Imperial’s visor has been selected as the official Tour Visor®. This selection couldn’t be more fitting as Imperial’s iconic high crown visor design has stood the test of time for decades of men’s golf fashion.
Ever since Imperial began making classic, quality headwear in 1916, they’ve come to be known for their men’s golf visors and hats, specifically high crown golf hats. The Tour Visor® features what is known as the original “high crown” style, so we’re digging into the history of men’s golf visors, this classic design and Imperial’s presence in the golf world.
How the Men’s Golf Visor Came to Be
The original men’s golf sun visor started out as a simple visor on the baseball diamond, which was a precursor to the baseball cap we all know and love today.
But while the sport of baseball went on to design the full cap style that we currently associate with the game, players of other sports, like golf and tennis, continued to wear the visor style. Golf hats for men eventually took shape for the game of golf with some resembling the full cap style, or Performance Cap at Imperial, and others developing into the tour visor.
If one had to choose the moment the visor really made its mark in the golf world, though, many would point to famed golfer Arnold Palmer wearing a golf visor and throwing it into the air in 1960 as he won the U.S. Open. From there, men’s golf visors became a sought-after style on the golf course, and Imperial led the charge in making it the popular tour visor look we know and love today.
Tracing Imperial High Crown Visors Through the Years
As the originators of the high crown style golf visor, it’s possible to trace the evolution of the men’s golf visor through vintage Imperial catalogs.
About a decade after that 1960 win by Arnold Palmer, Imperial sports visors were sold in the 1977 catalog in multiples, with one dozen visors coming per order for cotton twill hats with absorbent sweatbands, adjustable velcro closure and a variety of colors. The absorbent sweatbands were a gamechanger for those wearing a men’s golf sun visor for protection on hot days.
In the 1985 catalog, both “high crown” and “low crown” men’s golf visor styles are available with different logos embroidered on the crown. The “Ray’s end” style, however, features embroidery placement on the left side of the visor brim.
The first time a logo appeared on the crown of a baseball cap was in 1901, and from there the crown became more vertical moving into the 1940s. The high crown look, like Imperial’s classic Tour Visor®, is perfectly suited to show off one’s personal style with embroidery, which is another reason Imperial’s hats set them apart.
From food and beverages to animals and state pride, Imperial allows the wearers to truly represent their own style and look. The high crown style goes hand in hand with this space for the wearers to show off their personality with a logo or fun design. Imperial sports visors are now the perfect way to show off your personal style as well as your regard for the history and tradition of men’s golf visors.
By 1987, Imperial’s catalog announced the “beginning of new excitement in visor features for Imperial.” These high crown visors were made with 2-ply oxford poplin, while maintaining the signature terry cloth sweatband inside, and available in 15 different colors. The 1999 catalog specifically featured an Oxford visor, alongside an Oxford bucket hat in classic preppy colors in the popular Oxford cloth. This was the moment bucket hats became another choice in the realm of golf hats for men.
The year 2007 gave us a glimpse of the iconic Tour Visor®, in the high crown style with a silver adjustable closure. Finally, in 2022 that Imperial high crown look is still the classic style, taking its place once more as the official Tour Visor®.
It’s not just through Imperial’s catalogs that you can witness the history of the high crown visor’s growth and popularity in the golf world – you can also see them on the golf course over the years with players proudly sporting this signature style.
There are several professional golfers who have come to be associated with high crown golf visors, like Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson and, most recently, Bubba Watson. But the style isn’t only for the winners’ circle – amateurs and golf fans across the country have embraced this classic decades-old men’s golf visor style and continue to have fun putting their mark on it, particularly through the creative and custom options Imperial now offers.
The Right Men’s Golf Hat For You
Golf hats for men may change in popularity throughout the years, but the power of Imperial Tour Visors® never goes out of style. Knowing how to wear a golf visor and pull it off is one way to put yourself a cut above the rest, and Imperial visors can help you do that.
For fans of the men’s golf visor or the high crown golf visor in particular, this is the year to once again embrace the look of the official Tour Visor®. It’s clear that through the years, despite minor design tweaks and style changes, you really just can’t mess with the classics. So give the Tour Visor® a spin and remember, you’re in good company.