Dress Codes: Good or Bad for the Game?

[RickK]

I have had to laugh out loud at many of the posts in this thread. I have already posted my thoughts and the fact that I am "old school" and believe in dressing appropriately. But, what really gets me (not going to do the quote in my response as I am combining several into one) is that many think some people "just get it" or they have a "better perspective about what is important in life" and so on.

Having, and enforcing, a dress code at golf courses is no different than have a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" sign posted on the door of restaurants. If you don't want to wear proper dress as required by the establishment you are going to (be that a golf course or a restaurant) then don't go there. Ahhhh, but if it where you really want to go, then respect the management of said establishment and dress in an appropriate manner. Isn't it wonderful that those of us who live in the US and other countries consider to be in the "free world" live in countries where we have "a choice". You can choose to dress accordingly to management's requirement or you can choose to not go there. It is not so hard.

[shortgame85]

I have had to laugh out loud at many of the posts in this thread. I have already posted my thoughts and the fact that I am "old school" and believe in dressing appropriately. But, what really gets me (not going to do the quote in my response as I am combining several into one) is that many think some people "just get it" or they have a "better perspective about what is important in life" and so on.

I think

this guy "gets it."

[DJYoshi]

In my opinion, "clothes make the man or woman". How we dress is a reflection of how we feel about ourselves and how we want to be perceived by others. Here is another example of how I feel on this subject. If someone goes to a House Of Worship, and dresses like a slob, then what is that person telling us? I dress up for Church. If it is very hot (and we do NOT have air conditioning in our church), I dress comfortably, but with some class and consideration for where I am. I have seen others in shorts, sneakers, and tank tops, and I want to ask them to leave. I know that is not totally Christian, but they are NOT being respectful. These are the same people who dress like that on the golf course, and think, "Hey, this is a free country and I can dress like I want."

Publisher, I'm gonna have to disagree with you on this one. I'm a devout Catholic. My family prays the rosary and we are blessed to have the traveling statue of Mary at our house once a year. IMO and it is MO as long as you're at Church and you make a conscious effort to go and give praise for the blessings to both G** and the golf G**(kidding) that's all that it should be. I agree that you shouldn't dress like a slob when going to mass, BUT I think shorts are fine. I've come straight off of a plane and went to mass in shorts and a t-shirt...b/c I wanted to go.

There's no set dress code for mass.. Sunday best is how it used to be, but with the busy lives that people live, sometimes there's not enough time to get ready to go. BUT on the golf course..there's set rules. there's a dress code. My gripe is with the people and the courses that don't uphold that value. They do say that clothes make the person, but I think that's B.S. I wear cutoff's, jersey's, shorts, sneakers, etc all the time. I don't feel that makes me any less of a person than someone in a 3 piece suit. Furthermore I don't feel that I'm less educated, aware and politically correct as those that dress to impress. Outside of the golf course, club house, private events, and where it requires a dress code, it's fair game... but that's just how I feel.

[JustMe]

I am astounded at the quantity of responses this topic generated. I am equally amazed at the vitriolic quality of many of the responses. While I haven't read every post, I am put in mind, by the divide amongst the posters of another debate swirling around our country.

~clapping hands~ Well done!

[HytrewQasdfg]

With all due respect, I would hold the exact same discontent for a person that showed up for mass in disrespectful attire. Certain events in life and a civil society dictate that appropriate dress code be followed, and to carry oneself with a certain level of respect and decorum. Not to mention respect for what you are doing.

I think we've fallen into a good analogy. I've been following the trend for churches to loosen their dress requirements for about a decade, here are a couple of interesting facts.

The traditional churches that expect people to show up in their Sunday-best have been steadily losing members. The average age of their members has also gone up. In other words, young people are not joining these churches and they members are either leaving or dying off. Virtually all of their members grew up going to church. The non-traditional churhes are growing, and the average age of their members is younger than the traditional churches. They also have a significant number of members that did not grow up going to church. The irony is that the non-traditonal churches tend to be much more stricter/conservative/traditonal doctrinally than the traditional churches. In fact, traditional churches in the US have loosened their doctrine or the last 30 years (other than the Catholic church, which by coincidence is the only one of the tradional churches that has been growing.) The rise of non-traditional churches (and fall of the traditional ones) over the last decade has been to a significant part due to people seeking substance over style. People looking religion and not just religious trappings. How does this apply to golf? It is the difference between golf as a game/sport and golf as a lifestyle. Can someone be serious about golf as a sport, but uninterested in the lifestyle that has grown up around golf? Sure. Wearing a golf shirt and dockers might score you plenty of style points, but it doesn't make you a serious golfer, and they only thing you are showing respect for is the golf "lifestyle", not golf as a game/sport.

[mgoofy24]

It would seem that at a minimum, conforming to a certain standard of dress, below which would be considered unacceptable, is not an unreasonable requirement to play on any course ( Country Club, public, etc. ). For example, I don't think its unfair on any course to require decent grooming,

Wow...

So, I voted that I think a dress code is a good idea for a golf course. When I voted this way, I had a reasonable dress code in mind (e.g. Please wear a shirt at all times, please wear shoes at all times, please wear pants or shorts at all times). A dress code like the one I just suggested, I think, would benefit the game. I really don't want to go to the course to be paired up with a guy who takes his shirt off on the second hole... But you want to go so far as require "decent grooming." Not only do you want to dictate what I cannot wear, but also dictate whether I shave or not, or if I decide to grow my hair out (not that I would, I'm making this argument for those who do grow their hair out). What exactly is decent grooming anyways? Does that mean that a man cannot have hair longer than 3", or that ladies must have hair longer than their shoulders? If I wake up and run to the course without taking a shower, will that get me barred from playing a round until I take a dip in the lake? My brother went to a high school where they required "decent grooming." It meant that no one there could have any facial hair. Would you go so far as to suggest the same. No one with a two-day growth or a full beard can play the same course with you because heaven forbid you have to look at his facial hair? Decent grooming is a hogwash argument. Why not start telling me that I can only wear blue shirts on M,W,F,Sa and Green shirts on T,R,Sun? I mean, if you're going to tell me how to groom myself, you might as well tell me what colors to wear too... Like I said, I am fine with a reasonable dress code (such as, no shirt, no shoes, no pants/shorts, no playing), but when people start suggesting that grooming comes into play is where I draw the line.

[PEZGolf]

Publisher, I'm gonna have to disagree with you on this one. I'm a devout Catholic. My family prays the rosary and we are blessed to have the traveling statue of Mary at our house once a year. IMO and it is MO as long as you're at Church and you make a conscious effort to go and give praise for the blessings to both G** and the golf G**(kidding) that's all that it should be. I agree that you shouldn't dress like a slob when going to mass, BUT I think shorts are fine. I've come straight off of a plane and went to mass in shorts and a t-shirt...b/c I wanted to go.

I am fine with what you wrote. What I do not like, and this is what I mean by a "slob" is someone who looks like they just came out of the garden or working on the car, and could not take the time to clean up and look "decent". Not everyone has to wear trousers and a dress shirt; shorts are fine in hot weather. Maybe I should have limited my comments to golf, but I do feel that SOME people have taken "casual dress" TOO FAR in our "modern society",and that is why having dress codes at decent golf courses is a necessity.

[PEZGolf]

Might have been nice if you had said all that in the first place, since you knew you would get slammed for it. In this case, you are TOTALLY RIGHT because there is a policy and signage stating the dress code. I have no argument for you WHATSOEVER! A dress code is a dress code. No dress code is NOT a dress code. How many times do I have to say I have no problem with a dress code? Most courses I play DO have one just like you mentioned (albeit, a little late - - -kinda like you were sitting in wait for someone to say something in reply - - -which I DID!). Dress codes are GREAT! Dress codes are WONDERFUL! But they gotta have them and enforce them or the complaining on your part really doesn't mean much.

You are right. I should have used the example in the beginning. That was what I had in mind, but obviously, I should not assume that anyone can know that the normal practice that I encounter is what I described at that course. I assumed that people would know what I meant, and that is wrong. I should have used the example first. I think that it is great that a "public place"---golf course, restaurant, store, etc. puts the rules up so people know what to expect. I guess that I tend to get upset because a couple of courses around here have no established dress code, and SOME people take advantage of that. That ruins it for the rest of us, and so----we do not play golf there.

[RickK]

but I do feel that SOME people have taken "casual dress" TOO FAR in our "modern society.

AMEN!!! Nothing to do with golf. Not that long ago, our corporate office had to issue a memo about "casual dress on Fridays". Years ago when the casual dress on Fridays first started, it was supposed to be "business casual". When the memo came out recently...they actually had to spell out things that were inappropriate office attire. You would think these people would have had enough common sense to know what was inappropriate office attire but it was painfully obvious they did not. I can appreciate someone's dress attire being tied to their self expression. That is all well and good where appropriate. In this case, the office was not the appropriate place and for some, golf courses with stricter dress codes is not either.

[pjsnyc]

Whew! The past few posts have restored my faith in society!

[RickK]

Whew! The past few posts have restored my faith in society!

Reading your post, then looked at your Avatar, relating it to this thread. Spewed coffee all over my keyboard and screen.

[pjsnyc]

Reading your post, then looked at your Avatar, relating it to this thread. Spewed coffee all over my keyboard and screen.

Its a driving range pic in case u were wondering...i suppose practicing on my putting mat at home requires the full garb too?

[RickK]

Its a driving range pic in case u were wondering...i suppose practicing on my putting mat at home requires the full garb too?

Just thought it was funny since this whole thread is about attire on the golf course. It did appear to be a driving range picture...as a matter of fact. As far as putting on your putting mat at home is concerned...I guess that depends upon what your dress code is for your home...since it is your establishment after all.

I would honor it if I were a guest in your home.

[shortgame85]

~clapping hands~ Well done!

Go, golf moms, go!

[pjsnyc]

Just thought it was funny since this whole thread is about attire on the golf course. It did appear to be a driving range picture...as a matter of fact. As far as putting on your putting mat at home is concerned...I guess that depends upon what your dress code is for your home...since it is your establishment after all.

How gentlemanly of you! I will def

to that!

[HytrewQasdfg]

Having, and enforcing, a dress code at golf courses is no different than have a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" sign posted on the door of restaurants. If you don't want to wear proper dress as required by the establishment you are going to (be that a golf course or a restaurant)

The original purpose of this thread was to dicuss if dress codes are good or bad for the game.

If people chose to "don't go there" as in not play golf, is that good or bad for the game. You use restaurants as an example, but they have modifed their dress codes because customers weren't going there and business was suffering. I can see how strict dress codes could be good for maintianing the "golf lifestyle", but at the same time be bad for golf as a business.

[NM Golf]

We will agree to disagree. First,the mere fact of some people saying if the course doesn't have a dress code then don't play there. You've missed the point. I want to play at my local muni, I love that course. I just hate when I show up with less than a foursome, get paired with some buffoon in a tank top, and have to watch this idiot hack it around for 18 holes with sweat pouring from his armpits.

The thread is whether dress codes are good for the game. Some people have lost sight of that. My personal thought and wish is that EVERY course would have a dress code. Then from there your munis could have a more lenient dress code. At my muni I would just like to see them get rid of all sleeveless shirts because guys, really and truly, sleeveless shirts look like . I would also like to see a ban on gym shorts and t-shirts too. I have no problem with cargo shorts or even jeans for that matter at a public muni.

I think society as a whole is going the wrong direction when it comes to dress (and a lot of other things as well). I swear every time I go anywhere it looks like people are trying to out do each other by dressing as poorly as possible. I just don't like seeing that carry over onto the golf course. A lot of times it seems like golf is the last bastian of civil society and when I see people trying to ruin that I get upset.

[N.V.M.]

the results of the poll(the real point of this thread) answers the question. the results are so decisive there is no doubt how most people feel.