Shorts On the PGA Tour (Updated 2013, 2016)

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

There isn't a logical reason, except for tradition and professionalism.

Originally Posted by clubchamp

One thing no one pointed out is the fact that this is their job it's not a saturday morning group. I don't know about most of you but I certainly could never show up at my job wearing shorts because it's not a professional look. The pga requires them to wear pants because they are professionals plus with the newer fabrics out there they don't get uncomfortable.

I think that I pointed it out in my post that it is about professionalism or at least the appearance of that ideal.

[Rexx]

Originally Posted by RedFox999

Well the big difference here is we are talking about a sport, not a office job or whatever. Pro tennis players play tennis as their daily job but wear shorts, basketball same. I play many sports and on the golf course I get just as hot and sweaty as playing other sports.

I think you're doing something wrong if you get just as sweaty playing golf as you do playing tennis/basketball, although I'm not sure which side is the problem.

Pros should wear long pants.  They're just walking a few miles in comfy shoes with breaks every couple hundred yards.  The professionalism outweighs the slight bit of discomfort long pants might add in hot weather.

[RedFox999]

Originally Posted by Rexx

I think you're doing something wrong if you get just as sweaty playing golf as you do playing tennis/basketball, although I'm not sure which side is the problem.

Pros should wear long pants.  They're just walking a few miles in comfy shoes with breaks every couple hundred yards.  The professionalism outweighs the slight bit of discomfort long pants might add in hot weather.

haha, yea your probably right I dont get as sweaty as a game of basketball but I sweat alot golfing, sometimes I get headaches after a round from the heat. Pro's do have a caddie and dont have to carry their clubs so thats an advantage.

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by Rexx

I think you're doing something wrong if you get just as sweaty playing golf as you do playing tennis/basketball, although I'm not sure which side is the problem.

Pros should wear long pants.  They're just walking a few miles in comfy shoes with breaks every couple hundred yards.  The professionalism outweighs the slight bit of discomfort long pants might add in hot weather.

You have to keep in mind that they rarely play in what I would consider hot weather.  That is why the Hawaii, Cali, and Florida swings are during the cooler months.  If they played a Tour event at Doral in August they would all need IVs.

[zeg]

In my opinion, simply appealing to "professionalism" is a lame argument.  It's projecting your personal opinion of style with no performance-related justification.  In almost all other sports, most of the elements of the uniform or required dress are either dictated by safety of the competitor or his opponents, performance, or practical issues like making the players and their teams easily and quickly identifiable.  Even in basketball, the suits come off and clothing specific to the athletic / game requirements go on for the actual competition.  None of these criteria apply to a golfer, and IMO it's silly to let a fixation with club-style dress-casual attire to trump what could be performance-related decisions.  If a golfer is more comfortable in shorts, I'd rather see his best golf.  Sure, it's probably only a tiny effect for a very small fraction of the golfers, but still, in my ideal world performance should trump other considerations.

As it stands, it may well be the case that the advertising dollars they bring in by projecting the preferred image of the typical (or at least stereotypical) wealthy American executive is more important.  If so, I can understand their decision.  In that sense, professionalism is a valid reason: it's hard to fault a commercial organization for catering to its primary audience.  Still, I wish it weren't so.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

.  The problem is you have a handful of stuffed shirts running the PGA who dont think that shorts look dignified, so shorts are banned.

It's got absolutely NOTHING to do with the PGA.  Why do people sprout such nonsense?

The PGA Tour has a dress code for its members. Simple as that. It forbids the wearing of shorts because the belief is that long pants portray a more professional image.

And it does.

End of story.

The sponsors who pay for tournaments and prizemoney want to be associated with events and people who share their values and, even in terms of appearance, this is not achievable when people wear shorts.

Go to any big, prestigious business and see how many of the male employees are wearing shorts. It's the same deal.

[zeg]

Originally Posted by Shorty

It's got absolutely NOTHING to do with the PGA.  Why do people sprout such nonsense?

The PGA Tour has a dress code for its members. Simple as that. It forbids the wearing of shorts because the belief is that long pants portray a more professional image.

Chill out, people mix up the PGA and the PGA Tour all the time, why not just post a correction without the attitude?  The attitude should be reserved for the morons who created the confusion by not being able to come up with distinct names for their organizations.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by zeg

Chill out, people mix up the PGA and the PGA Tour all the time, why not just post a correction without the attitude?  The attitude should be reserved for the morons who created the confusion by not being able to come up with distinct names for their organizations.

OK - I'll wear that. Fair enough, but the (my) attitide isn't really about the PGA / PGATour issue names.

The PGATour is not run by "a few stuffed shirts" There are player representatives. For someone to just come up with a throwaway line like that is silly.

The PGATour's decisions are all made with much consultation of all stakeholders. Whether the spectator likes it or not - and why on earth would a spectator be demanding that the players wear shorts on the major tours? - they are trying to present themselves in a particular way.  They are not trying to look like basketball players covered with tattoos and bling or baseball oplayers swaggering about, chewing and spitting.  The main thing is not to alienate the traditional fan (money) base.  If a young person wants to play golf, they can wear shorts. If they become good enough to play on a big Tour - I think they can cope with long pants. :-)

I really fail to see why any spectator should care.  Unless you see the players suffering in Dubai or Singapore.  Most of the time, it's fine.

I wear long trousers in 40 degree celsius temperatutres here in OZ.  I find long pants cooler, as do a lot of players who wear them.  They ahve to be the right type of pants, obviously.

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by RedFox999

So do you think male pro golfers should be banned from wearing shorts during competition?

Well they should be banned from wearing skirts ........

[shades9323]

Originally Posted by Shorty

It's got absolutely NOTHING to do with the PGA.  Why do people sprout such nonsense?

The PGA Tour has a dress code for its members. Simple as that. It forbids the wearing of shorts because the belief is that long pants portray a more professional image.

And it does.

End of story.

The sponsors who pay for tournaments and prizemoney want to be associated with events and people who share their values and, even in terms of appearance, this is not achievable when people wear shorts.

Go to any big, prestigious business and see how many of the male employees are wearing shorts. It's the same deal.

As for the professionalism, why aren't the caddies required to wear long pants?  They are seen all the time on tv in shorts.  That goes in hand with your comment about any big, prestigious business.  Does the arguably less important person in the mail room get to wear shorts?  No, they have to wear pants too.

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Men should be allowed to wear shorts if they want.  The fact that women are allow to and men are not is sexist.  The problem is you have a handful of stuffed shirts running the PGA who dont think that shorts look dignified, so shorts are banned.

It is not sexist....really?

Why do we care what they wear anyway? I'm sure they don't really care

[shades9323]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

It is not sexist....really?

Why do we care what they wear anyway? I'm sure they don't really care

I think he is saying that it IS sexist.  Which I don't agree with.

[RedFox999]

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by shades9323

I think he is saying that it IS sexist.  Which I don't agree with.

I know, and I m saying it isn't...my bad english...I'm tired

[colin007]

i happen to think that shorts look just as "professional" as pants.  thats my opinion.  just like feeling that pants are more professional is an opinion.

anyways, i really dont think that TV viewership would go down significantly if the guys started wearing shorts.

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by RedFox999

LOL

Let's hope it's sweat

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by colin007

i happen to think that shorts look just as "professional" as pants.  thats my opinion.  just like feeling that pants are more professional is an opinion.

anyways, i really dont think that TV viewership would go down significantly if the guys started wearing shorts.

So business men on Wall Street would look fine in shorts?

It is acceptable to go to a job interview in shorts?

[shades9323]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

So business men on Wall Street would look fine in shorts?

It is acceptable to go to a job interview in shorts?

Do business men on Wall Street wear white pants and mock turtlenecks?  Do they wear hats or loudmouth pants?  Is it acceptable to go to a job interview in orange head to toe?