I tested Peter Millar rainwear on an Ireland golf trip. Here’s how it fared | Gear

About a month ago, seven lifelong friends left for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for the beginning of September. friends tripOur text chain chatter shifted from its usual ludicrousness to a gravely serious matter: rain. Spinned to action from the wet and windy forecast for the week that we will be on land, one of our traveling companions warned us that he had hunted a deal. outerwear at a major golf retailer.

“I asked the guy if this was his cheapest rain jacket and he said yes,” my friend wrote of one of the models he had been looking at. “And then without promotion, he says, ‘It’s not the Ireland test.’

Here’s the rub with rain gear: Sure, you can ditch it and save, but sooner or later—usually sooner—it’s going to cost you. Especially in Ireland, where hell hath no fury like being caught in a gale on an exposed peninsula.

Not that I was one to talk. I’ve had the same rain gear (jacket and matching pants) hanging in my hall closet since Bush II was in office. I used the gear so infrequently that it ranked low on my “PROBABLY UPGRADE” list, but it was still in dire need of replacement. Following my friend’s text, I tried on my rain pants for the first time in years and remembered that they were so low on my waist that it looked like I was toting sandbags. The jacket wasn’t much better: baggy and restrictive.

I asked a couple of trusted (and fashionable) golf insiders for recs. One wasn’t particularly helpful, he sent me a link to an article that reviewed half a dozen offers. The other vouched for the rain gear he puts in his own bag: Peter Millar’s Shield line, which includes a Half zip rain shell ($200) and Pull-On Rain Pants (also $200). The crew kept him dry, he said, but he was most impressed by the modern cut. He had me modern. I put in my order.

In my mind, there are three key ways you can and should judge golf clothing: style, fit and performance, so let’s dive into how Peter Millar’s kit performed in each category.

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STYLE

No surprise given that they are Peter Millar pieces, but both the half zip and the pants are classic in their style. The top comes in navy blue or pine brook green, and the pants only in navy. If you’re looking to channel your inner-Rickie Fowler, look elsewhere. The design is also traditional, with a gray zipper that extends to the sternum (but is protected by marine flaps), and a subtle Peter Millar logo just below the right shoulder. I’m not big on flash, so for me, the understated style was ideal.

The jacket is made of nylon with a thin film of polyurethane bonded to the inside of the shell. These materials keep you dry but, crucially, are also super-light. Heavy, incessant rain gear can feel like knight’s armor; in these jackets and pants, you almost feel as if you are not wearing an additional layer. A+ for maneuverability.

FIT

This is where the pieces really shine. No wasted material. No bagginess. No frump. The jacket and pants fit more like work wear than rain gear. It’s hard to look stylish in rain gear, but these pieces somehow make you look and feel good. (I’m 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds and ordered a small in the shell and pants. The top was form-fitting (bordering on snug) but the two-way stretch material also allowed me to move and swing freely, and I think a medium would have been too roomy; the pants, pictured below, fit perfectly.

Peter Millar Shield Pull-On Rain Golf Pants for Men

Engineered from a highly technical 2.5-layer performance fabric, the Shield Pull-On Rain Pant is a piece of safety that offers waterproof protection, sealed seams and optimal coverage in inclement weather. A ventilated pocket construction allows easy access to the pockets of your first layer of pants, and a zipper and velcro ankle closure allow you to put them over your shoes. Tour-tested fabric is supremely soft and comfortable with two-way stretch and easy-care benefits.. Product details: Men’s rain pants 72% nylon / 28% polyester. Dry on low. I don’t iron. Do not dry clean

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PERFORMANCES

We were hit with three sustained rains during our trip. The heaviest stuff came towards the end of our first lap, in Ardglass, it runs along the ocean just east of Belfast. As is often the case on the Irish coast, the storm came quickly.

The pants, when completely undone at the ankles, were a slip on. The same for the half zip, with a caveat: On at least one occasion on the trip, I caught my hand and arm in the pockets of mesh pockets that extend, inside the jacket, from the right pocket to the left. Because this shirt is not attached to the shell, it is easy to accidentally slide your hand under it, which requires you to repeat the process of slipping the jacket over your head. Not ideal when trying to beat the wet stuff!

When the suit was on, however, it was stellar in the rain. I encountered no leaks thanks to the sealed seams, and an elastic waistband lets you tighten the jacket for extra snugness (and dryness). Note: the trousers have a straight back pocket but no side pockets. Instead, the side zippers give you easy access to the pockets of the pants below.

Another bonus of the light materials: the speed of drying. Even after our soggier rounds, my pants and jacket were largely dry by the time we downed a couple of pints in the clubhouse. I also dig the handy storage bag that comes with the half zip and pants. Rolled up and zipped up, each piece can be compressed to the size of a pair of socks.

BOTTOM LINE

Playing in the rain is unfortunate, but much more tolerable when you’re in clothing that offers performance and style, like the Peter Millar Shield line. If the half zip and the pants survived – no, they excel! – in Ireland, I trust them everywhere.