Course Attire

[MrSandman]

LaMay, Whistling Straights is a course open to the public with greens fees. That is not the type of course I am talking about.

You accused me of "making stuff up" when I told you a story that I have seen more than once. If you show up at a private club (not for a HS tourney, but as a guest of a member) wearing cargo shorts, there is a very good chance they will make you go to the pro shop and buy appropriate attire. Maybe not where you are located, but in the northeast, definitely.


Teal, the midwest, and places like Green Bay, are known more for harley davidsons, rosanne barr and cheese heads, and your insistance that private courses allow cargo shorts just backs up that image of the slovenly midwesterner. I'm just busting on you here, but it does go to show how location does play a role. Word of advice to you and LaMay: If you go to a private course on Long Island, or Westchester, or northern Jersey, do not wear cargo shorts, you will likely be spending $75 on a new pair of shorts in the pro shop.

And I'm not making fun of you, or looking down on you. I think LaMay needs to get out more if he thinks I was making stuff up, but I'm just discussing the issue. No hard feelings.

[Fourputt]

And to further the point:

I work in the pro shop (starter) and we are required to wear "proper golf attire", which includes cargo shorts and sandals if that's what is comfortable for the weather that day.

Why do the pro and assistant pros wear jacket and ties during a member/guest or big member tournament?

Our pros wear "proper golf attire" (shorts, polo, and sneakers or casual shoes) when hosting a tournament, including last week when we hosted the corporate outing (more than 270 players) for the owner of the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche.

Why can't you use your cell phone on the grounds except for designated cell phone areas?

We can use a cell phone anywhere... it's not considered good etiquette, but it's not disallowed. Abuse it and someone might wrap a 9I around your head.

Why do you have to put on your golf spikes in the locker room instead of the parking lot?

I always put my golf shoes on in the parking lot, wherever I play, country club or otherwise. Never had it questioned.

[teal]

(Although, I'm still IN for the G-String LPGA)

Are you sure?

[MrSandman]

Cargos and khaki shorts were allowed and no EVER had to buy new clothes or was refused play. Same goes with the Gateway Junior PGA events.

Your not talking about the same situation. You're not talking about being a guest on a Tuesday afternoon at a private club. If you showed up at that same course as a guest, they very well might tell you to go buy a new pair of shorts.

No course wants to be in the newspaper under high school sports: LaMay, the heavy favorite, did not participate in the event because he was not dressed properly and did not have the $75 for a new pair of shorts, thus was DQ'ed.

[xamilo]

Are you sure?

Well mate, like everything in life, there are some sacrifices which have to be made. I guess after Gulbis passes by you won’t remember Ms Lopez…

[Fourputt]

And your statement here just reinforces the opinion of the rest of the country of the uptight snobbiness of the east coast. Just because we know how to behave well and still maintain a relaxed manner, you view us as slobs???? And we view you as snobs because you look down your noses at our lifestyles.... I guess we all know where the other one is coming from now, don't we?

And as I said, I wouldn't be spending anything in the pro shop of a course that made such a requirement of me. I will show up at an unfamiliar course dressed neatly and properly for more than 90% of the country. If I happen to accidentally wind up at one of the less than 10% that has an inflated opinion of themselves, I will promptly relieve them of my presence.

[teal]

LaMay, Whistling Straights is a course open to the public with greens fees. That is not the type of course I am talking about.

But it is hardly a muni either - they do have a very upper class and proper image to maintain. That's his point.

Teal, the midwest, and places like Green Bay, are known more for harley davidsons, rosanne barr and cheese heads, and your insistance that private courses allow cargo shorts just backs up that image of the slovenly midwesterner.

Never not once had someone equate where I live with Rosanne Barr. Most people know GB by the Packers but this is hardly the only place I have lived. Lived in Monterey California for a good stretch, spent time in Del Mar and Silicon Valley as well. Those places had no problem with me in shorts, cargo or otherwise.

If we are going to make generalizations about location and people - I can say, given what I have seen here that the NE and NY in particular should be known for poor grammar and spelling and the indecency of not even making sure they spell another forum member's name correctly when addressing him. (Lemay vs LaMay) Your behavior here just "backs up the image" of an arrogant jerk from NYC but remember -I'm just busting on you here, but it does go to show how location does play a role. And I'm not making fun of you, or looking down on you. No hard feelings. As to the spending 6 figures on a club - big deal. Money does not equal class. I have had 2000 dollar dinners with friends, I have had 2 dollar hot dogs. Money or dress does not limit who I chose to associate with, character does.

You will likely be spending $75 on a new pair of shorts in the pro shop.

I thought you just said shorts were just as cheap as the cargos?

[Lemay427]

by the way..private clubs around here are closed on Mondays.


And we played during "member times"

I am so glad I live in the midwest.

[MrSandman]

If I happen to accidentally wind up at one of the less than 10% that has an inflated opinion of themselves, I will promptly relieve them of my presence.

If you were standing on the first tee of Baltusrol, but you had cargo shorts on, you would leave instead of going in and buying the proper attire? Why?

Teal, regular shorts are the same price, but everything in a pro shop is inflated. And Whistling Straights is NOT a private course. It is open to the public. It has absolutely nothing to do with this conversation. Just like Pebble Beach And stop being Mr Insecurity about "class" and such. It is a matter of respecting the people who support the course. Not always, but in general, cargo shorts have an image of a skateboard park, and many people think that looks sloppy. That should be the end of the debate. T-Shirts are pretty much just collared shirts with no collars, and jeans are just normal pants made out of denim, so why aren't they allowed?

[teal]

And Whistling Straights is NOT a private course. It is open to the public. It has absolutely nothing to do with this conversation. Just like Pebble Beach

It has EVERYTHING to do with the conversation.

It is about image. Cargo shorts don't harm the greens, they don't kill little animals, they don't tear up the cart path and they don't take divots. The only reason they aren't allowed at the places you go is image. Now are you really trying to tell me that places like Pebble and the Straights don't have a cultivated image they try and uphold or generate?

[xamilo]

That is exactly the peak of the problem. People who are willing to spend $75,000 a year in a Country Club like to look "upper class", and avoid that "new money" image as it has been called (I want to make clear I'm not in favour or against this, and I'm not criticizing anything nor saying people in cargo pants are slobs, nor saying I love Villegas’s pink stretch slim fit pants).

The thing is, Golf has always (I don’t want anybody coming here telling me I’m wrong because in 1873 there was a law in Dublin which said you could play being poor sponsored by the Royal Andrew’s or something) been related to money. Little by little, it has been changing, and public courses are available almost everywhere in the world. This has lead to more people playing golf, and more people from different upbringings taking over the game. The reason to pay $100,000 a year is you are exclusive; it’s the only way they can keep people paying. Golf is no longer exclusive, so they have to maintain something to keep their members happy, and those are always exclusions. Just entering a country club is difficult enough, you need to have this and this reference, you need to be known by this guy or that one there, you need to have at least three Ph. Ds, etc. It’s always about exclusion. I’m not saying I’m against it, I’m just saying this is what happens. Same reason why you enter 372 Tetsuya (one of the finest restaurants in the world) and you need to have a shirt and jacket.

If I owned a golf course I could use ANY rule I would want to. I might oblige people to wear 70’s coloured shirts and ban the use of any Afro with a diameter of 10cm or higher.

I agree some rules are stupid like the one wearing ¼ socks in the NSW Country Club as I mentioned before, but those are the rules of the place. Isn’t it as stupid as any rule in any other sport? I don’t know if I’m aloud to swim with a bow tie and a Spiderman mask in the National competitions. There is a rule for everything and a rule for everybody. If they don’t apply to you, then don’t follow them, and as Fourputt does, just leave the place.

Ain’t that just easy?



By the way, and I’m serious about this question, does anybody know if I’m aloud in a tuxedo in a golf course???

THanks

[teal]

By the way, and I’m serious about this question, does anybody know if I’m aloud in a tuxedo in a golf course???

It's fine as long as there aren't too many pockets. You know a cargo tux.

[MrSandman]

Bethpage allows T-Shirts and Jeans, and they are hosting the open next year.

I guess we should all go out and wear t-shirts and jeans in our next round, since it is okay there.


and xamillo is right, it is about respecting the members. not how much the members pay (as teal wants to turn this into a so what about cost conversation), but the fact that they do pay big money to maintain the course, and they don't want Teal, LaMay, fourputt and the gang changing their shoes in the parking lot and looking like skateboard rats out on the course. and if lamay and fourputt want to threaten not to play, so what, just one less group on the course that day.

[gsu_paintballer]

And your statement here just reinforces the opinion of the rest of the country of the uptight snobbiness of the east coast. Just because we know how to behave well and still maintain a relaxed manner, you view us as slobs???? And we view you as snobs because you look down your noses at our lifestyles.... I guess we all know where the other one is coming from now, don't we?

I've never met a person at my course or the other two I have played who even looked for a second like they were concerned with my choice of dress. I would be willing to bet that the people who worry about how others look probably play worse golf than those who don't. I'm not saying "I" play better than these guys, because I don't. I'm the guy who wears cargo shorts. I do tuck my shirt in, as seen a few pages ago.

But I would bet if you ran a study comparing equal handicaps of people who don't and people who do care and put "poorly" dressed people around the course.....we would have an interesting result. Discussions like these really cement what everyone told me when I took up golf. "Oh you think you're all high class and stuff now?" Nope, just wanna have some fun. Didn't realize it was a fashion show. Hell, that's why I left paintball. It turned into a game where if you dressed in last years gear, you suck, no matter how well you play.

[BASHERBAKER69]

I nice pair of Chinos and a hard collared shirt will guarante entrance to any course, public, private or country club.

Dress is part of the game guys- i wouldnt want to see somebody wearing a pair of jeans and a t shirt at my course. Part of the reason why i pay a fee to be a member is to keep those who can't afford it, and are probably scruffy, out.

[Lemay427]

but the fact that they do pay big money to maintain the course, and they don't want Teal, LaMay, fourputt and the gang changing their shoes in the parking lot and looking like skateboard rats out on the course.

you really are an elitist. "Skateboard rats"...HAHAHAHA I do change my shoes in the parking lot. Also, country clubs are a thing of the past. Not trying to brag but I do have the money to join most of the clubs in my area. Why would I want to associate myself with the old bags that arent even with it anymore? Granted I am sure they are not as closeminded as Mr. Sandman is. Also, I am restricted to playing the same course over, and over, and over and over again. This post is getting way off topic and more of a post about how most the forum members are "skateboard rats" and not as proper as mr. sandman.

[xamilo]

But I would bet if you ran a study comparing equal handicaps of people who don't and people who do care and put "poorly" dressed people around the course.....we would have an interesting result.

That's the beauty of the sport: you do need to have talent, its not only about what you can afford to have, or what you might like to wear.

Hell, that's why I left paintball. It turned into a game where if you dressed in last years gear, you suck, no matter how well you play.

I used to rock climb when I was younger. When I decided to re-take golf some years ago, I remember my rock climbing friends telling me something similar to what they told you “hey, so now you are a doctor and you need a snobbish sport to match your surgeon attitude, right?” We sat down and we compared how much did golf gear and rock climbing gear cost, and the result was surprising. I could get a complete top of the line golf package for around the same amount I could get a complete set of gear for rock climbing, with the huge difference climbing gear wears out quite quickly (about two years). As well, going to the golf course once a week was as expensive as travelling to the blue mountains (place where I climbed near Sydney) once a week, and the practice range was actually cheaper than indoor climbing. The funny thing is you think of a rock climber and you think of this hippy-type “I have not gotten a bath in a week” artist, while you think about a golfer and you think of an immaculate beautifully dressed lawyer, when you actually pay more for the first situation

[MrSandman]

Lemay, I'm not closed minded, I'm not old. But when I go to a private course, I respect the members. I do not violate the dress code, I do not change my shoes in the parking lot, I do not use my cellphone in the parking lot, I do not wear my hat indoors, etc....

And Country Clubs are not a thing of the past. The best conditioned courses are usually private courses. Compare Bethpage's greens to the private clubs on Long Island, and they would be very average.

A couple of US Opens are being played at public and greens fees courses, but most are still at private courses for a reason. Also, whenever the US Open is at a Public course, they have to pump millions into them to improve the conditions. They don't have to do that at Winged Foot or Baltusrol, those courses keep themselves in great condition at all times.

Here is a picture of Lemay getting ready to show the local private courses that he doesn't need to follow any rules!!