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Looking to update your winter wardrobe? Steve Carroll has put the Lyle & Scott Golf Merino Quarter Zip Jumper to the test
Lyle & Scott’s Golf Core Quarter Zip Merino Jumper is designed to keep you cool and comfortable on the course while easy to pair with either trousers or shorts.
Lyle & Scott Golf Merino Quarter Zip Jumper review: NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
This is as good as you can get in terms of golf outerwear. Easy to swing in, incredibly light, and exceptionally well made, I’ve found little better to play in.
PROS
Classic Lyle & Scott design looks really smart out on the course
So lightweight you will barely notice you have it on
Material has been very resilient to pilling and bobbling to this point
CONS
I’ve been racking my brains to find something to complain about. I’m still searching
Lyle & Scott Golf Merino Quarter Zip Jumper review: First impressions
Some things are just classic golf and a piece of Lyle & Scott knitwear is one of those. If you’re of a certain age (and, yes, I am), you’d switch on the BBC and see that iconic golden eagle logo emblazoned across the chest of many an important figure. If it wasn’t carrying some of our most famous names to victory in the brief professional tournaments we got to see on the box, it was the go-to golf garment on the pro-celebrity circuit. Ronnie Corbett made a career out of sporting them on The Two Ronnies.
So if you liked golf, and if you were after a stylish piece of kit on the fairways, it was Lyle & Scott to which you naturally turned. When the company’s Merino Quarter Zip Jumper turned up on my doorstep, I was instantly taken back to a more innocent age.
But times have moved on and so have Lyle & Scott. You’ll recognise some of the familiar traditions here – the soft feel of the wool, the quality of the material, and the effortless fit. But there’s not a v-neck or roll collar in sight. This is a garment that truly belongs in the modern age.
The Lyle & Scott Golf Merino Quarter Zip Jumper is a 50-50 merino wool and acrylic mix. That means there is likely to be a bit of pilling with repeated use, but I haven’t noted anything so far.
The company say it’s lightweight but that is something of an understatement. I’m used to jumpers being on the bulky side but this is light as a feather. You may wonder if that’s actually going to keep you warm but – certainly for me anyway – it was a fit that clings a little to the body.
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The light nature of the material also means the jumper is very breathable. You are not going to find yourself overheating in this, and nor will warmth simply escape through the pores. I like the high-zipped neckline, reminiscent of mid layers, but I was initially concerned the wool might irritate the skin. I need not have had any concerns.
I like the Taupe colour. It’s bright without being neon, but you can also pick up a jet black model too. Either way, they pair really nicely with any colour of trouser.
Lyle & Scott Golf Merino Quarter Zip Jumper review: On the course
I’ve been racking my brains trying to find something negative to say about this jumper. I’m still searching. It’s basically faultless and I’m very picky when it comes to jumpers and midlayers. I’ve had plenty that feel good when you first put them on and are a disaster once you start swinging.
The cuffs start sliding, the hem rides up, it’s too noisy, the upper body is too constrictive, it gets too warm, or not warm enough, the material irritates the skin or is bobbled beyond belief after the first round. I’m a harsh critic.
But, in every way, the Lyle & Scott Golf Merino Quarter Zip Jumper is a fabulous performer. As you would expect, it’s a true to size fit. It’s not too tight, it doesn’t hang, and that means it’s very easy to swing in.
The hem stays put, the cuffs remain where they should be, it’s flexible enough that it moves well when you’re taking a shot and doesn’t hold or block the motion.
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It holds in heat too. You’ll need to combine it – either with a baselayer or a jacket – when the mercury really starts to dive but this jumper will come into its own in the early spring.
And if it does get too warm in April, you can remove it and it’s light enough to make no real impact in the weight of your bag.
About the only thing I could say is that it probably needs an iron straight out of the wash. But maybe you like your tops slightly ruffled.
Lyle & Scott Golf Merino Quarter Zip Jumper review: The 19th hole
I wrote about football in another life and one the things you never did when assessing player performances in the after match report was hand out a mark of 10/10. Nobody was perfect.
The same should be true of marking golf clothing – you can always make things better – and I’m sure there will be some shaking of heads out there will they read I’ve given this top marks.
Perhaps, with a revisit in the coming months, I’ll have found some things that deserves rounding off half a mark, But at the moment, there’s nothing I don’t like about this jumper. It’s a classic design, it fits really nicely, it’s so lightweight you barely feel like it’s on, the wool keeps you warm, the material hasn’t yet bobbled to oblivion, it hasn’t shrunk in the wash, it’s incredibly easy to swing in. Shall I keep going on?
The Lyle & Scott Golf Merino Quarter Zip Jumper is as good a piece of golf clothing as I’ve ever worn and, in these dark autumnal times, it has been on my shoulders as much on as off the course.
Fit: True to Size/Small/Large Comfort: 9/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Sizes: XS through XXXL Colour options: Taupe, Jet Black
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Lyle & Scott Golf Merino Quarter Zip Jumper review: The Details
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