Fall golf starts cold and ends warm. The first tee is 48 degrees, the turn is 70, and whatever you put on at 8am has to make sense at noon. That is why the pullover is the most useful thing in a golf closet from October to December: it goes over a polo, comes off in one move, and a short zip lets you vent it without stopping to take it off.
It is also the one layer that has stayed honest to golf. A full-zip jacket flaps, a hoodie fights your backswing, and a puffer belongs in the cart. A good pullover sits flat across the shoulders, stays put at the waist and looks right walking into the clubhouse afterward. None of the 25 picks here has a hood, on purpose.
Quarter-zips and half-zips are the everyday layer, and they come in every weight. A thin cotton knit, like the Students Giovant or Fella’s Boris, is a sweater you can swing in. Fleece, like Bunker Mentality’s organic cotton Augusta or Sugarloaf’s micro-grid, is for the cold first hour. Merino and cashmere, in Macade’s Bridge, is the warmest for its weight and the one that looks best at dinner. Cord and terry, from Birds of Condor and Eastside, are the casual end.
Wind pullovers are the ’90s tour look that independent brands have brought back: light woven shells, usually nylon, with rib-knit or elastic hems that keep the wind out. They pack into a bag pocket and come out when the breeze picks up on the back nine. Read the Green’s ’97 Pullover and Parmore’s Capsule Windbreaker are the cleanest versions; Siegelman Stable’s Maxfli collab is the most technical.
V-necks are the original golf sweater, and still the neatest thing you can wear over a collared shirt. Ashworth, the brand that defined golf clothes in the ’90s, makes both of ours: a fully fashioned wool one and a modern stretch shell that shrugs off light rain.
Room through the shoulders and upper back, so the pullover moves with your turn instead of pulling. A hem that sits at or just below the belt, so it doesn’t ride up at the top of the swing. A zip long enough to vent properly, and cuffs that stay pushed up. And a weight that matches your mornings: knit or windshirt for a mild fall, fleece or merino when the frost delays start.
Over a polo with the collar out, with pleated trousers or cords. Keep the pullover the boldest thing you’re wearing, or the quietest, but not somewhere in between. A plain knit lets a loud polo work; Devereux’s checker or Walker’s check wants a plain shirt and trousers underneath.
Some of the best golf pullovers were made 25 years ago, and they turn up on eBay and Etsy for less than a new one. Tournament pieces are the ones to look for: a 2002 U.S. Open quarter-zip from Bethpage, a 1997 Ryder Cup windshirt from Valderrama, an Augusta National V-neck. Vintage sizing runs big, so check the measurements before you buy, and move quickly, because each one is a one-off.
Every new piece was in stock on the brand’s own store when we checked on October 27, 2026, one per brand except Ashworth, which gets two for the V-necks. The vintage listings were live and buyable the same day.
The LookbookQuarter-zips at golden hour, by the clubhouse and in the woods.
Twelve picks · $78–$195The workhorse of fall golf. Knits, fleece, cord and terry, all with a short zip so you can open it up on the back nine when the sun comes out.
The LookbookWindshirts on the green, mid-round and mid-celebration.
Six picks · $100–$298The ’90s tour layer is back. Light, packable shells for wind and drizzle, most with a rib-knit or elastic hem.
The LookbookPlaid, tipped trim and a full swing.
Two picks from AshworthThe original golf sweater, from the brand that defined the ’90s version of it.
More From the LookbookParkland, pubs, desert courses and fairways.
Five finds · $35–$240One-off pieces live on eBay and Etsy when we checked on October 27. They will not last, so check the listing before you fall for one.
A quarter-zip in a knit or light fleece is the most versatile: it layers over a polo, vents with the zip and comes off easily. Our pick is the Macade Bridge Merino Quarter Zip, a merino and cashmere blend, at $195 when we checked.
A quarter-zip is usually a knit or fleece mid-layer for warmth. A windshirt, or wind pullover, is a light woven shell, often nylon, that blocks wind and light rain and packs small.
Plenty of courses allow it, but a hood gets in the way of a full swing and many clubs' dress codes rule it out. None of the pullovers in this post has a hood.
eBay, Etsy, Grailed and Depop all carry them. Search for tournament or club names, like the U.S. Open or Augusta National, or for older brand names such as Ashworth, Nike Golf and Polo Golf, and check measurements before you buy.
The new pullovers in this post ran from $78 to $298 on October 27, 2026, with most between $110 and $170. Vintage pieces started at $35.
