Buying Guide: Golf umbrellas

An umbrella is an important piece of golf equipment for any player's kit bag. There are several things to consider when buying an umbrella, including its dimensions, wind resistance, shaft material and colour scheme.

Size and dimensions

Overview
Many umbrellas are used as promotional golf giveaways, but you should look to invest in an umbrella that meets your requirements in order to keep you comfortable, dry, safe and visible when on the course. The Bigger the Better
Search online and on the high street to find the largest golf umbrella that you can comfortably handle without blowing away.
If you do not have the luxury of being accompanied by a caddy, you will require your umbrella to keep your clubs and kit bag dry when addressing the ball and playing your shots.
Purchase an umbrella with at least a 60-inch span to ensure that your umbrella is big enough to keep your equipment dry.

Wind resistance

Tried and Tested
Most decent golf umbrellas have been subjected to significant wind tunnel testing and will be marked with the wind levels that they can reasonably tolerate without degrading.
Buy an umbrella that can withstand very high wind speeds to make sure that you are ready for any and all inclement weather which you may come across while on the course.

Colours and visibility

Safe and Visible
Golf umbrellas also serve an important function: making you visible to other players on the course, which is particularly useful in dreary, overcast conditions.
Buy a brightly, vividly coloured umbrella to protect yourself from stray balls.
Using a distinctively colourful umbrella also allows you to discern your own umbrella from others, so you can pick it out of a pile of umbrellas quickly and easily.

Shaft material and stake

Fibreglass is Ideal
Using a fibreglass rather than steel umbrella shaft significantly decreases your chances of being struck by lightning while on the course.
Note that players should leave the course if there is any sign of lightning in the atmosphere, regardless of whether or not they have a fibreglass umbrella shaft.
Fibreglass is also lighter than steel and also allows your umbrella to flex and adjust to blustery weather quickly and easily. Keeping you Grounded
Buy an umbrella with a long plastic or fibreglass stake in order to plant your umbrella in the soft ground.
This makes your umbrella most effective at keeping your equipment dry and protected from the wind, while also helping prevent it from being blown away when it is anchored into the ground.