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Dress Codes: Good or Bad for the Game?


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Dress Codes  

146 members have voted

  1. 1. Dress Codes: Good or Bad for the Game

    • Good for the game
      460
    • Bad for the game
      116


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Continuing my informal survey... checked in with my 21 year old son today.  He's a tee-shirt aficionado.  I asked him if his friends asked him to play at a course with a dress code would he play or not play.  He said he'd wear a collared shirt and reluctantly play.  So, to date, that's 6 for 6 twenty-somethings, all tee shirt lovers, who won't let a dress code get in the way of playing golf.

Where is the survey Bonvivant said he'd do??? 😁

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2 hours ago, limbo said:

Scrap them altogether. Wear what you want. Get the numbers up. Play in a chicken suit for all I care.

You have absolutely no evidence that suggests that removing dress codes everywhere would increase play or "get the numbers up."

It could actually cause a decline. I know of members who resigned at one club and switched to another here in Erie when they allowed "pressed, designer jeans" to be worn in the main dining area.

Dress codes do not limit access to the game. They might limit access, occasionally, to a golf course for those who can't plan ahead, but they don't limit access to the game. You can find plenty of places to play in a wife beater and jean cut-offs.

2 hours ago, limbo said:

What you wear and the general snobbishness of golf is at huge detriment to the game. There are two generations of younger folk being massively deterred from playing by all this old fashioned nonsense (and also by a certain orange-tinged premier ), and the whole game has awful PR as a result. It needs to be FAR more inclusive.

Smells like complete BS to me.

2 hours ago, amished said:

@iacas If you went to any super private/exclusive course, and you were allowed to wear anything you wanted from just your underwear to a 3 piece suit and anything in between, if you chose to wear just your underwear would you respect golf less?  Would you respect the course less?  Why?

For exactly the same reasons that you wouldn't show up to a funeral, a wedding, etc. in just your underwear.

This point keeps going right over your head, apparently.

2 hours ago, amished said:

If we say that wearing certain clothes is "more good" for Golf, then we should do that everywhere.

Everywhere already has a dress code. You can't just show up in your underwear and expect to play.

2 hours ago, amished said:

Tangentially, why is the PGA relaxing their dress code if it was better for the game of golf?

Tangentially? They're not saying "hey guys, wear your underwear out there." During practice rounds they're letting the guys wear shorts. That's been it.

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"I know of members who resigned at one club and switched to another here in Erie when they allowed "pressed, designer jeans" to be worn in the main dining area."

I have the same issue with my club. They allow jeans in the dining room (but are banned on the course).  I keep trying to get this changed to make it "business casual" after 6pm in the dining room which I feel is a fair compromise.  I keep running into resistance so I am considering leaving.  

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32 minutes ago, David in FL said:

That leaves an extremely small minority of people who might ultimately quit the game if they could not find a course where they weren’t as restricted in their dress, but honestly, what’s the harm in that?

the point was made above that to complete the thought, though, you should turn it around too. 

if your course decided to scrap the dress code - If wonder if you'd even notice.  People will still dress pretty much the same, the occasional outlyer would play and I suspect it wouldn't bother people too much except for certain types.....  No one would leave the club and if they did, would you really care if someone that caught up in what other people wear left - they likely are 'that guy' and good riddance..... For those stereotyped very exclusive private clubs, I suspect that just the member selection process itself makes the dress code kind of a moot point - these people would dress that way regardless of the rules......

That leaves an extremely small minority of people who might ultimately quit the game if they could not find a course where the dress code was sufficiently restrictive enough for their sensibilities....but honestly, what's the harm in that?

 

I'll continue with my private questionaire - asked the sister and brother in law (who belong to a private club) would they quit if the club cancelled the dress code.  they said no - they like the course and the members.

so that 2 for 2 so far

Edited by rehmwa

Bill - 

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I don't think the presence of absence of a dress code is good or bad for the game. The large amount of time and money required for golf keeps more people from the game than anything related to dress code. Slow play and rude behavior (being loud, damaging course, not repairing ball marks, etc) are also a bigger problem.

I have worn a collared shirt the majority of my days on earth because of general expectations at work if not actual requirements. I will meet the expectations of wherever I am. I play mostly dog tracks and usually wear a golf shirt and golf shorts, but not always. The last time I played I wore cargo shorts and a t-shirt because that is what I had on when my son asked to go play and I thought it was silly to change clothes just to play. My son actually dresses nicer than me, but he won't be caught dead in a golf shirt when off the course. 

I can understand people not liking tank tops/wife beaters because nobody really wants to see anyone's sweaty armpits. I don't understand the disdain for cargo shorts, although I admit some are better than others. If they are not in your group, how do they really affect your enjoyment of the game. I also don't understand what difference the collar on a shirt makes, while I can understand some people not liking certain logos/slogan on a t-shirt. 

I will continue to meet expectations, but I don't know that I will understand why those expectations exist.

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9 minutes ago, cristphoto said:

"I know of members who resigned at one club and switched to another here in Erie when they allowed "pressed, designer jeans" to be worn in the main dining area."

I have the same issue with my club. They allow jeans in the dining room (but are banned on the course).  I keep trying to get this changed to make it "business casual" after 6pm in the dining room which I feel is a fair compromise.  I keep running into resistance so I am considering leaving.  

How about a dining room dress code allowing jeans (not torn) and tee-shirt (plain and clean) with a nice JACKET over?  It's a good look.  And shows you're respecting the space.

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For me it’s more of an aesthetic thing. I like the manicured look of a golf course with its mown fairways, nice sand bunkers, water holes  and so on. I also like looking around and seeing everybody in golf attire so when I see somebody showing up in jeans and a tee shirt, it does take away a bit of the enjoyment for me. I won’t leave a course because of it and I understand that there are exceptions. I play in a Thursday 9 hole league during the summer, we tee off at 5:30 so some guys show up straight from work and I get that they may not have time to change so that doesn’t really bother me. 

my get up and go musta got up and went..
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Sorry, but in the big picture, it’s no real “loss to golf”, if they leave the game.  Nor is it any loss if a very small minority choose not to try golf in the first place for the same reason.  

This completely disregards the young (or not so young) people who could become golfers. Changes are not made for those playing now. We're already happy as. And will continue to wear the gear most comfortable to play in. I think the rules should be changed to remove the barrier of entry. The rigid rules on dress seem archaic to the younger generation. Self expression in the game will bring better golf, more character and more courses and more revenue

Edited by limbo
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17 minutes ago, limbo said:

This completely disregards the young (or not so young) people who could become golfers. Changes are not made for those playing now. We're already happy as. And will continue to wear the gear most comfortable to play in. I think the rules should be changed to remove the barrier of entry. The rigid rules on dress seem archaic to the younger generation. Self expression in the game will bring better golf, more character and more courses and more revenue

I am all for interesting attire (self expression), which might even preclude a collared shirt.  But let it be an ensemble someone thought about prior to the round; but a sweaty tee-shirt and torn jeans takes no forethought and is just sloppy.

Edited by Double Mocha Man
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35 minutes ago, limbo said:

The rigid rules on dress seem archaic to the younger generation.

Rigid? I’ll remain polite but what the younger generation considers ‘rigid’ is an absolutely unrecognizable insignificance to us. A shirt with a collar is rigid?

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5 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Great post, but it begs the question: Should you tuck in your shirt on the golf course?  Or is that a topic for another thread?

We played The Flint Golf Club (very private) this year and two guys in our group were told to tuck in their shirt.   It wasn't a problem, we followed their rules.

From the land of perpetual cloudiness.   I'm Denny

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1 minute ago, Double Mocha Man said:

How's the water there?

I live outside the city and have a well.    They are replacing the water lines into all of the homes but won't finish this year.     Sad situation, some people are still using bottled water.   

From the land of perpetual cloudiness.   I'm Denny

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Just now, dennyjones said:

I live outside the city and have a well.    They are replacing the water lines into all of the homes but won't finish this year.     Sad situation, some people are still using bottled water.   

Thanks for answering.  I was just truly curious about the water at a private club.

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1 minute ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Thanks for answering.  I was just truly curious about the water at a private club.

Filtered osmosis.

From the land of perpetual cloudiness.   I'm Denny

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6 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Great post, but it begs the question: Should you tuck in your shirt on the golf course?  Or is that a topic for another thread?

That particular course where I had to tuck in my shirt was a Private Course and it is their rule that all golfers must play with their shirt tucked in.  As soon as I knew it was a rule I tucked in my shirt, I did give them a little grief and told them they were even more strict then the NCAA.  They smiled and just state they didn't make the rules they just enforced them.

I had no issues with it and I did not want to embarrass myself or especially the member that invited me to play on the course.  

Tucking my shirt in to play that course, I would do it in a heartbeat to play it.  Fabulous course and the people were exceptionally nice.

Today I was just invited to play the course again and I can't wait.  Just need my knee to heal first.

To your question @Double Mocha Man "Should you tuck in your shirt on the golf course"  I only do it if the course has a rule stating they want it tucked in or otherwise my shirt generally is not tucked in when golfing.  But I do not have a problem either way. 

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2 hours ago, limbo said:

This completely disregards the young (or not so young) people who could become golfers. Changes are not made for those playing now. We're already happy as. And will continue to wear the gear most comfortable to play in. I think the rules should be changed to remove the barrier of entry. The rigid rules on dress seem archaic to the younger generation. Self expression in the game will bring better golf, more character and more courses and more revenue

I do not understand where you coming from in your statement.  

Where are you playing that requires a strict code for clothing and what are the strict rules?

What type of "character" are you looking for?  Go get a Kilt and wear that on a golf course.  That has plenty of character.  I have seen plenty of those on a golf course.

More "character" get loud colored pants or shorts and wear those, I have seen plenty of those on golf course.

A collar on the shirt, get a Hawaiian type shirt and wear that.  You can get a Tommy Bahama with some cool patterns, I doubt there will be an issue with that.

All the above I have seen on exceptionally exclusive private golf clubs as well as very nice "private public courses".

My thought on golf is simple, if you have the bug to play, truly have that golfing bug you will wear whatever the course dictates to play it.  Those courses can be easily some of the nicest golf courses there are.  

But then again if you don't have that strong desire to play you will find a reason to complain about the rules of golf, and there are a lot of them.  Once you get that bug clothing rules will not matter, playing those courses will easily outweigh a shirt with a collar matched with slacks or shorts and for that matter a cool Kilt!

As my dad would tell me "If you can't play the game at least look like you can"

If you know where to look you can get Bermuda Sands shirts for $12.00 to $14.00 on sale, retail for $60.00 to $80.00.  Flat out the nicest shirts I have.  I wear them for work and gladly wear them on the course.  Their moisture wicking is amazing, beat the crap out of a t-shirt all day long.

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- Dean

Driver: PXG GEN3 Proto X Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange
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2 Iron PXG XP Evenflow Blue

3 Utility Iron Srixon 3 20*
Irons:  5 thru PW PXG GEN3 XP Steelfiber 95 -  Wedges: Mizuno T7 48, 52, 56 and 60 Recoil 110 shafts 6
Putter: In search of the Holy Grail Ball: Snell MTBx

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