My Hunt for Some U.S. Open Gear
Alright, so I got this idea in my head a while back that I wanted some official USGA U.S. Open clothing. You see it on TV, right? Looks sharp sometimes. I specifically had my eye on one of those hats the players wear.
First thing I did, naturally, was hop online. Typed in something like “USGA official store” or “US Open merchandise”. Found the spot that looked right, the one with all the official logos and stuff. Took me a minute to navigate, gotta find the specific U.S. Open section, you know? They break it down by event sometimes.
Okay, found it. And wow, they had a ton of stuff. Seriously:
- Polos, loads of ’em.
- Quarter-zips and jackets.
- T-shirts, casual stuff.
- And hats, lots of hats.
So I started looking for that specific hat I wanted. Clicked through a few pages. Found some that were close, maybe different colors or slightly different logos. The prices, though? Yeah, they were up there. Not totally shocking for official event gear, but still made me pause. Checked the product details – materials looked standard, performance fabric this, cotton that. But you can’t really feel the quality through a screen, can you?
I put one hat in my cart, just to see. Then I went to checkout to figure out shipping. Added a bit more, like it always does. Sat there looking at the total for a minute. Is a hat really worth that much just for the logo?
Thinking it Over and Getting Some Feedback
I decided to hold off. Closed the browser window. Figured maybe I’d find it cheaper somewhere else later, or maybe I’d just forget about it. You know how it goes.
Fast forward a bit, I was talking to my buddy who actually went to the U.S. Open the year before. I asked him about the merchandise tent situation. He laughed. Said it was crazy busy, lines everywhere. But he did manage to grab a polo shirt while he was there.
I asked him if the quality was any good. He said, yeah, surprisingly decent. Better than some concert t-shirts he’s bought, felt pretty solid. But he agreed, it was definitely expensive right there at the event too. He mentioned seeing walls of hats, probably the exact one I was looking for online.
So, in the end, I never did buy that hat online. Kinda figured that with this official tournament stuff, you’re paying a premium for the name and the event connection. My buddy’s experience made me think the quality is probably fine, not junk, but maybe not amazing value either. Maybe the best way is to just get it at the event if you go, feel it in your hands first. Or just find a similar style without the official U.S. Open logo if you’re just after the look. Still haven’t decided what I’ll do next time I see something I like, but that was my little adventure trying to grab some U.S. Open gear.
