The Best Golf Shorts of 2026: A Short, Opinionated Guide

If you buy one pair of golf shorts this year, make it the Rhone 9in Commuter Short. The fabric is a tailored four-way stretch that holds a press line but moves with a full swing, and it has zero of that synthetic sheen that cheaper performance shorts pick up on camera. The 9 inch inseam sits just above the knee on most guys, which is the safer cut for private clubs where the 7 inch can read a touch short. Clean back pockets, quiet hardware, and the kind of structure that lets you walk into the grill room after the round without changing.

I wear these for rounds, for travel days, and for picking up the kids. Mully selected Rhone because the fit and fabric are consistently dialed across the entire line, and the Commuter shorts are the pieces I reach for most. Members get reserve pricing on every Rhone piece.

Same fabric, same tailoring, two inches shorter. The 7 inch Commuter is what you want if you run taller, prefer a modern silhouette, or simply play in warmer climates where the extra coverage works against you. It is also the better choice for beach club days and weekend travel because it photographs cleaner on taller frames.

One honest note. If you play mostly traditional private clubs and you are under six feet, the 9 inch reads more appropriate at most member events. The 7 inch is sharper. The 9 inch is safer.

Skip anything that markets itself on pockets. More pockets means more bulk, heavier seams, and more places for the fabric to pull when you sit in a cart. Skip shorts with exposed zippers on the thigh. Skip anything in a polyester so shiny it picks up the pro shop lights. And skip anything with a belt loop gap that only fits a skinny ribbon belt. A good golf short should handle a real leather belt, which is why the Will Leather Goods braided stretch belt in the pro shop pairs so cleanly with both Commuter lengths.

The other thing to skip is the drawstring-only short masquerading as golf-appropriate. If you need a drawstring on the range, you are two belt sizes past where you should be. Pick a real waistband.

Here is the exact build I use for summer. One pair of Rhone 9in Commuter in a navy or charcoal for club rounds, member events, and anywhere a collared shirt is tucked. One pair of Rhone 7in Commuter in a lighter tone like stone or olive for warm-weather travel, resort golf, and weekend wear. That is the entire kit. Two shorts cover ninety percent of the calendar.

Pair either length with a Quiet Golf Randolph Polo for humid rounds or a Rhone Commuter Short Sleeve Polo for anything where you want a little more polish. Finish with the Will Leather Goods braided belt and you have a kit that photographs well, performs better, and costs less to rotate than most guys spend replacing bad shorts every season.