The reliable method
Look at a glove they already own. The size is printed on the cuff, the wrist tab or the closure strap, and it's usually still legible even on a well-worn glove.
This is the only method we'd call reliable, because it also tells you the hand — which is the other thing you need and the most common gift mistake. Two pieces of information from one glance.
If you can't see one
Golf glove sizing is based on hand measurements, and brands publish charts. The two figures that matter:
- Hand circumference — measured around the palm at the widest point, just below the knuckles, excluding the thumb.
- Middle finger length — from the base of the finger to the tip. This is what decides standard versus cadet.
You can get these from a glove of any kind that fits them, or by measuring directly if you have the opportunity. Then check the manufacturer's published chart, because the cut-offs differ slightly by brand.
What cadet actually means
This trips up nearly everyone. Cadet is not a smaller size and it is not a children's size.
A Cadet Large has the same palm width as a standard Large, with shorter fingers. It exists for people whose hands are broad relative to their finger length, which is common enough that most brands make a full cadet range.
If someone finds that gloves either pinch across the palm or have loose fingertips, they're probably a cadet. If they already wear cadet, buying standard will give them bunched fingertips.
How a golf glove should fit
Snug. Genuinely snug — closer to a second skin than to a comfortable fit.
- No slack across the palm. Loose material there bunches under the grip and moves when the club moves, which is the exact opposite of the point.
- No spare material at the fingertips. A small amount of give is fine; a visible gap isn't.
- The closure strap should fasten comfortably without being at either extreme of its range.
New leather feels slightly tight and gives a little over the first few rounds. Synthetic doesn't stretch much, so buy those closer to true size. That difference is worth knowing when choosing between them — leather vs synthetic.
Between sizes?
Go smaller for leather, since it will give. Go larger for synthetic, since it won't.
If you genuinely can't determine the size, buy something else. A badly-fitting golf glove is worse than no glove, so it's not a gift that partially works — it just doesn't. Our under $25 page has plenty of alternatives that need no sizing at all.