To begin, I am not a huge fan of plaid pants/shorts.  I tend to side with Happy Gilmore on this one.  Goofy pants have given golf a reputation for bad style.  However, plaid is an element of traditional golf apparel, and can be worn successfully if chosen well.

In the image above, I am comparing overall color palette not design.  Personally, I like the design of the Puma Golf Plaid Tech Pant ($90), shown above, better than the Nike Core Plaid Short ($70) below, however, there is a more important point here.  Guys, don’t just grab a pair of pants/shorts and what you feel is a matching shirt and march to the checkout counter.  Think for a minute about the level of obnoxiousness your selection might give off.  The difference here between the options on the left and those on the right is the incorporation of a neutral color.  If you look closely, the Puma pants on the left have an electric blue pin stripe accent, however, black and white are dominant.  These pants would look great paired with an electric blue shirt.  The Nike Golf shorts to the left use gray as one of two dominant colors to balance out the coral.  In contrast, the choices on the right use two or more strong colors within the plaid.  I definitely think there are personality types, and situations that will allow for this type of boldness, I just feel strongly they are less common than the average weekend golfer realizes.  Rickie Fowler and Graham DeLaet need to stand out on the PGA Tour and grow their brand, as professionals.  What is your excuse?

To purchase any of the selections above visit: http://www.golfgalaxy.com  or visit your local golf equipment and apparel retailer.