Dress Codes: Good or Bad for the Game?

[Sandy Divot]

It seems pretty simple; If you want to play a course that has a dress code, dress accordingly. If you don't want a dress code, find a course that doesn't have a dress code. 

[Patch]

13 minutes ago, Sandy Divot said:

It seems pretty simple; If you want to play a course that has a dress code, dress accordingly. If you don't want a dress code, find a course that doesn't have a dress code. 

Or one that doesn't enforce their dress code. 

[Vinsk]

2 hours ago, Patch said:

Or one that doesn't enforce their dress code. 

I don’t agree. If you know a course you’re playing has a dress code, abide by it. I don’t have to be ‘told’ to dress nice for a wedding. Common sense and respect. Same for the golf course. Simple request and hardly inconvenienced.

[Double Mocha Man]

Okay, now it's time for photos showing you looking proper for the dress code of the golf course you play the most.  Show us those collars or tee shirts!

[mcanadiens]

2 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Okay, now it's time for photos showing you looking proper for the dress code of the golf course you play the most.  Show us those collars or tee shirts!

[rehmwa]

2 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Okay, now it's time for photos showing you looking proper for the dress code of the golf course you play the most.  Show us those collars or tee shirts!

Casual Friday at the local club.

[Double Mocha Man]

4 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

Casual Friday at the local club.

Your tie needs to be a bit longer but I like the pleats in your slacks...

5 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

Now that's a good look, but I still can't tell if you have a collar or not.  You silly wabbit.

Edited September 16, 2019 by Double Mocha Man

[mcanadiens]

1 minute ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Now that's a good like, but I still can't tell if you have a collar or not.  You silly wabbit.

At my home course, collars aren't required.

Kilts, on the other hand, are definitely on the banned list and will get you the barrel treatment.

[Patch]

12 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

I don’t agree. If you know a course you’re playing has a dress code, abide by it. I don’t have to be ‘told’ to dress nice for a wedding. Common sense and respect. Same for the golf course. Simple request and hardly inconvenienced.

I agree whole heartly with you. My response was to @Sandy Divot 's remark. But the fact is, most munis, and others don't enforce their own dress codes. 

I dress appropriately to golf, follow the rules, but I see folks out there all the time who don't dress appropriately. This happens mostly in the late spring, and summer warmer weather. 

On another note, I have seen well dressed golfers not fix their divots. Not pick up trash they drive/walk by. Wreck a golf cart. They did look good doing those types of things

Cut offs, tank tops, flip flops etc. Gals dressed skimply, or less. These golfers, if forced to dress per the code, will simply move to a less rules restictive course. This becomes lost revenue for the enforcing course. This could lead to higher green fees, which could also lead to fewer tee times sold. Fewer tee times sold could eventually mean closures. 

Like it or not, the less serious players have a place on amateur golf courses. It's all about money. Course will allow whatever's needed (to a point) to stay in business. 

[Vinsk]

I just played a round with @billchao at my home course. The course has a dress code. It’s practically my home away from home and they wouldn’t turn me away if I wore a non-collared shirt. I of course abide by the code and so did Bill and he’s on vacation here from New Jersey. It’s that simple. 

[David in FL]

6 hours ago, Vinsk said:

I just played a round with @billchao at my home course. 

...and you rat-bastards didn’t call me?!  😡

[Vinsk]

Just now, David in FL said:

...and you rat-bastards didn’t call me?!  😡

And we even talked about you! Rat bastards is right! Ok...we’ll meet up.

[billchao]

6 hours ago, Vinsk said:

I just played a round with @billchao at my home course. The course has a dress code. It’s practically my home away from home and they wouldn’t turn me away if I wore a non-collared shirt. I of course abide by the code and so did Bill and he’s on vacation here from New Jersey. It’s that simple. 

To be fair, I didn't know your course had a dress code. I just dress appropriately when I plan on playing golf at any course.

Plus golf is a big part of my life so I'm often in golf attire even when I'm not planning on playing. A large part of my wardrobe is golf attire.

18 minutes ago, David in FL said:

...and you rat-bastards didn’t call me?!  😡

Sorry, I'm the rat-bastard. It was kind of short notice and I figured it was easier to squeeze golf in during my family vacation schedule if it involved less people.

But I am still in town until Saturday 🤔

[TRUCKER]

On 9/15/2019 at 6:11 PM, Bonvivant said:

It's a golf tournament, not a course. Not even comparable to everyday play.

So in "everyday play" you don't abide by the rules? OK.

[boogielicious]

15 hours ago, Vinsk said:

I don’t agree. If you know a course you’re playing has a dress code, abide by it. I don’t have to be ‘told’ to dress nice for a wedding. Common sense and respect. Same for the golf course. Simple request and hardly inconvenienced.

The Dude abides, so should you! 

Agree. Bucking the code is really more a reflection on you than the course. "Hey, I'm a rebel!"

No shirt, no shoes, no service is used for a reason, usually health codes. 

Dress codes at courses are used to present a product that the owners feel is more appropriate and to attract more customers. Abide by it and stop whining or play somewhere else.

And wear clean underwear. - Mom

[amished]

First of all, I don't understand what a wedding and a round of golf have anything to do with each other.  Secondly, it seems a lot of the arguments presented are whether a dress code is good for a certain course, or for the game of golf.  If a course decides it will make more money by having a certain look and appeal to a higher class of golfer, then obviously that's good for that course but I don't know if that's best for golf, and there is a difference.

I don't come from a large area, or particularly well-to-do area, so most of my friends and myself grew up and learned to get into golf on our local muni without a dress code.  If it was a fancier course that required a dress code I never would've started playing there, and I wouldn't have gotten into playing as much there as I still do.  Being a municipal course, I know that if it was just based on the golf the course would barely survive and one bad year could be the end of it.  A lot of the revenue that is generated by my course is through the campground that it provides nearby, and the rounds that are played by the campers.  I also know many of those campers come up with rental clubs, or sharing clubs with the golfers that they came with, and would not normally bring a collared shirt with on a camping trip just to wear it for a round on a hungover morning activity.

So if this course would shut down because of a dress code, I have to imagine others would too.  That makes it that much harder for more people to be introduced to golf in a meaningful way (actually playing), and doesn't contribute to growing the game at all.  I have to imagine that with fewer people being introduced and playing golf, these mid to upper class public courses would have more trouble staying afloat as there are less people that are willing to splurge on a higher priced round than they normally do, or wouldn't have the opportunity to get the middle level executives that have gained enough to want to be a member there because they haven't been introduced to golf.

[rehmwa]

6 minutes ago, amished said:

Being a municipal course, I know that if it was just based on the golf the course would barely survive and one bad year could be the end of it.  A lot of the revenue that is generated by my course is through the campground that it provides nearby, and the rounds that are played by the campers.  I also know many of those campers come up with rental clubs, or sharing clubs with the golfers that they came with, and would not normally bring a collared shirt with on a camping trip just to wear it for a round on a hungover morning activity.

About 35-40 years ago, the first course my family played and learned on was local city 9 in the adjacent town (nowhere Iowa).  I had a junior yearly membership on it (I think it was $25/year - the next year I got one at $30/yr at the one in our town).  I recall posting a pic of the online dress code here on the Sandtrap years ago - the verbage is not on the city site any more....

 

They had a dress code - they explicitly noted on the website that players are expected to put their shirts on when they enter the clubhouse.....

But it was a dress code......🤔

Edited September 17, 2019 by rehmwa

[amished]

Just now, rehmwa said:

About 35-40 years ago, the first course my family played and learned on was local 9 in the adjacent town (nowhere Iowa).  I had a junior yearly membership on it (I think it was $25/year - the next year I got one at $30/yr at the one in our town).  I recall posting a pic of the online dress code here on the Sandtrap a decade ago - the verbage is not on the city site any more....

 

They had a dress code - they explicitly noted on the website that players are expected to put their shirts on when they enter the clubhouse.....

But it was a dress code......🤔

Had I known that was the type of dress code we were debating, I'd be on the other side of this particular topic!