Testing waterproofs can be a tricky business depending on the weather. You need it to be raining, but you don’t want it to be raining too much as nobody likes to play golf in a biblical monsoon. There have been times when the lack of rain has resulted in me standing in my garden being hosed down by my wife to ensure that the waterproofs I am reviewing are indeed waterproof but, when it came to testing the Mizuno 20K Waterproof Jacket, there were no such problems as it absolutely chucked it down!
In fact, I’ve never been out on the golf course in worse conditions than I was on this late September day at Denham Golf Club for the Golf Monthly Winter Testing Day. The rain arrived around the turn and, by halfway through the back nine, it was absolutely lashing down to the point that we had to walk in after playing the 15th as the thunder and lightning arrived.
There could have been no sterner test of a waterproof jacket than this, but I can say that by and large the Mizuno 20K stood up to the challenge very well. By the time I reached the car park I was drenched, but the polo shirt I was wearing under the jacket was mostly dry. I say mostly because some water did get in, but only because the jacket has no hood. The rain was so heavy that water was running from my head and down the back of my neck, so the collar and shoulders of my polo was a bit wet, but everywhere else was fine.
The lack of a hood is not ideal, especially when the weather is as bad as it was that day, but in fairness I own several waterproof jackets and not one of them has a hood either. It’s never been a problem for me before as, in normal rainy conditions, it’s fine. I’d never been caught in such a torrential downpour though and I did find myself angrily asking “why doesn’t this thing have a bloody hood?” I didn’t have a cap either, but that’s on me. It didn’t help that my three playing partners all had hoods!
Lack of hood aside though, the jacket performed extremely well and did its job. Aesthetically it’s nice despite being quite simple looking. I tested the navy version but it is also available in black. The navy is nice, especially when paired with the matching trousers. The top half is navy and the bottom half is grey, but there is a striking turquoise zipper which really pops against the navy. The Mizuno branding is obvious but not too in your face. There’s the simple running bird logo on the right breast and some subtle writing that runs parallel with the zip. All in all it’s a nice jacket.
When I first put the jacket on I was worried that it was way too big. Getting the correct size can often be tricky with waterproofs as not all XLs are created equally and they can vary quite a lot from brand to brand. This felt massive when I first tried it on but there are adjustable velcro straps on the back and on the sleeves which when tightened really sharpen up the fit. This makes it suitable for a range of sizes and because it is so adjustable you can wrap up warm in the with an extra jumper or hoodie and just loosen the velcro straps at the back so it isn’t too tight. There’s a large flap on the back which ensures plenty of air can get in to prevent it getting too hot and sticky in there.
Some other waterproof golf jackets I have are not just for the golf course. Often I’ll wear them day to day as they are designed to be more than just an emergency garment you throw on when it’s raining. I wouldn’t put the Mizuno 20K in this category as it’s fairly basic. It does not have thermal lining and it just has the two simple side pockets, so this is very much something I would keep in the golf bag as an insurance policy against the good old British weather. It won’t be particularly warm in the winter, like the best golf sweaters, but the waterproof qualities are top notch and it’s lightweight enough that it will fold down nice and small, so it can be thrown in a stand bag if you want to travel light in the summer, or you can keep it in the cart bag in the winter.
