Golf Snobbery

[bradpet]

*Best high pitched whine* Can't you link it? Now I gotta go looking.

I'm only a mere male. Give me some lattitude.

[julie_m]

I'm only a mere male. Give me some lattitude.

Latitude. And you've taken quite enough, Oz boy.

[Dub]

This is the main reason I like taking my kids to the First Tee. There is no pressure there about slow play. The kids play slow because they are learning the game. Everyone understands this and acts accordingly or goes somewhere else to play. Why does there have to be a special place for this (that quite frankly I'm lucky to have as an option)?

The First Tee really is a special resource!!!!

Funny thing, though. Another father and I were talking about the groups of adults you'll see playing the First Tee course....what gives with that???? I guess were in a sense, snobbing them.....groups of grown men riding carts and playing the First Tee....just didn't sit well. Sure it's open...but best utilized by the families and childeren getting a start. Oh well....I'll get off my soapbox now...sorry. I've seen some pretty blatant examples of snobbery and outright racism at some clubs. Guess what....I'll not play there and certainly not with people expressing those views. One of the things I truly love about my home course is the variety of people playing there....it is a cross section of our local population...enjoying the golf....no airs or bs associated with the place....just great golf at a reasonable price. They offer lessons and highly promote players getting lessons and enhancing their games. You are dead on about snobbery hurting the growth and popularity of the game.....luckily some of the younger tour players along with a bit of savvy marketing have made the image appealing for youngsters to give it a try and stick through the learning curve.

[julie_m]

Funny thing, though. Another father and I were talking about the groups of adults you'll see playing the First Tee course....what gives with that???? I guess were in a sense, snobbing them.....groups of grown men riding carts and playing the First Tee....just didn't sit well. Sure it's open...but best utilized by the families and childeren getting a start.

1. People are rude and self centered, and always will be.

.....luckily some of the younger tour players along with a bit of savvy marketing have made the image appealing for youngsters to give it a try and stick through the learning curve.

2. Maybe so, but golf is also just an awesome game, so there will always be those that enjoy to play. For how long it's lasted and how far from the island it's grown, I'm sure it'll be around for a long time to come.

3. I'm imagining there have been this debate since the dawn of golf. "Your ball hit my sheep!" "Your sheep was in my line!" "The clan indicated by the design of your tartan on your kilt is inferior to mine!" "At least I be man enough to wear a kilt!" Etc.

[ClairefromClare]

What about "tight black capri pants"??

Hey--they're real golf pants. Made by

http://www.aphira.com/ : Low-slung enough that the polo can't possibly stay tucked in all the way through the follow-through, and with my best "Bite me Rory Sabbatini" belt. All totally within my club's very restrictive dress code but very in your face. And therefore proper etiquette (to stay on point).

[Sir Shanksalot]

Around here there is a move to improve the dress of players. The private clubs have always had a strict dress code. A few years ago there were a few that didn't even let you wear shorts. I remember playing Baltusrol (as a guest) on a near 100 degree day with high humidity in kakhi's. Very uncomfortable. The members complained for years until they finally allowed bermuda shorts.
Two years ago the local Muni's didn't care if you wore a Batman costume and rollerskates as long as you paid. Now there is a manditory collared shirt dress code. I think it was a good move. After all, most sports have uniforms that are appropriate to wear.

[Harry Longshanks]

Two years ago the local Muni's didn't care if you wore a Batman costume and rollerskates as long as you paid.

How did they keep the roller skates from damaging the greens?

[bradpet]

Hey--they're real golf pants. Made by

Mmmm ... low-slung capri pants ... Stop teasing us poor male golfers or I'll tell Rory about your belt.

[ClairefromClare]

Around here there is a move to improve the dress of players. The private clubs have always had a strict dress code. A few years ago there were a few that didn't even let you wear shorts. I remember playing Baltusrol (as a guest) on a near 100 degree day with high humidity in kakhi's. Very uncomfortable. The members complained for years until they finally allowed bermuda shorts.

You can only wear Bermudas at Baltusrol in July and August.

[Grogger31]

You can only wear Bermudas at Baltusrol in July and August.

If I got a chance to play Baltusrol, I wouldn't wear shorts, no matter how hot it was.

Low slung capri pants? Perhaps.

[Harry Longshanks]

If I got a chance to play Baltusrol, I wouldn't wear shorts, no matter how hot it was.

Tease.

789

[zeg]

I really don't understand the golf dress codes. Sure, other sports have uniforms, but I see plenty of basketball and softball games played in street shorts and t-shirts and there's no complaining about disrespect for the game. If it's appropriate dress for being in public and the wearer is comfortable, then it's fine by me. Why people get so uptight about jeans and collarless shirts is beyond me.

That's not to say that personal hygiene, etc, are irrelevant -- that's a separate question.

IMO, a dress code is an example of snobbery.

[Fourputt]

Nah, I'm not going to bite. I've personally never heard someone come to a course inappropriately dressed and say, "I had no idea!"

There are levels of appropriate. I wouldn't go to an unfamiliar course in jeans if I didn't know their dress code. That's just common sense. But here in the Rocky Mountain West we tend to be more casual overall than they do in the east.

At my father-in-law's course you are just as likely to see a member playing in t-shirt and bib overalls as in khakis. That's because the course is in a farm community, and most of the members are farmers. They will get off the tractor after 6 or 7 hours in the field, have lunch at home then drop by for a quick 9 holes before heading back to the field for a few more hours. That's just the way it is there... would you deny them the pleasure of the links just for their apparel?

[julie_m]

That's just the way it is there... would you deny them the pleasure of the links just for their apparel?

Of course not, you can't police propriety. But people can't show up to these uppity courses dressed like that and not expect a couple looks.

[Harry Longshanks]

Hmmmm. So is McDonald's a snob for saying "No shirt, no shoes, no service"?

Are employers snobs for having dress codes?

Are movie theaters snobby for requesting that patrons not talk during the movie?

When you spend mucho bucks to take your girlfriend to a fancy restaurant so you can propose to her, do you want the couple sitting next to you wearing cut-offs and tees?

The fact is that society must mandate some minimal level of conduct or some numskull will always try to lower the standard to unacceptable levels. Different activities require different attire. That standard attire for golf is, generally speaking, a collared shirt and non-denim pants. Is that really such a burden? Why can't golf be an activity where you don minimally nicer clothes than you would put on to, for example, plunge your toilet?

How is that "snobbery"?

[bradpet]

... Why can't golf be an activity where you don minimally nicer clothes than you would put on to, for example,

Harry, out of genuine concern, I recommend a safety harness when plunging the toilet, lest some misadventure causes your plunging

into the toilet.

[Harry Longshanks]

Harry, out of genuine concern, I recommend a safety harness when plunging the toilet, lest some misadventure causes your plunging

Thanks. Fixed.

[Fourputt]

Hmmmm. So is McDonald's a snob for saying "No shirt, no shoes, no service"?

That's a health department regulation.

Are employers snobs for having dress codes?

Yes, in most cases.

Are movie theaters snobby for requesting that patrons not talk during the movie?

That goes to etiquette, which in the theater or on the course is an item completely separate from apparel.

When you spend mucho bucks to take your girlfriend to a fancy restaurant so you can propose to her, do you want the couple sitting next to you wearing cut-offs and tees?

I'm not talking a fancy date, I'm talking about a day spent outdoors engaged in a sporting activity. If took a date to my home course, we could wear jeans and look right at home if the weather was cool.

The fact is that society must mandate some minimal level of conduct or some numskull will always try to lower the standard to unacceptable levels. Different activities require different attire. That standard attire for golf is, generally speaking, a collared shirt and non-denim pants. Is that really such a burden? Why can't golf be an activity where you don minimally nicer clothes than you would put on to, for example, plunge you toilet?

I've "plunged the toilet" in my khaki shorts before. I never felt the need to change into jeans for a clogged toilet.

What I don't get is why people even consider jeans to be inappropriate. I'm not talking about crawling under your car and changing the oil then trotting out to a 5 star restaurant. I'm talking about simply wearing a clean pair of pants for a casual activity, which is what golf is after all. I would not feel at all odd to wear them when going to a typical chain restaurant, nor would it feel odd to wear them to a ball game... in fact I would consider them to be quite appropriate for either activity. So why oh why are they so inappropriate for golf? The only logical reason for this fixation is that golf was once the sole province of the private club. It didn't have it's beginnings there, but that is where it gravitated to at some point. The only people who could afford it were the wealthy, and they always wore business attire or the like to the club, so as an offshoot they wore those same slacks and shirts to play golf in. That standard no longer holds true, because much of the game has moved into the realm of the middle class. But some people still try to keep that hoity-toity image of the old school golfer, without any acknowledgment that the game has changed. If that's how you want to dress that is fine with me, but don't try to classify me or my game just because I like to wear what I feel are comfortable and appropriate clothes on the golf course. It is after all a casual outdoor activity where one is likely to get dirty, so why shouldn't I wear something casual that is low maintenance, unlikely to stain, yet still looks clean and neat? I've worn jeans most of my life, for work and play, and never worn them anyplace where I've been looked at as out of place or underdressed. Wearing jeans doesn't make one a slob or a hooligan. Just means that one likes to be comfortable and unassuming. And usually a bit more tolerant of the appearance of others.