There's a moment everyone has standing in front of an umbrella stand, wondering why some brollies cost twice as much and look about three times the size. Is it just marketing, or is there an actual reason to pick a golf umbrella over a normal one? Having sold rather a lot of both over the years, we can tell you it's the second one. Here's what actually separates the two, and how to work out which one you need.
It really comes down to size
A standard umbrella, the kind you'd grab on the way to the shops, is built around one person. Ours come in thirteen colours and comfortably shelter one adult, maybe two if you don't mind a squeeze and a bit of an argument over who gets the dry shoulder. A golf umbrella is a different beast entirely. Ours open out to a proper 120cm canopy, wide enough to cover two or three people at once, which is exactly why you see them doing double duty at weddings, corporate days out and, obviously, actual golf courses.
Built to handle wind, not just rain
This is the bit people underestimate. Rain is rarely the problem, wind is. Our golf umbrella range is built with a sturdy fibreglass frame specifically so it holds its shape rather than turning inside out the second a gust catches it, which is a genuinely miserable experience if you've ever had it happen mid downpour. If you want the best golf umbrella for a properly exposed spot, our Storm King is worth a look. It's got a vented canopy designed to let wind pass through rather than fight against it, so it stays upright when a standard umbrella would just give up.
Plenty of colour either way
Whichever one you're after, you're not stuck with black. Both our standard and golf ranges come in a proper spread, think navy, bottle green, sky blue, purple, yellow, wine red, shamrock green and the classic black and white, plus a rainbow mini golf option if you fancy standing out at the school gates.
Where the price difference comes from
Standard Jolly Brolly umbrellas start at a genuinely low price point, they're built simply and designed to do one job well. Golf umbrellas tend to start a bit higher, generally from around £13, and that extra cost is really paying for the bigger canopy, the sturdier frame and the fact it's designed to survive conditions a smaller brolly just isn't built for.
So which one do you actually need?
If it's just you, walking to work or nipping out for the school run, a standard umbrella does the job and does it cheaply. But if you're covering more than one person, standing exposed on a golf course, running an outdoor event, or trying to keep an entire wedding party dry between the church and the marquee, that's exactly when a golf umbrella earns its keep. Quite a few of ours can be branded too, so if you're after something for a corporate day or a client gift, that's worth asking us about.
We reckon it's one of the widest golf umbrella UK selections you'll come across, so have a browse through the full Golf Umbrellas collection and pick whichever colour suits you best, because let's be honest, if you're spending more on an umbrella you might as well enjoy looking at it.
By Emma Barber
