Changing shoes in car park

[Teetotal]

Got shouted at today by some quasi-hysterical red faced old boy for changing my shoes in the car park. Thought that as was loading bag into car may as well change shoes too then don't have to back into clubhouse then back to the car. Why is this such a problem at some clubs?

 

[golfdonkey]

Great post – I feel for you Teetotal. This is a perfect example of golf club idiocy and just another reason why young people might be put off the game. Why on earth the sight of someone slipping their foot into a shoe upsets some people I will never know.

 

[Dave3498]

It's definitely non U. It's like dipping your roll in your soup, drinking a pint of lager when you are dining, tucking your trousers in your socks, shaking hands with your hat on, etc. But then, I have changed my shoes at the car. It depends on the class of your Golf Club. Most of the members at my club do all of the above so it doesn't matter, but I wouldn't do it at another's Club.

I don't care if youngsters are put off the game because it has standards. Let them go and play with their Ipods somewhere or watch football if they don't like it.

 

[The_Golfer]

Teetotal, how dare you! I’m surprised you haven’t been ASBO’d…
Seriously though golf is suppose to be of the utmost etiquette, changing your shoes in the car park just isn’t golf... in winter if it lends itself to players brushing their shoes down by their cars and making the car park look unsightly, also there are adequate changing facilities for the very purpose; on a contradictory note, why do members go peeing wherever they want around the course, didn’t Mike Weir get a cacti attack when he went for call of nature behind the “bushes” at the WCG is Arizona? That’s not golf!!!!!!

 

[birdieman]

I feel for you too, I change shoes all the time in carpark as it saves time. Golf already takes far to long, when you have wife and kid etc you need to get your golf done as quickly as possible. You will notice the ones complaining are invariably old men who play off 25. They have nothing better to do and 16 hours a day to kill. My first golf memory is of being screamed out by an old man on the 3rd of my then local club, I was 10 years old and had apparently not raked the bunker correctly -it was a frightening experience. All it needed was some tactful explaining to a golf novice. I do appreciate good etiquette in golf and do agree with no jeans etc but it goes too far sometimes.

 

[swingstar1]

I'm all for the upholding of golf's traditions but feel 'not taking your cap off to shake hands at the end of game' and changing your shoes in the car park aren't even in the same ball park

 

[Lipout]

Teetotal, i'm with you all the way on this one. What a load of balatas, dont change your shoes in the car park. I appreciate and understand the etiquette of golf but this is ridiculous, what really is the problem. Next you will tell me i cannot dip my bread roll in my soup - oops!
Anyway Danny, most golf clubs have shoe cleaning brushes between the 18th and the clubhouse. This leaves "unsightly grass and mud in full view of the clubhouse, and that is before you go in to the club. Hopefully dinosaurs will once again become extinct.

 

[Lipout]

Incidently, i will always take my hat off to shake hands at the end of a round, but only after i have cleansed my hands on anti-bacterial wipes after urinating my way around the course.

 

[madandra]

I remember the first club I joined. You were lucky if half the guys HAD a change of shoes AND they got away with wearing JEANS. You were classed as a snob if your tattoos were spelt right. Old fuddy duddies like the tumshie you encountered are clutchung a fading nostalgia. Perhaps a writen explanation from the Committee as to why changing your shoes in the carpark is taboo could shed light on what is a trivial matter.

 

[backspin]

I live about a mile from my course.I just drive there and back with my golf shoes on.We did have some problems in the summer when the course brought in a special discount between 3 and 5 sort of a early twilight.Jeans,vest tops sharing clubs you name it we saw it all.One fourball were asked to leave the course by a few of us.That night the pro shop was broken into and two buggies were stolen and set fire to on the course emm i wonder.

 

[PaulOHagan]

All sounds a bit crazy-What club was that backspin?

 

[MacMachattie]

I'm from Aberdeenhsire, there are no clubs up here where you'd be barracked for changing your shoes in the car park - not Royal Aberdeen, not Nairn, not Dornoch. It's absolutely ridiculous, officiousness and pomposity gone made... I wouldn't want to visit any club where the members were that pathetic. The members of my local club come from all walks of life - landowners and oil executives to binmen and the shop hands. Everyone gets on great, there's no snobbery, no elitism - it's pretty forward thinking. People can even wear jeans if they want, though few people do. Of course you can change your shoes in the car park but it's preferred that you use the shoe cleaning machine first. The attitude of the man you mention Teetotal isn't old fashioned, it's just downright rude.

 

[Trueblue]

Couldn't agree more with MacMachattie - it's really important that golf's tradition of respect and adherence to etiquette is upheld but it's this kinda of attitude that gives golf a bad name... and you can see why - ludicrous that you can't change your golf shoes in the car park!

 

[backspin]

All sounds a bit crazy-What club was that backspin?

Austin Lodge.Because the course is out of the way we have had a lot of problems with theft.Normally when the traverlers appear.The crime rate goes up 600%

 

[chipin1]

What I don't understand is why people care if you change your shoes in the car park? What difference does it make? Why do they feel they have to say something?

This is just another instance of people being difficult just for the sake of it.

Let us change our shoes in the car park if we want to - it saves time!

 

[Dave3498]

There is a difference between etiquette amd manners. Etiquette is knowing which knife & fork to use etc, manners is having a genuine regard for the feelings of other people. Your 'red faced old boy' Teetotal, was confused by the two. If he thought you had breached the Club etiquette, he should have had a quiet word about it instead of shouting at you. He may have known his etiquette, but he certainly didn't have any manners.

 

[chipin1]

Well said Dave.

My problem is that some etiquette is now outdated - therefore you get a rift between you and old on such matters

 

[The_Golfer]

Dave well put, but unlike most of you I disagree with the comments about changing your shoes in the car park. It appears to me that most of the comments fail to support any argument over "changing rooms" v "car park"; other than it saves time, all of about 90 seconds!!!!!!!! Is this rationale or laziness?
Can it be said that to ask players to correctly use the facilities provided is "old fashioned" or etiquette gone mad, or is it that some non conformists are selective about which local rules apply to them. Noting the evolvement of fashion and how shirts/t/shirts are worn nowadays (hanging outside) I cannot understand why shirts have to be tucked in; that said I do not challenge the rule but accept it like some of you should about shoes and move on.... The old chap who shouted at you Teetotal was no doubt an obnoxious old fart and he should have had the common courtesy to let you know of the ruling etc, but then again you the situation only arose because of your own conduct….

 

[Teetotal]

Oh my god - looks like I touched a nerve with everyone but thanks for your support everyone. Maybe it was the sign of my holey and odd socks that gave the old guy a seizure.

 

[birdieman]

This post reminded me of a couple of stories on a similar vein. My pal plays in Edinburgh and one day had forgotten his golf shoes. He played in a pair of brogue style shoes, played 18, and it wasn't till he got back to the carpark and was changing by the car (digraceful!) that a.n.other old coffin dodger accosted him - "You can't wear those shoes on the golf course..rant...rant". "But I already have, I'm finished" retorted my pal. Repeat - "You can't wear those shoes on this golf course" etc etc. They had to eventually just drive off and leave him there ranting like some kind of malfunctioning robot!
Another pal at Dunblane GC turned up in jeans to play, as many teenagers do, but was made by the Starter to wear waterproof trousers over them, all the way round on a hot summer's day with greenkeepers told to enforce this! Great!!