Galvin Green Review: Don Insula Sweater and Macoy Polo

Let’s not beat around the bush. When it comes to high end performance golf apparel, no one really does it better than Galvin Green.

Last year I reviewed their Ace waterproof shell, and I’m still just as in love with it now as I was then.

I’ve taken it through veritable monsoons, and it has still kept me nice and dry. Sure it’s pricey at about triple the cost of my Nike rain suit – but if you’re playing in adverse conditions often, there’s nothing better.

Me on the 14th hole at Chambers Bay in December wearing my Galvin Green jacket.

However, outside of that jacket I haven’t experienced much of Galvin Green’s other products – until recently.

What’s cool about the company is all of the products are designed to be worn together via their layering story and technology.

On the surface to the average golfer this may translate to “marketing ploy to get people to buy more high priced products.”

In some ways this is what I thought when I first was introduced to it, but now having experienced it for myself, I truly believe in it and find it to be the real deal.

The Galvin Green Don Insula Sweater

To go along with my waterproof shell I recently got a Don Insula quarter zip pull over, and a Macoy golf polo.

The Don has quickly become one of my favorite garments I own, both on and off the course.

Galvin Green Don Insula half zip pullover

It’s made of a stretchy polyester blend that is both comfortable and incredibly warm for how light it is. On my recent New York golf trip I wore it both on the plane, as well as on the course. Sure it screams “golfer” when you wear it, but that isn’t necessarily always a bad thing.

The Don comes in a variety of colors that definitely have a bit of a European look (the company is Swedish) and is geared more towards modern tech than classic style – which depending on your personal golf style, could be good or bad.

The Layering Concept in Practice

Let’s jump back to that layering concept though real quick.

Recently I had a round where we were experiencing cold weather and off and on rain.

I wanted to test out the Galvin Green concept so I threw on my polo, sweater, and packed my waterproof jacket.

What I found was even with three layers, I still had a full range of movement and the clothes were breathable.

I didn’t find myself sweating profusely with the layers, and when things did get warm the Macoy did an excellent job of absorbing the sweat. This is due to their Ventil8 technology, which helps transfer heat and moisture to keep the body cool.

Galvin Green Macoy Polo

The Macoy polo feels similar in fabric to the pullover, and is a bit different than anything else I’ve experienced in a golf shirt before. As I mentioned, the material is a little bit stretchy, and rather than being a harsh dri-fit like material, the shirt is surprisingly soft.

I will say the more “modern tech” style I described above, with bold color blocking isn’t generally my style on the course. And from a style perspective, I much prefer my shirts from Holderness and Bourne or Redvanly.

However, I’ve found the technology in Galvin Green’s to be so good, that I find myself wearing them often.

On a really hot day the Macoy is my go to shirt.

I start just about every round regardless of the temperature with my Don Insula pullover.

And if it’s raining, then it’s an absolute no brainer – obviously I’m packing my Galvin Green jacket.

Final Thoughts

Let’s be straight here, Galvin Green products are not cheap. Depending on where you buy them from you can expect to pay $300-500 for a Gore-Tex jacket, $120-180 for a pullover, and $80-150 for a polo.

Retail prices are a little tough to find, as they don’t list them on their website and different retailers online have pretty varying prices.

But if you ever play in either wet/cold conditions or overly warm conditions, having a few key items from Galvin Green in your collection would be a really wise move.

You’ll be more comfortable, which will lead to lower scores and a more enjoyable experience.

Not to mention if you’re from the United States, you’ll have people in the know say things like “Oooh, Galvin Green, where did you get that?” 

This has happened numerous times while wearing their clothes around.

Galvin Green uses the tagline “We never compromise” and based on my experience with their clothes, they’re absolutely right.

Note: Review score weight based on 40% performance, 20% all other categories

The Breakdown