Garment District.

Where is Holderness & Bourne based?

New York City, with design rooted in the Garment District and distribution through its website and the green-grass channel; the brand appears in more than 90% of America's top-100 golf shops.

Why are Holderness & Bourne collars famous?

The structured collar is engineered to stand crisp and hold its shape through wear and washing, the founders' original fix for the floppy golf-polo collars they hated. The brand even publishes a dedicated collar guide.

How does Holderness & Bourne sizing run?

Tailored and trim, with a deliberate taper. Owners consistently advise sizing up if you're between sizes or prefer a relaxed fit. Once you've established your size, it holds consistent across the range.

What is Holderness & Bourne's returns policy?

Returns and exchanges within 60 days of delivery on unembroidered items, with return shipping always free on US orders. Embroidered or personalised pieces are final sale except for defects, and refunds process in 3–5 business days.

Do tour pros wear Holderness & Bourne?

Yes. The brand runs an “On Tour” roster and its gear appears regularly at professional and top amateur events, alongside collaborations like the U.S. Open collection.

Is Holderness & Bourne worth the money?

If you want tailored golf clothing that fits precisely and lasts, it's the strongest case for premium pricing in golfwear: the quality, consistency, and service genuinely deliver. From the UK, factor in shipping and duties that push polos past £100 landed, and buy in multiples to amortise the carriage.