9 holes....almost

[anthony]

Today was the day my local course put the last nail in the coffin in regards to me playing there. I've looked past the hay fields in the rough and sometimes the fairway from being poorly cut. I've looked past the piss pore tee boxes that are tore up and nearly impossible to find a flat spot to tee up on. I've looked past the greens that look like they have never been watered. I've looked past the sand traps that look like they've never been raked. Why? Well, it's close to home and I try to be optimistic that it will improve. Also, because I want to support a local business that I'd like to succeed.

Well, no more. Today at about 6:00 I went to play 9 before it got dark as I have for 2 or 3 (and sometimes more) times a week for the last two years. I pulled into the lot and parked up close as there weren't more than 10 cars in the lot (a few belonged to employees I'm sure). I put on my spikes grabbed my bag and started towards the stairs to walk to the pro shop. I saw a woman that works there, along with a passenger, in a cart coming up the hill and I waived to her. I made my way down the hill and was almost to the pro shop. I heard a cart coming behind me and looked back to see it was her again.

She said to me that I needed to wear a collared shirt to play. I asked if she was serious. She said the man in the cart was the owner and he said I needed to have one to play. I said I've been playing here for 2 years and no one has ever mentioned anything about what I was wearing. She then asked if I lived close, implying I could change and come back. I said I did, but I wouldn't be going to get one and I told her to inform her boss that he just lost a loyal customer and I will never play here again. I was pretty pissed and nearly went up to the clubhouse to give him a piece of my mind. But, I got in my car and went to the range instead (I'd rather give him my money anyways).

I realize that courses have dress codes, but this place NEEDS customers. I know this for a fact. Plus, I've been playing here for 2 freakin years and no one has ever said that to me. I know all the people that work in the pro shop, I know the grounds keeper and I even talked to the other owner after a round once. No one has ever said anything about the way I was dressed. Today, I had on a solid black tee shirt with gray docker shorts a black belt and black shoes. My shirt was tucked in and I looked more than acceptable to play golf. It's not like I had a bud light tee shirt with cut off jean shorts on and a pair of timberland boots. Plus, no one would be out there to see me without my precious collar because I was probably going to be the last person out. Apparently, they have enough business to turn away loyal customers that play their course 3 times a week (they don't).

It's their loss though. There are plenty of nicer courses that cost less to play a round and don't have a strict dress code. Honestly, it's not the dress code that bothers me. I always wear a collared shirt or mock turtle neck with my early morning group (even though it's not a rule there). It's the fact that I hear about it out of the blue today and that coward of a man couldn't tell me in the damn lot before I walked all the way down to the pro shop and had to send that lady to tell me. If she would have said wear one next time, I would have had no problem. But, the fact that they said I couldn't play this cow pasture of a course at 6:00 pm because my shirt didn't have a collar when I've played here 2,3,4 times a week for the last 2 years set me over the edge.

[Golfing Dad]

Good for you. They need your business not the other way around. Like you said, she could have said,"Next time wear a collar." Does this mean if Tiger Woods showed up in his collarless Nike shirt he would not have been allowed to play?