What to Consider When Buying a Straw Golf Hat

Mike Regan January 01 2022

For the golfer who spends many hours in the sun, a straw hat offers the best possible protection against UV radiation in the sun. The golf straw hat is a high-quality accessory that should be selected just like all other headgear and items of clothing.

If you take some time when buying a straw hat for your golf sessions, you will definitely find a model that goes with your wardrobe and underlines your own style. This is especially important if you want to wear the golf straw hat in everyday life. Simple straw hats are often reminiscent of beach parties and beaches.

The Best Straw Golf Hats Picks To Protect You From The Sun

When choosing a golf straw hat, the following criteria should be observed:

Quality

The quality of a golf straw hat depends on the material and the processing. The high-quality Panama hats, which are made of toquilla straw, are particularly durable. Here the quality and also the price is determined according to the width of the straws used. The narrower the straw, the better the quality. 

As far as longevity is concerned, straw hats made of material twisted into cords or plaits are also included in the front. Other types of straw can become brittle relatively quickly if the hat is not handled carefully. If in doubt, it is worth asking the seller.

Color

A bright pink sombrero may be suitable for the beach but not a golf course. If you buy a golf straw hat that you want to wear in everyday life, you would prefer a more subtle model that underlines your own style and goes with the rest of your wardrobe. If you choose correctly, you can even wear the straw hat with a suit. Here, however, a good knack for style and fashion is required.

Brim width

When buying a golf straw hat, think about the occasion when you want to wear the headgear. If the straw hat is supposed to reliably protect the head from the sun on the golf course, choose the broadest possible brim.

If the purchased straw hat is also to be worn with a suit or other more formal clothing, a narrow brim is usually better than a wider one. Otherwise, the brim width is a matter of taste and can be freely selected. However, it should always be remembered that a straw hat with a wide brim provides better protection than one with a narrow brim.

Material

Toquilla straw is the raw material for Panama-style golf straw hats. It is obtained from the toquilla plant in South America. The stems of the plant are briefly boiled and hung up to dry. To give the straw its typical light color, it is dried over a fire with sulfur. After drying, the strands are cut into individual fiber strands by hand. The finer the individual fiber strands, the better the quality of the later straw hat.

Raffia straw comes from Africa and is mostly used to make straw hats. The 15-meters long palm leaves of the raffia palm are covered with thin threads before they are fully developed. These are separated from the plant and dried.

Obtaining natural straws for hats is time-consuming, which makes hats made from natural straw expensive. In addition, the straw produced and processed in the tropical climate breaks very quickly in the ever-changing climates of the Northern hemisphere. As an alternative, hats are often woven from so-called paper straw made from viscose. Hats made of paper straw are characterized by great elasticity and high wearing comfort. 

Conclusion

Has it ever happened to you? It's hot, the sun is blinding you straight into your face, and on the golf course, there is no shadow in sight. If you want to keep a cool head while playing golf, you need the right headgear. When it is hot, the straw hat is a particularly popular shade provider. Mostly braided with a wide edge, it offers shade and UV protection but is only lightweight and hardly accumulates any heat on the head.

FAQ

How do I find out my head size?

First of all, when buying a golf straw hat, it is important that you determine your head circumference so that you know which hat size to stick to when shopping. It's very easy, all you need is a tape measure and a mirror. You should look for the widest part of your head and measure it. 

Be careful, the ribbon must not be wrapped too tightly around your head, otherwise, the golf straw hat will be too tight. The centimeter measurement obtained, which is between 52 and 64 cm, tells you your hat size.


Mike Regan

Mike is a weekend golfer from Connecticut and a devoted fan of the game who turned his passion into the writing experience. Any day he keeps it under 80 is a cool day. When he's not writing about golf his is playing it.