The Ultimate Golf Rain Gear

The material stretches in four directions, not two, so you're also free to make as full a swing as you could wish for, and damn the torpedoes.

It's also single-layer, so it's lightweight.

That it remains fully waterproof for six straight hours means you could complete a round in the notoriously snail-paced, rain-filled AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and still stay as dry as Tiger Woods' palms under pressure.

This is all well and good, as is the "NanoSphere" technology that repels stains and wipes clean, so that post-round chili dog can be wolfed down with relish.

And the focus on fit, rather than ancillary items such as card pockets and fashion-backward elements such as huge waistbands and ballooning rear shoulder pleats will please players for whom getting the right line refers not only to their putts but also to their silhouette. There's even an adjustable bottom hem on the pants for tailoring.

Still, you ask, $700 for a rain jacket and $500 for rain pants?

There's also a half-sleeve shirt for $450 and a vest for $300; each piece is sold only individually. Tops come in three colors -- gray, black and navy -- while the pants are available in black only.

You could spend this money on lessons, sure, or more likely, on a gleaming new set of irons or a mongo driver. But consider: Will either a better swing or better clubs react to changes in your body temperature and adjust to make you more comfortable?

That's what "c_change: The Bionic Climate Membrane" does. (With a name like that, you should be thankful the clothes' technology doesn't set you back $6 million. And kudos to the marketing team for not calling it "climate change," which doesn't exactly have positive connotations these days.)

During cold weather or when you're not sweating, the fabric's polymer structure condenses to provide better insulation: The retention of your body heat helps keep you warm. When it's warm, that structure opens, and excess body heat and moisture can escape to the air outside.

As the old joke about the Cajun and the thermos goes, but how do it know?

Don't ask so many questions. Just be thankful you have $1,200 to spend on rain gear in the first place.

The Tour Stretch line will be available beginning in July; in the meantime, Dunning's current Pro Stretch collection offers many of the same features and technology that will be found in Tour Stretch at around one-third the price.

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