Nike, Eastbay best
bets for merchandise

By Ryan Finley,
Staff Writer

In the state of Arizona, the weather can change from one minute to the next. During the late autumn, it can be 95 degrees during the day and dip down into the 30s and 40s at night. In the summers, Arizona’s trademark monsoons can floods local streets in a matter of minutes, leaving typically hot residents soaked.

Big deal, right?

But what if you had a 2 p.m. tee time? Well-prepared golfers during the late fall usually bring with them clothes that can handle both the cold, the heat, and the wet. Arizona golfers need clothes that are both multi-functional, comfortable, and, of course, stylish. Here’s some gear that can help the average golfer through some rough afternoons.

My friend, who is a part of the USC athletic program, gave me a workout shirt that he had taken from the Trojans athletic department. This Nike shirt was made of a unique polymer: something the Swoosh people call Dri-fit.

• Past GolfArizona.com feature stories • Past articles by Ryan Finley

Nike claims that “one layer of the material moves perspiration from the body while a second layer delivers the moisture to the surface of the garment, where it can easily evaporate.”

Simply put, this shirt will keep you dry when you are wet, be it from sweat or rain. In a home test, I dumped a cup of water on the shirt itself, and waited for it to dry out.

This took less than five minutes.

As far as t-shirts go, there are few with both the physical makeup and battle-tested resilience than the Dri-fit. I suggest wearing this shirt underneath a golf shirt or a windbreaker, keeping the golfer dry in tense situations. Oh yeah, and they come in golf shirts for the truly fashionable.

And, new for the 1999 season, Nike has come up with something they call STORM-fit, which promises to provide the first lightweight, windproof, breathable, and active Gore-Tex jacket. This promises to keep the golfer dry and warm despite the elements.

Golf is a sport of the rich, but most golfers aren’t. Not every player can afford the STORM-fit gear, which runs a whopping $410 for a jumpsuit.

However, most everybody can afford the most well-made, quality jackets out there. These jackets, plain in design, are made by Eastbay. The Wausau, Wisc., company specializes in catalog-oriented team sports sales.

Designed for sales to high school and college sports teams, Eastbay will also offer single sales. The “Eastbay Lined Team Pullover” is one of their most classic designs as well as one of their most consistent sales.

The v-necked workout jacked has a 100% taffeta shell with polyester lining, keeping in warmth and keeping out the elements similar to Gore-Tex. The jacket, which comes in 14 different color combinations, costs about $30.

Ideally, the ultimate 1999 multi-purpose activewear has the quality of Nike at Eastbay prices. It all depends on what the average golfer is willing to spend.

However, anyone willing to spend the 400 dollars for the STORM-fit gear will first have to pay my college tuition.

It makes about as much sense.