Two cargo shorts built for carrying what you actually bring onto the course
This collection holds two pairs of golf shorts with cargo pockets: Cargo shorts - Beige and Cargo shorts - Washed Black. Both add side cargo pockets to a clean, dress-code-friendly golf short, so the things you reach for mid-round have somewhere to live that isn't your hand or the bottom of your bag. The point of a cargo pocket on the course is simple: a spare ball, a few tees, a pencil, a scorecard or your phone sit on the thigh, flat against the leg, within reach without breaking your stance. The beige reads cleaner and more classic for a bright day; the washed black is the quieter, more versatile option that carries straight from the first tee to lunch afterwards. Everything below is about choosing between the two and getting the fit, length and care right.
What a cargo pocket actually solves on the round
Standard golf shorts give you two hip pockets and sometimes two back pockets, which fills up fast once you've got a phone, keys, a glove and a handful of tees. The side cargo pocket moves the bulk off your hips and onto the thigh, where it sits flatter and doesn't fight your hands during the swing. In practice that means your phone isn't pressed against your hip through a turn, and loose tees and a ball aren't rolling around with your car keys. If you walk the course rather than ride, that extra, accessible storage matters more, because you're not reaching back into the bag every time you need a tee. Choose a pocket with a secure closure if you tend to lose small items; an open cargo pocket is fine for a scorecard but less reassuring for a phone on a hilly layout.
Beige or washed black
The choice between the two comes down to how you want the shorts to read and how often you'll wear them off the course. Cargo shorts - Beige is the brighter, more traditional golf look: it pairs cleanly with a white or pastel polo and photographs well in summer light, but it shows grass stains and dirt more readily, so it asks a little more of you on a wet day. Cargo shorts - Washed Black hides dirt, works under almost any shirt colour and slides into everyday wear without looking like golf kit, which makes it the easier single pair to own if you only want one. If you play a lot and want range, the two cover opposite ends: one light and crisp, one dark and quiet.
How golf shorts with cargo pockets should fit
Golf shorts should sit at your natural waist without a belt doing all the work, and they should let you rotate through a full swing and walk eighteen holes without pulling across the thigh or riding up. Cargo pockets add a consideration most shorts don't: a loaded side pocket pulls on the fabric, so a fit that's too slim will gape or sag once the pocket is full. Aim for a relaxed-but-tailored line through the thigh, not skin-tight and not baggy. When you try them on, fill the cargo pocket the way you'd actually use it, then take a practice swing and a few steps. If the waistband drops or the leg twists, size the fit, not just the waist number. For a wider look at getting short fit right, our guide on how should mens golf shorts fit walks through the details.
Getting the length right
Golf short length is usually judged at the knee: the hem should land around the top of the kneecap or just above it, long enough to look intentional and respect most club dress codes, short enough to move freely. Too long and cargo shorts start to look like workwear; too short and they read casual rather than golf. The cargo pockets sit on the upper-to-mid thigh regardless of length, so length is purely about the hem. If you're unsure where to land, our breakdown of what length should golf shorts be covers how the hem position changes the look.
Washing and caring for them so they last
Most technical golf shorts do best on a cold or low-temperature machine wash, turned inside out, with similar colours and no fabric softener, which can clog the fibres that make the fabric breathe and wick sweat. Empty the cargo and hip pockets first, close any zips or velcro so they don't snag, and skip the tumble dryer where you can: hang-drying protects both the shape and any water-repellent finish. The washed black holds its look through repeated washes better than a light colour, while the beige rewards washing after rounds where it's picked up grass or dirt rather than letting stains set. Always check the care label on the specific pair, since it overrides any general advice.
Where cargo shorts fit in a golf wardrobe
A pair of cargo golf shorts earns its place because it does more than one job: functional storage on the course, and a relaxed, wearable cut off it. Pair them with a collared shirt to stay inside club dress codes, which almost always require a polo rather than a t-shirt on the course. If you want to build the rest of the outfit around them, browse the full golf polo shirts range for the top half, and golf caps to finish it. For shorts in other colours and cuts beyond the cargo style, the broader golf shorts men collection shows what else is available, and our article on men's golf outfit ideas ties the pieces together.
