In the long-awaited Happy Gilmore sequel now on Netflix, Adam Sandler – who has become an unlikely fashion icon in the near-30 years since the last film – still stands out on the golf course. He wears track pants, plaid shirts and hockey jerseys, contrasting against the formal looks of the establishment. But, as golf’s reputation changes, so has the dress code. This sport is on the verge of new territory – it’s becoming fashionable.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews reported that, in 2023, there were 34.5 million on-course players in their affiliated markets, up 15 per cent from 2020. Some of these were newbies – Business Insider found that 1.5 million people in the US played golf for the first time in 2023, with most of these new fans in the 18-34 age group.

They might be encouraged by Sandler, as well as Owen Wilson in the Apple TV+ golf show, Stick. Or perhaps by celebrity golfers who also have dress sense – see Harry Styles, Drake and Nicholas Hoult. They might even be encouraged by the style of golf itself. The old-money aesthetic, popular on TikTok, would certainly include the classic argyles and khakis. Whatever the reason, and even if they aren’t entirely onboard with it, golf’s retiree demographic might soon need to make space on the course.

Daniel-Yaw Miller, who writes about sport and fashion for his newsletter SportsVerse, has observed the rise of golf in fashionable circles. “Golf’s aesthetic has always been appealing in an aspirational sense and has tied into preppy styles of dressing for a long while now,” he says. “But [the sport] has never had an impact in streetwear or regular street style in the way it does today. It has come a long way.”

There are also more stylish golfers, who are quietly stepping away from the ultra-bland look of the previous generation. Miller points to Jason Day, who has a relaxed and streetwear-friendly look, and Ian Poulter, who brought blokecore to the course. “He would always rep his love for Arsenal with the iconic 05/06 home jersey, blending sports style way before it was cool to do so,” Miller says.

There are also newer brands that cater to a crowd who don’t want to stick to the classics. G/FORE was launched in 2011 by Mossimo Giannulli, the designer who created the 1990s label Mossimo. “[Mossimo] felt like golf was boring,” says Thomas Harvey, the brand’s vice president of design. “It needed refreshing.”

Starting with coloured gloves – a revelation in a world where they had previously been just black or white – G/FORE has expanded to clothing, footwear and golfing accessories, such as a caddie bag, created in collaboration with MR PORTER. “It’s taking an outsider perspective and thinking how can we make something have a little bit more personality, a little bit more fun?” Harvey says.

Bringing fun to a community is part of Modi Oyewole’s mission with Swang, the golf gathering in Los Angeles, which began in August 2023. Dedicated to outsiders, its slogan says, “those who were never invited, but always belonged”. Oyewole says this means more Black people like himself, but also anyone who felt unwelcome. “I’m trying to make sure people know that we can do this, too, because ultimately, golf is always positioned to a certain type of person.”

Two years in, Swang now hosts fortnightly “Free Range” sessions at a golf course in West LA, with between 75 to 100 people showing up. And they’re not wearing the usual khakis and polos. “I have started doing fit checks,” Oyewole says. “That was just me seeing everyone come so fly… It signals the kind of golf we’re into. It [says], ‘I’m into golf, but also I’m into all these other things, fashion and style.’”

This more holistic attitude may be where golf style is heading – for the non-professionals, anyway. Harvey, based in LA like Oyewole, agrees there’s a change. “The seriousness is being pulled away a little bit,” he says. “People are showing that in their outfits. The on-course/off-course aspect of how people put themselves together is hugely important now.”

Miller says people are wearing clothes not designed for golf specifically. “Newer entrants to the sportswear scene are also silently gaining traction. On, for example, has no formal presence yet, but many serious and amateur golfers are already using its footwear for the sport.”

Perhaps dress codes, still in place at a lot of clubs, might one day be relaxed or removed all together.

There remains one piece of the puzzle missing in the glow-up of golf – a bona fide style icon. Oyewole grew up watching the NBA and draws a comparison. “You can tell me about LeBron James or Steph Curry… because they’re cool. Golfers aren’t cool.” He has hope this could change, however, especially with him part of it. “The Allen Iverson of golf comes out of a community of Swang, if you do it right,” he says. “That’s what I’m striving for.”