Golf Snobbery

[bradpet]

  ClairefromClare said:

... The solution to the whole dress code issue is simple: Let me be the Great Decider. ...

The rest of us may have 'trust issues' with that one. The 'Fashion Police' around your way may have a zero tolerance policy!!

[ClairefromClare]

  bradpet said:

The rest of us may have 'trust issues' with that one. The 'Fashion Police' around your way may have a zero tolerance policy!!

Trust issues??!! I'm truly crushed. I think you'd be adorable in something from here:

http://www.loudmouthgolf.com/ Say, this baby? In the eurocut? Attachment 1498 Oh, I give up. I've tried 3 different ways to post the photo. The black disco ball pants. They're you!

[bradpet]

  ClairefromClare said:

Trust issues??!! I'm truly crushed. I think you'd be adorable in something from here:

I think you're onto something -> black disco ball pants + golf sandals = s*xy beast.

[Mermaid]

Hello I am new here. I have been playing for 2 years.
It is worse in the Women's realm. Here in Chatt town, in order to get into a women's organization, you have to have a score of 85 or better and belong to a local country club. Who has money for that! Plus how long does it take to be able to play that well?
I am just proud that I'm breaking a hundred! Sorry guys but you have your local guys leagues, etc. And the youth have "first Tee" for which I am very glad about. But beginning women take lessons and have to play by themselves or with their husbands. I have tried to encougage the local driving ranges to create something for us but have not had any takers. Women like to do things with other women too. So you have to be a snob and have loads of money to play with the "golf ladies" in Chattanooga.

Mermaid

[Harry Longshanks]

  Mermaid said:

Hello I am new here. I have been playing for 2 years.

Mermaid-

Is there is an active EWGA chapter near you? I've heard good things about them.

[ClairefromClare]

  Harry Longshanks said:

Mermaid-

Precisely what I was going to say. There are four chapters in TN:

http://www.ewga.com/dotCMS/findChapt...pters&state;=TN I've played with EWGA for three years now and love it. Still remember walking into my first season kickoff bruch--a banquet room with 175 women in it, all of whom love to play golf. VERY empowering!

[Mermaid]

Yes, Memphis 5 hrs, Nashville 2.5 Hrs, Knoxville 2 hrs and Tri-Cities 3 hrs away which is in the North Eastern Part of TN. Not in Chattanooga. Bummer.

If there was an EWGA here I would definitely be right in the middle of it. I am very envious of you Claire.

[Fourputt]

  Mermaid said:

Yes, Memphis 5 hrs, Nashville 2.5 Hrs, Knoxville 2 hrs and Tri-Cities 3 hrs away which is in the North Eastern Part of TN. Not in Chattanooga. Bummer.

Your situation is a crime. My course (public facility) here in CO has many opportunities for women golfers. We have a working women's league on Saturday mornings, a ladies 9 hole and a ladies 18 hole league that play on Thursdays, and actually anyone can put together a league and apply for a weekday afternoon time slot. We have regular leagues during the season with as few as 16 golfers (4 tee times). I find it shocking that there are no courses in TN that would allow that.... that's about as snobbish and discriminatory as anything I've ever heard of.

[pjsnyc]

Snobbery exists everywhere you look...not just in golf. As for the dress-code issue, I find it to be FUN to dress nicely...but I won't judge someone else based on what they're wearing. It's just not right.

[ClairefromClare]

  Mermaid said:

Yes, Memphis 5 hrs, Nashville 2.5 Hrs, Knoxville 2 hrs and Tri-Cities 3 hrs away which is in the North Eastern Part of TN. Not in Chattanooga. Bummer.

All of this spells marketing opportunity to me. If choices for women are so limited, do you work with a pro? Specifically, a pro who would like to raise his/her exposure to women golfers? That person would be ideally suited to start a weekly playing/lesson league for women, or something similar. Or there must be other ideas out there...

[Mermaid]

I totally agree with you. I go to a women's clinic on Saturday mornings when sometimes I am the only one there. I tried to tell them how creating either a league, competition, gathering place, sponsorship etc. would give them good PR with other women and maybe increase lesson sales, club fitting, equipment, etc. They have a driving range there also.
It is a growing small chain run by a pro.

[Harry Longshanks]

  Mermaid said:

I totally agree with you. I go to a women's clinic on Saturday mornings when sometimes I am the only one there. I tried to tell them how creating either a league, competition, gathering place, sponsorship etc. would give them good PR with other women and maybe increase lesson sales, club fitting, equipment, etc. They have a driving range there also.

You could contact the EWGA about starting a chapter:

http://www.ewga.com/find_ewga_near_you/CD_New_Chapter/ That would be a good way to stick it to the richy-rich Chattanooga golf ladies!

[zeg]

First, thanks for the note about not taking it personally -- I'll say the same. I tend to get argumentative on forums like this, but I intend it as a meaningful discussion of a disagreement.

What seems snobby about specifying dress is simply that, by implication, someone who isn't comfortable in, doesn't own, or for whatever reason is not up to the standard is somehow out of place.

As to it being necessary as a part of etiquette, I think that's a bit of begging the question. When I say etiquette here, I mean conduct on the course. Talking during a movie interferes with the watching of the movie. Leaving a giant divot in the middle of the fairway interferes with the playing of the game. Wearing a pair of jean shorts is irrelevant to the game. It's purely a cosmetic matter.

Among common sports in the US, golf seems to be unique in this interest in a dress code for even casual play. I suppose tennis has a similar reputation, but there are a lot more tennis courts in parks, etc, so it tends not to be an issue. Still, these are the sports that are in my experience most linked to snobbery.

I don't think there's anything wrong with dressing in khakis and a collared shirt to play. Heck, I actually almost never play in jeans because they impede my swing and the pockets are too tight to drop a golf ball into. I just feel that in a casual situation, it's not reasonable to impose an arbitrary requirement on a would-be participant that is irrelevant to the execution of the activity. I feel the dress codes are an anachronism that only impedes the popularity of a great sport.

[Smallville]

  julie_m said:

I remember in high school, we had a rule with skirts and shorts - you hung your arms loose, and if you couldn't touch the hem(s) with your fingertips, it was too short.

I always considered that too LONG!

(More for the skirts than the shorts, although shorty shorts weren't bad either)

[Sir Shanksalot]

Let's just face it. There is a segment of our population who just consistantly make poor decisions. It might be how they spend money, treat the family, pick significant others or what they wear. Dress codes level the playing field and let them know what's appropriate.
Also, I think it's nice to have a written dress code to inform those that might not be familiar with what's appropriate. Dosen't it feel lousy to get to a restaurant without a jacket only to find out jackets are required.

[julie_m]

  Smallville said:

I always considered that too LONG!

You know, they always said that rule wasn't made for the girls. I'm starting to see why...

[Grogger31]

  Smallville said:

I always considered that too LONG!

I really don't want to see

Small ville in shorty shorts, if it's all the same to you.

[dave s]

I don't think you've seen true 'snobbery' until you acquire a taste for high-end guitar gear.

A couple of Custom Shop Fender Stratocasters, a PRS guitar or two, a high-end Martin or Taylor acoustic can set you back $3K EACH. A board full of boutique effects pedals another $2k. Now you need a couple (or more!) of amps to make beautiful noise. Some of the nicer nameplates include Matchless, Dr. Z, Two-Rock, Mad Professor ... some approaching $5K per copy.

Heck, all you can spend on a driver is around $500!

Honestly, I have more money tied up in my pedalboard than in my golf bag. And I have REALLY nice golf gear!

dave