Shoes

[gsu_paintballer]

What are they really for? Are you allowed to walk on the course without them?

Please excuse the new guy questions

[Pinseeker81]

Keep your feet from sliding around while you swing. At least at the courses I play they aren't required. Maybe at some of the nicer places they would be.

[gsu_paintballer]

Keep your feet from sliding around while you swing. At least at the courses I play they aren't required. Maybe at some of the nicer places they would be.

So it's more or less a preference thing? I guess people wouldn't look at me like I was retarded for not wearing them?

[Pinseeker81]

Nah. I only recently started wearing them. Now that I have, however, I wouldn't play without them. I have a friend, though, that played very well (single digit handicap) that always wore his lucky loafers, lol. Lots of people play in sneakers.

[Shindig]

So it's more or less a preference thing? I guess people wouldn't look at me like I was retarded for not wearing them?

I've seen people play barefoot. It's a preference thing.

Now, depending on your swing speed and characteristics, you might find them helpful towards balance and feet positioning. I used to feel my feet slip when I would swing a driver in tennis shoes, so I bought one of what was then "last year's model" on clearance and haven't played without golf shoes since. But it's a preference thing -- it's very rare you'll be required to use them, if ever. It's also rare to find metal spikes, but go with soft spikes -- metal spikes aren't allowed at most courses. Oh, and about the "new guy" questions: ask as many as you want! We were all beginners once. Some of us still consider ourselves beginners.