Found on the heads of drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, and putters, golf headcovers or golf head covers are not only practical but essential in protecting the paint and finish of modern woods but the soft, milling found on most higher-end putters.
Not only are they essential, but golf head covers can also make a statement about where you are a member and where you've been. If the humble brag or modest display of your golf adventures is not the primary motivator, golf head covers can protect your gear and set you apart from the crowd. Step away from the standard, low-quality golf headcovers that come with your gear... using those is like keeping the plastic screen protector on your mobile...
Golf Head Cover or Golf Headcover?
To be fair, we're not sure either but both seem to be perfectly acceptable... Of interest, putter covers are usually referred to as such and not putter head covers. A subtle wrinkle to be sure but curious nonetheless. Whether it is head cover or headcover, we at The Golf Tailor have you covered...
Golf Head Covers - A Material Difference
There are plenty of golf head covers on the market but they can be categorised quite easily by material, namely: Fabric, Leather and Plastic. Plastic is not meant to be a derogatory label but is used as a blanket term for everything that falls outside the other two... pleather, vegan leather, plush toys (think Rory's St Bernard dog golf headcover or Tiger's tiger golf head cover named Frank), nylon and a plethora of other materials. These often come in whimsical designs where there is no limit to inexpensive options that need to be replaced often and wear out quickly.
Fabric options are becoming more popular due to the limitless possibilities in design and colour. Fyfe Golf has set the bar in the UK with waxed canvas and tweed designs that set themselves apart from others. In our opinion, a viable option that will sit well as an accent piece to the more substantial and heavier-wearing Dorme Workshop leather golf head covers.
Dormie Workshop golf headcovers are made from top-grain or full-grain leather. Hides are often bought from source and direct from tanneries. The leather is soft and grows softer with use. Dormie Workshop products wear extremely well and clean up well even after hard wear. It responds superbly to conditioning and treatment. They can be embossed and striched and there is virtually no end to the ways they can be designed and crafted. Despite an initial cost premium, they outlast the competition by many times more than the cost of replacement with an inferior product. Simply, Dormie Workshop leather golf headcovers set the bar for leather golf goods.
Lastly, the interior of the headcover is also worth noting. The first component of a headcover that fails is the liner. Some manufacturers don't invest in their liners as it's the least noticeable component... Dormie Workshop prides itself on using extremely durable but luxurious velvet to line theirs. Velvet is effectively woven but the loops are cut to provide strands that give velvet its characteristic knap or texture. Because it doesn't have loops, it won't snag or catch - the perfect liner indeed for golf headcovers.
Barrel or Sleeve?
There are essentially two styles or shapes of golf headcovers, barrel or sleeves. The barrel was more popular in the recent past with the sleeve style becoming increasingly popular now. Barrels are perceived as perhaps not offering as much protection and seem to come off more readily if carried as opposed to on a cart. They do offer a superb canvas for a wrap-around design where a 360 degree piece of art can be easily created!
Driver Head Cover & Driver Headcover
Not the most used club in the bag but for most golfers, it is the most exciting. It also occupies a sacred place in the golf head cover world. The driver headcover offers the most real estate for club logos or simply to make an impact with the quality of the product on display. The usual driver headcover has become a shaped head with a knit sock. They are given away when you buy the club which should tell you how well they are made and how much manufacturers invest in them...
A bespoke golf head cover can set you apart from the crowd, protect the investment you made in your kit and allow you to make a subtle statement about what you love, which golf courses are your favourite or perhaps a practical memento from one of life's milestones or bucket list experiences.
Fairway Golf Head Covers & Fairway Headcovers
Perhaps the fairway golf head cover or fairway golf headcover provides an opportunity to match or accent your bag or headcover set. Some choose to go completely random with no concern for social norms of matching or clashing. Whatever you decide to do - it's fine! Built to the same spec and using the same materials, just as much time, effort and attention go into the fairway head covers from Dormie Workshop as the flagship driver head cover or classic blade putter cover.
Classic golf equipment (usually referred to as blades of a simple design and persimmon woods) is making a comeback with a small but ardent following playing golf using these clubs. The Dormie Workshop leather fairway golf head cover is a perfect solution to finding a persimmon wood driver headcover!
Hybrid Head Cover & Hybrid Headcover
The smallest of the golf head covers, the hybrid headcover offers just as much protection as its more substantial cousins. The same opportunities exist and all the benefits are not lost here. Some hickory golf enthusiasts use the hybrid head cover to protect their smaller-headed woods and smaller persimmon fairway woods can be accommodated with a standard hybrid headcover as well. Check out the Kilty Collection, now available in the UK!
Blade Putter Cover - Mallet Putter Cover - Putter Headcovers
There seems to be an insatiable appetite for putter covers. The leader in this space is no doubt Scotty Cameron who is well known for his Circle T 'Tour Only' putter headcovers. The blade putter covers seem to attract the most attention - no doubt linked to the fame of Tiger Wood's famous Newport Two. Scotty Cameron's mallet putter covers don't seem to garner the same amount of attention as the blade putter headcovers. Perhaps this is due to the complexity of the centre-shafted mallet vs the flow neck or heel-shafted versions that require a different fastener.
Having a matching putter cover can increase the value of many collectable putters. Where the putter is gamed and put into regular use, a blade putter cover or mallet cover keeps the soft steel, which is often milled, from bag chatter. Interestingly, chatter on the soft forgings of irons is not viewed as detrimental. The putter appears to be the single club which must be protected at all costs.
The best blade putter covers or mallet putter covers are constructed from a durable exterior, soft, plush interior and are fastened with a magnet. Clasps, clips and buttons are difficult to do and undo multiple times a round and strong magnets, as opposed to velcro, have become the hallmark of higher-end putter headcovers.
The best putter headcovers on the market today in our humble opinion are Dormie Workshop. These putter covers are handmade in Nova Scotia, Canada by skilled craftsmen and women who are paid a proper, living wage. Top grain and full grain leather are used on the exterior which can take embroidery and embossing equally well. The interior should be lined with velvet - soft, durable and dries quickly. The closure is secured with two rare earth magnets that won't come off during play or when travelling.
Found on the putters on all major tours, and in the pro shops of the world's best golf clubs, Dormie Workshop golf head covers are now available from The Golf Tailor in the UK.
Leather Golf Headcovers UK
Whatever your reason for buying a golf head cover there is a solution fit for purpose. If you want a disposable golf head cover that can be easily and cost-effectively renewed or replaced there are plenty of options out there. Higher-end, crafted products made from a variety of fabrics and tweeds offer the next tier of golf head covers that accent and complement the top-drawer, golf head cover offerings from Dormie Workshop.
If you love a design and want to invest in quality, buy it right and buy it once. Check out the Dormie Workshop collection on The Golf Tailor or contact us to discuss your golf clubs specific needs.