Dress Codes: Good or Bad for the Game?

[lastings]

Jeans are legit before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. White belts in between.

[dennyjones]

14 minutes ago, lastings said:

Jeans are legit before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. White belts in between.

You sound like my MIL.    No white before Memorial Day....  (who made that rule?  women?)

I don't own a white belt and never will but don't hold a grudge against anyone that does.   I prefer to dress the part for a round of golf especially when playing with new people or a new course.   

Jeans...great for almost anything but any athletic activity which includes golf.   

[lastings]

On 3/16/2019 at 8:29 PM, dennyjones said:

   Jeans...great for almost anything but any athletic activity which includes golf.   

I wear jeans to work, and thus find myself on the driving range wearing jeans quite frequently.   No real positive or negative to swinging in jeans.  a bit hot in the summer.   kinda nice in the fall.   

[rehmwa]

On 3/16/2019 at 1:28 AM, Aguirre said:

But I'd like to point out the hilarity of the initial question: Good for bad for the game? I mean, really? Really?

this ^^.  Seriously, if one thinks dress codes define the game,...., that's a lot of extra worry, and a lot of getting into other people's shorts, for no real benefit to their life.

and absolutely, I do not like to wear jeans golfing.  If it's cold, I can put running tight, or a partial thermal, under my pants and have a much freed up swing vs with jeans on.  jeans at the driving range is uncomfy enough to ahve to deal with with hitting a bucket at lunch.  but that's about performance, not appearance.

Edited March 18, 2019 by rehmwa

[WarrenB]

I’m 50 years old and to me it’s about respect.  I would never not rake a bunker.  I sometimes wear a tee shirt under my collared sweatshirt in winter. I believe if you respect the game you need to hold yourself to a certain level. My biggest pet peeve is the yoga pants that the school girls wear to practice in. I have daughters and I wouldn’t let them dress in pants that leave nothing to the imagination they have their business in plain sight. Sure they are college girls but it makes me uncomfortable because they are someone’s daughter. Lol

[David in FL]

On 3/16/2019 at 9:29 PM, dennyjones said:

 

Jeans...great for almost anything but any athletic activity which includes golf.   

True dat!

If I were required to wear jeans golfing, I might not play!  

[WedgeHead]

3 hours ago, WarrenB said:

I’m 50 years old and to me it’s about respect.  I would never not rake a bunker.  I sometimes wear a tee shirt under my collared sweatshirt in winter. I believe if you respect the game you need to hold yourself to a certain level. My biggest pet peeve is the yoga pants that the school girls wear to practice in. I have daughters and I wouldn’t let them dress in pants that leave nothing to the imagination they have their business in plain sight. Sure they are college girls but it makes me uncomfortable because they are someone’s daughter. Lol

Every female on the planet is someone's daughter. Should I stop looking at all of them? If I see college girls in tight pants, you're darn right I'm going to look. 

Anyway, I think there should be a dress code. It adds class to the sport.

 

 

[WarrenB]

36 minutes ago, WedgeHead said:

Every female on the planet is someone's daughter. Should I stop looking at all of them? If I see college girls in tight pants, you're darn right I'm going to look. 

Anyway, I think there should be a dress code. It adds class to the sport.

 

 

It’s not the looking. I look but I feel like I’m wrong to look. My wife points them out for goodness sake but I just wish girls would be a little more classy lol

 

[WedgeHead]

18 minutes ago, WarrenB said:

It’s not the looking. I look but I feel like I’m wrong to look. My wife points them out for goodness sake but I just wish girls would be a little more classy lol

 

You're not wrong for looking, you're just human. If your wife doesn't understand that, well........ I used to tell all women I met that when I stop looking at other females, I'm probably going to stop looking at them too. They kind of understood. Didn't mean to derail this thread btw.

But I personally like putting on a collared shirt, nice shorts, golf hat, and going out having a good time. It's the only time I enjoy being outside dressed up.

 

 

[JxQx]

On 3/15/2019 at 9:10 PM, Buckeyebowman said:

Same here, but I've noticed that people who take some care to dress well usually act the same way. 

That seems like more of the norm. For me, It has been kind of mixed but its probably just the area that I live (lots of rural/blue collar areas). There are people who dress like pro's that act like entitled pricks but also people who wear super casual clothes who are just out to get drunk. The older I get, the less I care what other people are doing as long as they aren't being dbags.

[rehmwa]

I'll argue that the yoga pants appear comfortable and give a full range of motion and are highly functional for an activity that improves with both comfort and unrestrictive range of motion.

any issues with that isn't the fault of the women.......not the women

"class", real class is about actions and attitude and handling relations.  cosmetic stuff just doesn't seem to make a difference to me.  I'll take courtesy, fixing ball marks, being friendly, not being snobby, etc etc etc over any outfit, any day

I've met more entitled pricks in perfect outfits on a golf course than I've ever met in jeans and a t-shirt.  The fact that I prefer to wear a golf shirt and pants or a nice pair of shorts (for comfort and breathability, not appearance) makes zero difference.  I dress myself, I don't worry about others that can dress themselves without my butting in.

On 3/15/2019 at 8:10 PM, Buckeyebowman said:

 

Same here, but I've noticed that people who take some care to dress well usually act the same way. 

100% polar opposite experience here, frankly.  The better they dress, the bigger the asshole.  (they tend to know the rules and etiquette better, but even then, they tend to be jerks about that also.)

Edited March 19, 2019 by rehmwa

[WarrenB]

20 hours ago, WedgeHead said:

You're not wrong for looking, you're just human. If your wife doesn't understand that, well........ I used to tell all women I met that when I stop looking at other females, I'm probably going to stop looking at them too. They kind of understood. Didn't mean to derail this thread btw.

But I personally like putting on a collared shirt, nice shorts, golf hat, and going out having a good time. It's the only time I enjoy being outside dressed up.

 

 

I try to always endeavor to never put myself in uncomfortable positions I’m not comfortable around Little girls dressed like they are in a yoga class. It’s a personal thing I end up trying not to look and it takes away from my relaxation the golf!

[NM Golf]

On 3/19/2019 at 8:48 AM, rehmwa said:

100% polar opposite experience here, frankly.  The better they dress, the bigger the asshole.  (they tend to know the rules and etiquette better, but even then, they tend to be jerks about that also.)

Where do you people play? I have been playing golf for 25 years. I have played thousands of rounds on courses ranging from Pinehurst no. 2, to exclusive country clubs, to the shittiest muni you can believe. Probably half of those rounds I have played while paired up with people I did not know. I cannot remember playing with a single asshole. In fact I can only recall one negative experience ever, and that was when I got paired with a couple idiots who were too drunk and stoned to play. They were nice enough guys, they just may have had a bit of a substance abuse problem. Perhaps I am just lucky, who knows, but I have yet to encounter an asshole while playing golf. 

I have however encountered a few while working at the golf course and a huge majority of them were not dressed in traditional golf attire.

I will say that if the person is dressed "golf appropriate" it often makes the round more enjoyable as it more often than not means the person takes the game slightly more seriously and tend to be better players.

Edited March 20, 2019 by NM Golf

[Southern by Choice]

I’m not a very stuffy person, but I’ve observed a general decline in behavior and deportment (now there’s a throwback word!) when clothing standards are thrown out the window.  People naturally behave better in dresses and coat and tie than they do in shorts or jeans and flip flops.  From that standpoint, a dress code IS "better for the game."

[WarrenB]

2 hours ago, Southern by Choice said:

I’m not a very stuffy person, but I’ve observed a general decline in behavior and deportment (now there’s a throwback word!) when clothing standards are thrown out the window.  People naturally behave better in dresses and coat and tie than they do in shorts or jeans and flip flops.  From that standpoint, a dress code IS "better for the game."

That wAs kinda my thinking I think you need to respect the game of golf because it’s unique in its respect of the rules. Only game ever where you call penalties on your self.  I play with people who I’ve caught cheating above the one club length that our group allows. Caught a man teeing it up in the fairway yesterday 3 times didn’t say anything. That’s on him.  I was prouder of my 95 played by the rules than his 78 moving tge ball and cheating. I will clean mud off my ball one out of rocks but won’t move out from behind trees like most 

How you dress is part of this it’s a 300 year old game. Respect it’s roots if you love it 

[Fourputt]

1 hour ago, WarrenB said:

That wAs kinda my thinking I think you need to respect the game of golf because it’s unique in its respect of the rules. Only game ever where you call penalties on your self.  I play with people who I’ve caught cheating above the one club length that our group allows. Caught a man teeing it up in the fairway yesterday 3 times didn’t say anything. That’s on him.  I was prouder of my 95 played by the rules than his 78 moving tge ball and cheating. I will clean mud off my ball one out of rocks but won’t move out from behind trees like most 

How you dress is part of this it’s a 300 year old game. Respect it’s roots if you love it 

So does that mean you wear plus fours with a coat and tie?  That is what was worn 100 years ago.  Or some of the images I've seen from the 18th century of men in what would be formal dress today, and women in ankle length full dresses.  Now that would uncomfortable to nth degree.

Just messing with you, but styles change - have changed throughout the history of the game.  I conform to the norms of courses I play.  If that's neat shorts or slacks and polo shirt, then I wear those.  If, like the places where I play most often, the codes are more casual, then I don't worry about it. 

I most often will still dress in the current standard for golf attire, but I may just be stopping off for a quick 9 holes like I did yesterday for my first time out this year, wearing the jeans and t-shirt that I happened to have on at the time.  Such attire is not only acceptable at that course, but is pretty much expected.  Since at least 3/4 of the membership are farmers and ranchers, and other blue collar types who support them,  you will see just about any sort of general work clothes on the course.  No one bats an eye at what someone wears to Tuesday men's league, since most come straight from work to the course, wearing what they did all day.  Yet they all respect the game and the course - many of them, like my wheat farmer father-in-law, helped build the course.  They have a vested interest in it.

[Foot Wedge]

Eh I've seen guys act like the scum of the earth wearing coat and ties.  It's your character that matters.  I've worn t shirts to cheap munis and long pants to country clubs.  But I try to treat the course and the players the same way, with respect.  

Frankly I have more respect for kind folks in jeans than I do for the guy dressed to the 9s who didn't say thank you after both times I pointed out his ball in the adjacent (my) fairway...

[Cantankerish]

I have competed in tournament level events in a few things over the years.  And I can tell you from experience that plenty of other sports and/or hobbies could use some of what golf has.  Whatever the downsides of highly formal rules of behavior, dress, etc, golf gains some serious advantages from its steeped history.  Start taking away the clear expectations of gentile behavior and the slope gets slick awfully fast.  I am not going to dress like Don Knotts, but I am sure going to uphold any and all traditions.  I say it is a net gain.