By John Strege

A colorful apparel line that screams for attention and a demure furry feline icon have formed an unusual partnership and a new line of golf apparel called -- ready or not -- Hello Kitty by Loudmouth Golf.

A women's line, it features pants, skorts and mini-shorts in a variety of the wild color patterns for which Loudmouth Golf is renowned, as well as a Hello Kitty logo. The blue and gold skort is shown here.

"After meeting with the Sanrio [Hello Kitty's parent company] team, we knew a Loudmouth Golf-Hello Kitty partnership was too much fun to ignore," Larry Jackson, Loudmouth Golf CEO, said in a news release. "We know golfers of all ages will enjoy this line. Be sure to keep an eye out for Hello Kitty on the 2013 LPGA tour."

The price of the mini-shorts is $75, the skorts $90 and the pants $110. They are available at Loudmouth Golf's website and will soon be available at Sanrio.com and select Sanrio stores.

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By John Strege

Apparel brand Ashworth Golf has released a limited-edition Fred Couples Signature shirt to commemorate Couples' induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday.

Couples, 53, has been wearing Ashworth apparel nearly half his life and most of his career, his association beginning with the brand in 1987.

"What started it was the way the shirts looked," Couples said recently. "They had soft collars. As they kept going everyone copied them. Everyone started going to soft collars with the same kind of look. John Cook and I and Mark Wiebe were the first three. Ernie Els won a couple of majors in them. Dave Stockton came in later. It was an easy fit. We look good in them. And they took care of us.

"I don't want to stop. I've been asked to do other things. I have no interest in going to other clothing."

The Couples Signature shirt is limited to 300 pieces, individually numbered. Couples received the first one (1/300) shown here in what Ashworth noted is his favorite color, azure.

The shirts sell for $70 and are available at AshworthGolf.com.

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By John Strege

Efforts to grow the game, or even to maintain current levels of players, obviously requires bringing kids into it, so why not having them look good in the process?

The golf-inspired children's apparel brand Fore!! Axel & Hudson and the PGA of America will attempt to do so by partnering on a new line of kids' golf apparel called PGA Authentics.

"The inaugural collection draws upon the rich history of golf for inspiration and combines that with the on-trend looks, silhouettes and small touches that make our clothes so distinctive," Paul Nguyen, Fore!! Axel & Hudson co-owner and creative director, said in a news release.

The boys' and girls' collection will feature a combination of classic and fashion-forward apparel constructed of eco-friendly fabrics and available in sizes 2T to 12. The clothing will retail from $34 to $101 and will be available at department stores and boutiques nationwide.

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By John Strege

John Daly helped popularize Loudmouth Golf's wild, colorful golf attire, which has now spawned a Scottish counterpart called Royal & Awesome that features "spectacular golf pants for the pars and bars," the company says. Spectacular? We'll leave it to you to decide.

Royal & Awesome offers pants, shorts and even knickers, including Old Tom's Knickers (shown here), though one wonders whether Old Tom Morris would have approved. Royal & Awesome seems to think so, according to the company website:

"On the ancient links when our golfing forefathers like Old Tom Morris were knocking their featheries around with their mashies and niblicks life was pretty good. There was just one thing that stopped Old Tom and the boys from dancing a joyful jig, their dull, drab tweeds."

Royal & Awesome apparel comes in a variety of colors and patterns, including "Zebra to Ze-Bar" shorts. Matching flat caps are available, too. There also is a women's line and other accessories, including belts and socks.

If that isn't enough, all trousers and shorts include tee holders and a divot repair tool with bottle opener.

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By John Strege

How's this for incongruity? The founder of the most colorful brand in golf apparel went to a university called Brown.

Scott Woodworth, a graduate of Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, is also the chief designer for Loudmouth Golf and continues to deliver wildly colorful apparel, sometimes haphazardly so (see PGA Tour player Robert Gamez above sporting Loudmouth's Drop Cloth trousers at the Arnold Palmer Invitational recently).

The Drop Cloth is part of Loudmouth's new spring collection that also includes Bubblegum, Cupcakes, Pink Flamingos and Shagadelic Pink. "Each collection I create has something for everyone. Well maybe not everyone," Woodworth said in a news release. Truer words have never been spoken.

At any rate, Loudmouth Golf continues to make a colorful splash across golf. For instance, at the LPGA's Kia Classic recently, Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum and her caddie/brother wore matching Loudmouth Golf shorts.

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By John Strege

This is the time of year when products turn green in anticipation of the Masters, as shown here in Golf Digest Stix.

Add to that Kentwool's limited-edition Tour Profile Augusta Sock ($19.95 a pair), featuring the company's proprietary blend of merino wool, said by the company to help reduce fatigue, and high-tech fibers to assist with moisture management.

The Augusta Sock, which debuted last spring at this time and sold out, will be available through May 15, while supplies last.

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By John Strege

Have you ever wondered what a $320 golf polo shirt looks like? Neither have I. Nonetheless, there it is, shown above. It seems to resemble an $80 polo or a $60 polo, though it is custom made.

Treccani Milano, an Italian fashion concern boosted by what company founder Emanuele Bonasia called "overwhelmingly positive response to our custom golf shoes and custom golf leather bags," decided to expand into the polo business. The cost of the golf shoes started at $1,020, while the leather bags started at $11,000 and went up to $38,000.

In other words, their products aren't for everyone.

The custom-made polos offer color choices and options that include "100% cotton piquet or stretch from a cotton mill in Switzerland, a choice of pocket, sleeve length, stitching colour and buttonhole colour. Other features include selecting the colour, shape and thickness of the mother of pearl button, as well as shirt monograms," a news release states.

Production of each shirt takes four weeks, the company said.

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By John Strege

Given that the PGA of America never considers it too early to begin hyping the Ryder Cup, it follows that it's never too early to begin selling Ryder Cup-logoed merchandise.

Hence, Druh Belts & Buckles, the official licensee of belts and buckles for the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles Resort in Perthshire, Scotland, has introduced commemorative Ryder Cup belts, including the silver buckle and black crocodile textured leather belt shown above ($80, available at druhbeltsandbuckles.com).

The Ryder Cup buckle also comes in enamel colorways and both buckles are available with a white crocodile textured leather belt.

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By John Strege

It is the time of year when outerwear moves to the fore of a golfer's wardrobe, and accordingly Sun Mountain has expanded its Headwind collection of windshirts to include a short-sleeve version (shown above).

The Headwind is a pullover jacket made of a wind-proof microfiber fabric. For good measure, it is treated with a durable water repellent coating and features in the shoulder and back area a flexible insert made of Sun Mountain's Rainflex fabric that is both water restistant and breathable. The Headwind won't replace a rain suit, but it will suffice in a drizzle or otherwise misty conditions.

The Headwind short sleeve retails for $69, the long sleeve $89. A women's Headwind also is available at $79.

Another addition to the line is the Headwind Solo ($59) that does not feature the Rainflex insert.

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By John Strege

For those who live in parts of the country that require they play in cold, wet conditions through the winter, Mobile Warming Gear is here to help. It has introduced a collection of waterproof, heated outerwear designed for golf.

The jackets are made of a lightweight, breathable, waterproof fabric and feature a rechargable 7.4-volt lithium battery, "about half the size of a cell phone," Keith Apple, general manager golf for Mobile Warming Gear said. The battery pack can be adjusted from 90 degrees to 130 degrees. At the lower setting, the battery will last 10 hours before it requires re-charging.

The idea for the jacket came from Apple's son-in-law Joe Lusardi, an assistant pro at Locust Hill Country Club outside Rochester, N.Y.

"When I started working for this company that made heated jackets, I was in the ski industry," Apple said. "I was giving my son-in-law heated vests made for skiing. He said, 'this may work in golf.' I said, 'what would I have to do?'"

Lusardi and a few friends suggested lowering the collar and using lightweight-material stretch panels under the arm pits. The jacket has received approval from the USGA.

"The jacket is totally breathable," Apple said, "and the membrane is similar to Gore-Tex. It's 100 percent waterproof and has a waterproof zipper."

It comes in men's and women's styles, $200 for the jacket, $160 for a vest.

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