© Taylormade Golf
Glove tested: TaylorMade Tour Preferred (men’s) Retail price: $22 Material(s): Cabretta leather Colors: White Hand: Left, right Sizes: S, M, ML, L, XL, XL, 2XL
Available in cadet* fit: Yes Weather: All
About this glove: TaylorMade’s top-of-the-line glove got a sleek new look for 2015, with half the surface now dotted with perforations, the other side smooth as fresh cream. It’s the glove of choice for many of TaylorMade’s professional tour staffers (hence the name).
The Tour Preferred glove is made of premium quality cabretta leather and treated with TaylorMade’s Soft Tech process. The contoured wrist lining is made of moisture-wicking material to keep dampness at bay.
Appearance: Classic, but with enough panache to differentiate it from other all-white gloves. The dozens of tiny holes make the TaylorMade Tour Preferred look cool—literally and figuratively.
Comfort: TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred glove tends to run slightly large to size, which is fine as long as you try it on before buying. We found it fit just fine and felt fantastic. Soft, smooth and thin, the leather is top-notch. This is a very breathable glove as well, and we really like the stretchable fastener. A very easy glove to get into and out of.
Feel: Wearing this glove, your palm feels molded to the club’s grip. There’s no excess material bunching, and the leather conforms beautifully to your hand without stretching. The thin, supple leather conducts clubhead feedback well.
Tackiness: Slip-free from start to finish. Like any glove, the TaylorMade Tour Preferred will lose a little tackiness after several rounds. But it’s as good as any at maintaining surface traction.
Durability: If this category is of primary importance to you, the TaylorMade Tour Preferred may not be your best bet. We’d call it about average for a high-end cabretta glove. Of course, the better care you take of any glove, the longer it will last.
Bottom line: TaylorMade didn’t become a golf behemoth by making lousy equipment, and its Tour Preferred glove fits the company’s standard for quality. It’s a great-looking, nice-fitting, good-feeling glove. It’s a tad on the pricey side, and needs a little extra care to extend its lifespan, but performance is, indeed, tour-level.
*Cadet gloves have shorter fingers than regular gloves of the same size; e.g., a cadet medium glove has the same palm fit with shorter fingers than a standard medium.
