Richard Head with Ian Woosnam
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Richard Head, ProQuip's chief designer, is so knowledgeable about weather protective clothing for golfers, some call him simply 'Mr Waterproof.'
He probably regards Gene Kelly's 'Singing in the Rain' as his theme tune and knows more about what it takes to keep us dry than a counsellor for Alcoholics Anonymous!
Not only is he in charge of the design and technology in making suits for Ian Woosnam and his European Ryder Cup team for next year at the K Club, as the preferred supplier, he has also created weather-wear for five previous teams, too.
"These guys know exactly what they want and as athletes at the top of their game, they are attuned to detail so waterproof and windproof clothing mustn't be too baggy, too long, or an ounce too heavy," says Richard.
"Seve Ballesteros was very exacting as a Ryder Cup captain in 1997 - and quite right, too, because it rained like hell at Valderrama."
And with Ireland's reputation for rain, it's likely his clothing designs will play a crucial role when Europe defends the Cup against the US next September.
In his 31st year with ProQuip and as it's managing director, Richard has seen many changes in fabrics since the early days of heavy, noisy wet gear.
"We work with textile experts all over the world, in Japan, France, Korea and the UK to ensure fabrics do exactly what we want. The ProQuip Ultralite, for example, has taken 18 months to develop. To the average golfer it probably looks like a soft, thin, single-layer fabric. In fact, it is two fabrics laminated together, which is a very difficult process to achieve - but that's also why it was such a breakthrough in lightweight waterproofs."
He revealed that ProQuip was the first company in Europe to use the waterproof and breathable Gore-TEX fabrics in its ranges in 1984 and that all fabrics must be thoroughly tested before being released as new garments.
"We test everything - strength, abrasion (by rubbing textiles together), shrinkage and wash testing. And that's all before wear testing by a regular panel. There can be significant differences between laboratory tests and what someone actually feels when playing golf in a new fabric. We need to know everything before we launch it," he says.
At ProQuip, he revealed, they have been working on a variety of fabrics since 2002 that he believes are revolutionary - lighter, softer and quieter with a natural stretch built into them.
"Our holy grail is to make everyday clothing that is also waterproof. That may be a little way off, but we are already producing comfortable clothing that can be worn on or off the golf course - and that's a million miles from traditional weather-wear, which was really only suitable for winter".
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1. Richard recommends we should always dry out our waterproofs after use. If you leave them wet in your golf bag or the boot of your car bag, mould will undoubtedly form and start to smell. The clothing will lose its water resistance. Also, golf courses chemicals which, if they come into contact with your clothing can deteriorate the properties of the fabric.
2. Wash your weather-wear with non-biological washing powder. Waterproof fabrics become less efficient and deteriorate when they get dirty or sweaty, so washing jackets and trousers restores their breathability and waterproof properties. Wash with no more than a 40-degree Centigrade cycle. To hot and you can damage the fabric.
3. Hang washed suits out to dry naturally. Do not iron as this can melt and destroy the delicate fabric.
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