Dress Codes: Good or Bad for the Game?

[phedrick]

I agree that a dress code is a good thing.  For me, part of the enjoyment of golf is the ambiance.  I cannot see the issue with wearing a collard shirt, to jeans, etc.  I do tend to take a lot of kidding from my regular golf partners on how I dress on the course, but I would get kidding no matter what from that crew!

[Cantankerish]

17 hours ago, knott said:

Dress code is pure nonsense. Who cares about what other wears so strange. Short of people playing golf naked or having ridiculous slogans I don´t see any problems. People that dress like tour pros don´t appear to hit the ball any better...

Makes perfect sense to me. I suspect that you are looking at this from the standpoint of annoyance.  Try it from a business angle. A golf course has to make money, which makes it a business much like a convenience store that won't let you in without a shirt or a luxury restaurant that demands a tie - and not like a public park where you might play baseball.  As such they really do get to decide how the patrons dress.  Dance clubs, social clubs, golf clubs.  Pretty much all clubs do this because it projects what they want the club to be viewed as.  Like it or not, when you are a customer, you are subject to customs.

[knott]

Over here its the member that own the golf clubs you pay member loan or stock and then yearly fees of all sorts. So we have a say as its we who pay the salary. Probably why really strict dress codes is rare. 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

1 hour ago, knott said:

Over here its the member that own the golf clubs you pay member loan or stock and then yearly fees of all sorts. So we have a say as its we who pay the salary. Probably why really strict dress codes is rare. 

 

So Knott, what do you wear when you play?  Picture???

[knott]

[DaveP043]

And where in the world are you?  Dress codes seem to be a function of local preference, so understanding where you live might help us to understand the culture behind the dress codes you see.

[knott]

Sweden. Others probably cares more then me but if somebody asks what clothes my coplayers use I would never remember.

[Southern by Choice]

On 7/10/2020 at 5:03 PM, DaveP043 said:

You are herewith forbidden to check the price on something you were given as a gift!  If it was worth it to your husband, that's all that matters.  And obviously YOU are worth it.

 

I read this quote aloud to my husband.  He said, "Sounds like a nice guy.  (Did I spell everything correctly?"  
 

Forty-four years, and he still makes me laugh!  Not exactly a golf post, I know, but it was on my mind...

[StuM]

22 hours ago, knott said:

What you are shown wearing if very appropriate.  

[mclaren4life]

I think a dress code is needed. It doesn’t need to be strict just some basic statements of what is ok and what isn’t. I don’t have a problem with shorts and a polo but personally don’t care if you wear a decent t shirt. Can’t for the life of me understand golfing in jeans. And I love jeans, I prolly have 30 pair. A lot of humans have a desire to just be different or a want for attention. Before long you have a bunch of guys in clown suits on your course and nobody wanting to play. 

[knott]

3 hours ago, StuM said:

What you are shown wearing if very appropriate.  

Its professional golfing wear so be damned if not 🙂 very practical shorts with pockets for tees gloves etc. Well worn shirt not washingmachine friendly wool it seems but no holes yet 😛

Also have white golf pants and one black and one white t-shirt. The flexible wool on golf wear is so comfortable like wearing a pyjamas 🙂

[Billy Z]

6 hours ago, StuM said:

What you are shown wearing if very appropriate.  

Appropriate yes, but too much plain blue. You need to mix it up a little put some pizzazz in your attire, imho. 

[Double Mocha Man]

4 minutes ago, Billy Z said:

Appropriate yes, but too much plain blue. You need to mix it up a little put some pizzazz in your attire, imho. 

Hey... Luke Donald wore a lot of navy blue... top and bottom.  And he was once Number 1 in the world.😀

[Billy Z]

1 hour ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Hey... Luke Donald wore a lot of navy blue... top and bottom.  And he was once Number 1 in the world.😀

#1 golfer, # 247th on best dressed list. 😚

[Double Mocha Man]

5 minutes ago, Billy Z said:

#1 golfer, # 247th on best dressed list. 😚

But he wore a stylish visor. Who is number one on that list?

[darthweasel]

On ‎7‎/‎12‎/‎2020 at 12:47 PM, mclaren4life said:

I think a dress code is needed. It doesn’t need to be strict just some basic statements of what is ok and what isn’t. I don’t have a problem with shorts and a polo but personally don’t care if you wear a decent t shirt. Can’t for the life of me understand golfing in jeans. And I love jeans, I prolly have 30 pair. A lot of humans have a desire to just be different or a want for attention. Before long you have a bunch of guys in clown suits on your course and nobody wanting to play. 

For the jeans, I think a lot depends on the course. There are some people who end up choosing between golfing or not depending on what they can wear based on time.

I play a lot of public courses that have, shall we say...a relaxed or perhaps country setting. We routinely have construction guys roll up in their battered rig, roll out and head straight to the tee (the courses know them well enough to let them pay after the round) in dirty jeans, shirts, etc. Wide range of abilities from double bogey hackers to some guys who run a lot of pars. I love these courses because I can wear gym shorts, tee shirts, and just play. I see people ranging from the above all the way to the guys with the tight tucked tour set-up, belt, etc.

 

My enjoyment of my personal round has nothing to do with which groups I see ahead or behind me or, for that matter, if I am matched up with them. Jeans, cut-offs, wife-beaters, none of them bother me or my round, only the personality of the people I am matched with.

 

I also sometimes play much nicer courses...I have been able to play the private With Hollow side of Pumpkin Ridge, as one example, and there I do wear the ugly-@# shorts and a nicer polo. I also intentionally play there very seldom as I don't enjoy the round as much in clothes I find ugly.

 

Which likely means the codes are working. They keep people like me who don't care about what other people are wearing away from courses where people are more interested in the atmosphere. For me the beauty is there is room for both. I have no need to play those courses and those courses have no need for the money of people like me, they seem to be getting along fine.

 

[mclaren4life]

I wasn’t saying jeans weren’t ok just more of a comfort thing. I don’t really care if somebody plays in jeans. I just couldn’t be comfortable golfing in jeans. I agree with the not caring about what the person wears. From the people I’ve been paired with when I didn’t have 4, the better the clothes the worse the game. I know it’s not a hard rule but I think fairly accurate. 

[NM Golf]

On 7/10/2020 at 2:22 PM, knott said:

Dress code is pure nonsense. Who cares about what other wears so strange. Short of people playing golf naked or having ridiculous slogans I don´t see any problems. People that dress like tour pros don´t appear to hit the ball any better...

Working at a golf course for over 20 years I would argue with you on that point. There is definitely a correlation between how well someone dresses and how well they play. I've never seen anyone dressed in basketball shorts and a tank top hit the ball worth a shit. 

On 7/10/2020 at 3:54 PM, knott said:

If I would play on a course that would require specific clothing I would use it but personally really don´t care for it. Seems very 20th century and something that will be eased up on over time hopefully. Golf is the perfect everymans game if the costs could be driven down 🙂

Hopefully not, it's just a way to show a little respect for the game. Here's the problem with all the arguments against golf attire. First, golf attire is specifically designed to be comfortable when you play. I see guys in jeans on the course all the time. Nothing is less conducive to freedom of movement and staying cool than denim. Modern golf shirts and pants stretch and are superb at wicking moisture to keep someone cool. Secondly, I always hear the cost argument that golf attire is too expensive which is ridiculous. If you are a bargain hunter (I am) you can find great stuff for cheap. I don't know what types of stores you have in Sweden, but here places like Costco and SAMS club often have golf shirts and pants. Hell I bought a Greg Norman shirt and pair of shorts at Stein Mart last week cost me $38 for the both of them,