If you find yourself watching the PGA Tour on a Sunday, you might notice an item missing from most players’ attire. Look hard enough and you will realize only a handful of professional golfers wear watches while they play.
We all know that tour players never miss an opportunity to bring on a sponsor so why is it that more professional golfers don’t wear watches? There must be a reason why this classic accessory is not used on the golf course.
In the article below, we are going to cover all you need to know about golfing with a watch. Why we only see a couple of pros using watches during tournaments, if a watch can affect your swing, as well as if golfing can harm your watch? We have a lot to cover so let’s get started!
Does The PGA Tour Allow Golfers To Wear A Watch?
The PGA is known for being a stickler for the rules. They have strict rules on players, notably wearing polos and long pants during every round. They also prohibit items that can unfairly provide an advantage to players such as headphones or rangefinders. So given the above, what is the PGA’s policy on watches?
It is completely legal for golfers to wear watches while playing on the PGA Tour. There are no rules that prohibit the use of watches during competition or a practice round.
Check out our other articles on PGA rules for tattoos and if players can smoke and drink on the course.
Do PGA Tour Players Wear Watches?
Only a few professional golfers wear watches while playing. However, many pro golfers are ambassadors for famous watch brands such as Rolex and Hublot.
Despite many of them electing not to wear their branded watches while playing, there are a few exceptions to the rule.
One of the most famous golfers of all time, Phil Mickelson, and two-time Masters champion, Bubba Watson, both regularly wear watches while out on the course.
Mickelson wore a Rolex Cellini during his famous 2021 PGA Championship win. Bubba Watson typically wears a Richard Millie RM038 that’s been specifically built for him.
Bubba’s watch is made from magnesium alloy and contains features that can counteract the G forces generated by a professional golfer’s swing. These forces can often cause watches to stop working altogether.
What Kind Of Watches Do PGA Golfers Wear?
Many professional golfers are brand ambassadors for certain watch companies. They are frequently seen in between rounds wearing some of the most expensive watches on the market.
Tiger Woods is an ambassador for Rolex, Rory McIlroy is for Omega, and Justin Rose is an Ambassador for Hublot. When these guys win tournaments, they will often put the watch on for the trophy lift for brand exposure.
If you’re an amateur, then none of that is going to mean anything to you. Sadly, Rolex isn’t going to pay you to wear their watches for going 25 over at your local course. However, there are still some watches that you should consider buying to improve your performance.
Does Wearing a Watch Affect Your Golf Swing?
Wearing a watch can certainly affect your golf swing due to several reasons. Firstly, many watches are heavy which can give an entirely different feel to your arms and wrists.
Having extra weight on your wrist can make your swing slower. This can result in you losing distance on your shots.
Another reason why a heavy watch on your wrist can throw your golf swing off is that golf is a sport that relies on rhythm and routine.
Golfers get into habits with their swing where everything begins to feel smooth and consistent. Adding an unnecessary weight to your arm is going to throw this rhythm completely off which will psychologically and physically break your swing down.
While most people wear watches tight to their wrists, some people wear them quite loosely. If you are one of these people, then your watch is going to be moving all over the place while you are mid-swing.
This is going to end up distracting you and could cause your swing to suffer as a result.
Should Amateur Golfers Wear A Watch?
Amateur golfers should avoid wearing analog watches on the golf course, but they should be okay with a digital watch. That said, both watch types have the potential to cause issues with your swing due to the weight issues we discussed earlier.
Analog watches should be avoided because the G force caused by golf swings can result in the mechanics of the watch going into shock and breaking. If this happens, then the hands on your watch will freeze and you’ll have to go to a watch repair shop to get it fixed.
Digital watches are usually okay because they don’t possess these same mechanics. In fact, some digital watches are incredibly useful to have on a golf course.
They can measure the distance you’ve hit your balls, the distance between you and the green, and the overall number of steps you’ve walked throughout your day out on the course.
Professionals have caddies who can provide this information to them, but amateurs aren’t going to have these. Therefore, having this information on the course as an amateur is going to be invaluable and can really take your game to the next level.
One watch that we would recommend to all amateur golfers is the Garmin Approach S12. This GPS watch is able to accurately provide you with yardage information relating to the front, middle, and backs of greens and can deliver instant information relating to your shot distance with certain clubs.
This could really help you to make more informed decisions about which club to use in certain situations.
Can Golfing Ruin A Watch?
Golfing can ruin analog watches due to the mechanics inside them. When you take a full swing, the G force generated is so intense that these mechanics can fail.
When this happens, your watch will no longer be able to tell the time which is the sole purpose of an analog watch.
Digital watches, however, don’t possess these same mechanics so are at no risk of being ruined while playing golf. That is until you lose your mind after a bad round and throw it into the nearest pond!
Final Thoughts
Wearing a watch on the golf course comes down to personal preference. However, it is always a good idea to look to the professionals and follow what they do when playing. We recommend taking off your watch while playing, especially for analog or mechanical watches that can get damaged.
Hopefully, you liked this article and found it informative. Check out our other blog posts if you liked this one!
