Pub Golf Outfit Ideas: What to Wear in 2026 (Men & Women)

Published: June 23, 2026

Updated: June 23, 2026

Read time: 8 min

Author: Graeme

I've played pub golf exactly the way it should be played.

Badly, in a lime-green visor, with a tie I'd cut the bottom off and an inflatable driver that lasted until the third hole.

We looked ridiculous. We also looked like a team, which is the entire point. The outfit is half the night.

A pub golf outfit is fancy dress with a golfing twist: think retro 1980s golfer. A bright polo or argyle tank top, loud checked trousers, long socks, and a visor, ideally coordinated with your group so you look like a proper team rolling from hole to hole.

The louder and more retro, the better. It's the standard look for stag dos, hen parties and student crawls up and down the UK.

Below are seven outfit ideas for men and women, the accessories that finish the look, where to get it all, and a printable scorecard to keep score along the way. Whether you're after a full costume or a quick wardrobe raid, there's a winning look here.

Author bio

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.

Short on Time? Here are the key takeaways

The pub golf look is a retro 80s golfer: bright polo or argyle tank, loud checked trousers, long socks and a visor
Coordinate with your group. Either everyone in matching colours, or each player picks their own bright colour
Accessories make it: a visor, a novelty tie, long socks, a glove and an inflatable club
Men, women, stags and hens all work the same brief, just dialled up or down
Buy a full costume from Amazon or Boohoo, or raid your wardrobe and a charity shop for a cheaper, better DIY version
Dress for a long night: comfy shoes, layers for the weather, and pace yourself between holes

What is Pub Golf?

Pub golf is a pub crawl dressed up as a round of golf. Each pub is a "hole," each drink has a "par" (the number of sips or gulps you're meant to take to finish it), and everyone keeps score on a scorecard, with the lowest score winning. It's a social game built for groups, and pub golf fancy dress is part is tradition. For the full rules and a scorecard to play with, pubgolfscorecard.co.uk is a good starting point.

That's the game. Now the important bit: what to wear.

The Golden Rules of a Great Pub Golf Outfit

Before the specific ideas, four rules that separate a great pub golf outfit from a forgettable one.

Go retro and go loud. The whole aesthetic is the 1980s touring pro, so the brighter and more clashing, the better. Subtle is the enemy. Coordinate with your group, too, because a team that looks like a team always wins the night, whether that's matching colours or a shared theme. Dress for comfort, since you'll be on your feet for hours, so pick things you can walk, sit and dance in. And keep it cheap and cheerful, because this is one night, not a wardrobe investment, so don't overspend.

7 Pub Golf Outfit Ideas

Seven distinct looks, from full costume to last-minute wardrobe raid.

1. The Retro 80s Pro

The timeless default and the easiest to nail. An argyle or diamond-pattern tank top (sleeveless jumper) over a bright collared polo, loud trousers, long socks and a visor. It's instantly recognisable as "golfer" and works for absolutely anyone.

Best for: anyone who wants a guaranteed look with minimum fuss.

2. The Loud Trousers Legend

Let the trousers do the talking. A pair of wild patterned golf trousers, the kind Royal & Awesome built a brand on, paired with a plain polo so the bottoms steal the show. Bonus: unlike a costume, you'll genuinely wear these again. If you want the real deal, my best golf trousers guide covers proper pairs too.

Best for: the show-off, and anyone who'll re-wear the trousers.

3. The Hen-Do Pink Golfer

The classic women's pub golf look, and a hen-party staple. A pink collared top with a multicoloured argyle pattern, a pleated skirt, long socks and a white-and-pink visor. Easy to coordinate across a whole hen group, and endlessly photogenic.

Best for: hen parties and women's groups.

4. The Matching Team Colours

Less costume, more coordination. The whole group goes in one shared colour, or each person takes a different bright colour, with everyone in the same basic kit of polo, visor and socks. Simple, striking, and it photographs brilliantly. This is the one I'd pick for a big group.

Best for: big groups, stags and clubs who want a unified look.

5. The Full Novelty Caddie

Go all in. An inflatable golf club, a golfer's hat with a flag sticking out of it, a number bib like a tour caddie, a towel over the shoulder, the lot. It's daft, it's brilliant, and it commits to the bit completely.

Best for: the joker of the group and stag dos that want maximum daft.

6. The Duo Look

Perfect for couples or a pair of mates: one as the golfer, one as the caddie, or two halves of a matching set. A small bit of coordination that gets a disproportionate amount of attention.

Best for: couples and double acts.

7. The Last-Minute Wardrobe Raid

No budget, no time, no problem. A polo you already own, a pair of chinos or smart shorts, long socks pulled up high, and a cheap visor or flat cap from a charity shop. It costs almost nothing and still reads as "golfer." The same capsule logic from a proper men's golf capsule wardrobe applies: a good plain polo does a hundred jobs, including this one.

Best for: students, last-minute planners and tight budgets.

Accessories That Make the Outfit

The outfit is the base; the accessories are what get the laughs. The non-negotiable is the visor, the single most "pub golf" item there is. After that: a novelty tie (cut short, golf-club print if you can find one), long or checked socks pulled up high, a golf glove, and an inflatable club for photos. A small towel clipped to your waist and a homemade number bib push it over the top. None of it costs much, and together it turns a polo and trousers into a proper costume.

Best Colours for Pub Golf

The best approach is to coordinate as a group: either everyone wears the same bold colour, or each person claims a different bright one so the group looks like a packet of highlighters. Pink is the hen-party favourite, while bright greens, oranges, yellows and reds all photograph well and feel suitably retro. The only rule is to avoid muted, "normal" colours, because washed-out tones defeat the whole point. Loud and clashing always beats tasteful here.

Where to Get Your Outfit (DIY vs Buy)

You've got two routes. Buy a full costume from Amazon, Boohoo, eBay or a fancy-dress shop, which is quick and easy, with complete men's and women's sets often under £25. Or build it yourself, which is cheaper and usually looks better: raid your own wardrobe for the polo and trousers, then hit a charity shop for the loud knitwear and a visor. Charity shops are a goldmine for genuinely retro golf gear.

A quick honest note: most pub golf costumes are one-night-only and head straight to landfill. If you'd rather buy something you'll actually wear again, a decent polo and a cap do the job on the crawl and then live on in your normal wardrobe afterwards. It's the difference between fancy dress and clothes. Three Putt is building exactly that kind of wear-it-anywhere kit, but for the loud stuff, a charity shop is your friend.

Outfit Checklist

Look	Vibe	Rough cost	You'll need
Retro 80s Pro	Classic	£15–30	Argyle tank, polo, visor, socks
Loud Trousers Legend	Show-off	£30–50	Patterned trousers, plain polo
Hen-Do Pink Golfer	Hen party	£20–35	Pink argyle top, pleated skirt, visor
Matching Team Colours	Group	£15–25pp	Same polo + visor in your colour
Full Novelty Caddie	Maximum daft	£20–30	Inflatable club, flag hat, bib
Duo Look	Couples	£25–40	Golfer + caddie combo
Wardrobe Raid	Budget DIY	£0–10	Own polo + chinos + charity visor

Printable Pub Golf Scorecard

Half the fun is keeping score. A standard pub golf round is nine "holes" (pubs), each with a par based on the drink, and the lowest total wins.

Here's a simple template to copy or print:

Hole	Drink	Par
1	Pint of lager	4
2	Cider	4
3	Glass of wine	3
4	Spirit & mixer	2
5	Ale	5
6	Alcopop	3
7	Cocktail	4
8	Shot	1
9	Drink of choice	3

Print one per player, clip it to your outfit, and you've got the scorecard and a prop in one.

Tips for the Night

A few things that make the night go smoothly. Wear comfortable shoes, because you're walking between pubs all night and the visor won't save your feet. Check the weather and layer accordingly, since a thin novelty costume in October is a mistake you make once. And most importantly, pace yourself: drink water between holes, eat before you start, and know your limits. The aim is to remember the night, not just survive it. A great outfit is wasted if you're out by the fourth hole.

Final Thoughts

A pub golf outfit doesn't need to be expensive or complicated. It needs to be loud, retro, and coordinated with your mates. If I had to pick one, the Matching Team Colours look wins every time, because a group that turns up as a unit always steals the night, the photos and the bragging rights.

Commit to the visor, raid a charity shop, grab a scorecard, and you're set. The best pub golf outfits aren't the priciest, they're the ones whose owners fully committed to looking gloriously silly.

Three Putt Golf launches later in 2026, with polos, tees and caps built for the course and everywhere else, the kind of kit that works on a crawl and the rest of the year too. Sign up for early access.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pub Golf Outfits

What do you wear to pub golf?

Wear a retro 80s golfer outfit: a bright polo or argyle tank top, loud checked trousers, long socks and a visor. Add accessories like a novelty tie, a golf glove and an inflatable club to finish the look. Coordinate with your group, either in matching colours or one bright colour each, and dress comfortably for a long night on your feet.

What are the best colours for pub golf?

Bright, clashing, retro colours work best. Pink is a hen-party favourite, while bold greens, oranges, yellows and reds all photograph well and suit the 80s golfer theme. The smartest approach is to coordinate as a group, either everyone in one colour or each person in a different bright shade. Avoid muted, normal colours, which defeat the point.

What do women wear to pub golf?

The classic women's pub golf outfit is a pink or brightly coloured collared top with an argyle pattern, a pleated skirt, long socks and a visor. It's easy to coordinate across a hen party and looks great in photos. Women can equally go for loud trousers and a polo, the same retro golfer brief as the men, just dialled up.

Do you have to wear fancy dress for pub golf?

It's not compulsory, but it's tradition and most groups do it. At the very least, a visor and a polo signal you're playing along. You don't need a full costume, though: a wardrobe raid of a polo, chinos and a charity-shop visor does the job cheaply. The more your group commits, the better the night tends to be.

What shoes should you wear for pub golf?

Comfortable ones. You'll be walking between pubs all evening, so trainers or comfortable flat shoes beat anything stylish but painful. Some people wear actual golf shoes (spikeless) for authenticity, but ordinary comfy trainers are the sensible choice. Whatever you pick, broken-in and comfortable matters far more than how they look with the outfit.

Where can I buy a pub golf outfit?

Full costumes are available cheaply on Amazon, Boohoo, eBay and fancy-dress shops, often as complete men's or women's sets under £25. For a cheaper and often better-looking option, build your own from a polo and trousers you already own, plus retro knitwear and a visor from a charity shop. Order early if you're buying online for a specific date.