STYLE: Play Well, While Staying Warm & Dry, With Galway Bay All-Weather Apparel

Here me out: Nobody enjoys being outside on those miserable, windy cold days of winter. I’m talking about those 15° days, without factoring in the wind chill, days that cut right through you. But since you still have to get to work, or wherever you’re going, you’re glad you have that heavy-duty parka that keeps your warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Premium, all-weather golf apparel is the same thing.

Terry Prillaman founded Galway Bay Performance Outerwear in 2009 after being frustrated with how bulky, uncomfortable, expensive and disappointing the mainstream golf outerwear options were. In order to stay warm and dry, Terry often found himself wearing a thermal layer, golf pants and, on top of that, rain pants. As you might imagine, he started to look like Randy from A Christmas Story, which (to no one’s surprise) was miserable and took all of the joy out of playing golf.

So, after working with fashion, technical and manufacturing experts, Galway Bay solved the problem by developing Hydro-Flex 32: a three-layer fabric with double durable water repellent coating including Teflon that’s designed to not only keep water from getting in, but also allows sweat to get out.

And in the event you’re asking what makes Hydro-Flex 32 so different from, say, GORE-TEX, is that last feature: breathability. You see, while GORE-TEX was the pioneer for waterproof material, the fact is that it doesn’t vent and, instead, traps sweat. As you might imagine, GORE-TEX apparel can get uncomfortable and smelly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Galway Bay’s collection consists of its All-Weather Jacket, All-Weather Lined and Unlined Pants, All-Weather Pullover, Vest and Thermal Water Resistant Sleeves. My experience focused on what I consider Galway Bay’s must-have products: the All-Weather Jacket and Lined Pants.

Starting from the top, the All-Weather Jacket is very lightweight. To help complement the wind and waterproof features thanks to Galway Bay’s Hydro-Flex 32 fabric, the All-Weather Jacket is equipped with a high collar (which tapers for your chin so you can wear it fully zipped), waterproof zippers and seems and velcro-adjustable wrists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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When sized correctly, the All-Weather Jacket leaves room for a base layer—which will be necessary in colder weather since the jacket is not lined—but also remains snug enough so, when the waist-ties are pulled in, wind doesn’t penetrate your torso. While some of you might be upset that it isn’t lined, it’s actually a plus at the end of the day because it gives the All-Weather Jacket versatility, because you can wear the same jacket no matter if the base temperature is 20° (F) or 65° (which I’ve done both on and off the course).

With respect to Galway Bay’s pants, sizing them is just like buying your favorite pair of jeans because, unlike most brands, Galway Bay’s pants come in actual pants sizes (from 30 waist, un-hemmed to 42 waist, un-hemmed). It’s worth noting though that, because of the Lined Pants’ temperature-regulating fabric, your Lined Pants may need to be a size up from Unlined. And it’s also worth mentioning that the Lined Pants also feature the Hydro-Flex 32 fabric, making them wind and waterproof while still remaining breathable.

The biggest feature I appreciated about the Lined Pants was, indeed, the temperature-regulating fabric. While I would normally be forced to wear a thermal layer underneath my pants (which aren’t wind and waterproof) and, as you might imagine, it can get a bit bulky, heavy and uncomfortable with all extra material. In contrast, the Lined Pants allow you to wear a slightly thicker pair of pants that will keep you warm without restricting your movement or weighing you down.

Setting aside jumping in a lake, the All-Weather Jacket and Lined Pants will keep you 100%, completely dry. Indeed, while the Hydro-Flex 32 fabric keeps the wet out, it lets your body breath. As a result, even if you’re walking, you won’t feel like you’re trapped in a sauna.

Furthermore, because the Galway Bay jacket and pants are both designed to fit like—and I know this sounds crazy—your regular clothes, you’ll be fine suiting up to play when the weather goes to crap.

So whether you happen to be preparing for a memorable golf trip that can’t be deterred by adverse weather, or someone who starts their season early during April showers and continues late into the cold fall, the Galway Bay All-Weather Jacket and Lined Pants are must have items that will keep you dry and warm. And that, alone, can be the difference between enjoying a round of golf on a less than ideal day, and being damp, cold, and pissed off for 4 hours.

As a result, I would strongly suggest anyone interested in Galway Bay to hit up their website RIGHT NOW to make sure that you’ll have your gear ready to go when the weather turns (especially since golf might continue to be one of very few outdoor activities you can socially distance and, therefore, enjoy).

And for anyone doubting how waterproof Galway Bay’s stuff is, here’s a video of me staying completely dry and forgetting how wet my hands and the grip were and…well, just see for yourself what happened:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cover Image via Instagram