Dress code.....again!

[Ethan]

I remember one of the high heid yins of BAC turning up to be interviewed for membership in the 1970's

The comitteee were so pleased to have him as a member.
He turned up Sunday lunchtime in cordoroy trousers, Aran sweater, checked shirt and stunning cravat. The very picture of an English country gentleman.

Trouble was it was jackets and ties in the main lounge so they had to quickly spirit him away to a quiet corner of the dining room.

When I moved down south in 1998 I was looking for a club in South Bucks. I was getting a tour of one club by the young office manager and walked past the bar which had a notice saying 'Gentlemen should wear a jacket and tie or cravat after 7.30pm'. I said to her 'Oh dear, all my cravats are in the washing' and knowing I was joking she smiled and said 'I would prefer they were in the dustbin. A lot of people round here don't realise the 20th Century has started let alone almost finished'.

 

[dufferman]

so a fat guy would look better in jeans is what you are saying?

If it's a matter of 'looking smart', then does the fat guy look smart or a mess? The answer is a mess. Does the guy in the jeans look better or worse than said fat man? Much better. Much smarter.

I can see that a list as long as your arm is tough to implement - no jeans, no trousers too small or tight for your waist size, no polo shirts that don't fit etc.

By relaxing the WHOLE THING to say 'smart dress only' would that help? AKA smart jeans are allowed, and people who can't dress themselves aren't?

 

[richy]

in the clubhouse at Medinah

View attachment 2817


what has the world come to :angry:.........................

Looks like they got their outfits at the Top Gear wardrobe department

 

[richy]

If it's a matter of 'looking smart', then does the fat guy look smart or a mess? The answer is a mess. Does the guy in the jeans look better or worse than said fat man? Much better. Much smarter.

I can see that a list as long as your arm is tough to implement - no jeans, no trousers too small or tight for your waist size, no polo shirts that don't fit etc.

By relaxing the WHOLE THING to say 'smart dress only' would that help? AKA smart jeans are allowed, and people who can't dress themselves aren't?

Who deems what is smart and what isn't?

 

[bluewolf]

I actually agree with Snelly ( I know!!) on this. If I'm going to a club that has a trousers only policy in the clubhouse, then I'll wear trousers. If its more relaxed then I'll take a pair of jeans. But surely the argument should be "do some of the standard, average, struggling clubs need to change policy regarding clubhouse dress code, or should the hold firm and hope that the money will come in from elsewhere?"

 

[dufferman]

Who deems what is smart and what isn't?

Exactly! Why are jeans not allowed then!?

 

[MegaSteve]

I'm all for relaxing dress codes in clubhouses. However, I played Rickmansworth GC Sunday, had a great round, but of the 3 ball in front of us, one wore jeans and one, I kid you not, a tracksuit. A beautiful grey Adidas job.

They were playing badly, but I guess it's 3 more people paying for the course and possibly a pint after their round than there would be if they weren't allowed to play. If it keeps the club club afloat, I see no harm.

Did this group repair their own pitch marks and one other? Did they rake the bunkers after visiting them? Did you get around in three and a bit hours? I know the answer to at least one of those already ...

Back in the day when I played Ricky a lot if you were not 'appropiately' dressed [ie in jeans or trackies] you were asked to use the spike bar at lunchtimes... The stewards at that time were seeking extra trade from the nearby offices etc... Was worth the effort as it was always quite full particularly Fridays...

 

[DCB]

Well, like many other threads on dress, this one has thrown up a wide variety of posts covering almost all aspects of the topic.

What I wonder is, how many posters on here can actually remember the days when you had to wear jacket and tie in the golf club ? You went off for your Saturday morning round complete with a hanger which had all the necessary garb slung over it. You played your golf and then changed into the jacket & tie before going for a drink. This ritual was probably carried out in almost every clubhouse in the land until a relatively short time ago.

We changed our dress rules over two stages during the early 1990s and again around 2001. There was a period where some people did try to push the bounds, but, it soon settled down into a normal pattern. I don't miss the jacket & tie days, although if I end up going somewhere that still has dress rules like that, then I'll happily conform.

We are a long way from where we were even 25 years ago, so be thankful of that. Has the world come to an end, has the club slipped down the slippery slope, no it hasn't on either count.

 

[dufferman]

Did this group repair their own pitch marks and one other? Did they rake the bunkers after visiting them? Did you get around in three and a bit hours? I know the answer to at least one of those already ...

Back in the day when I played Ricky a lot if you were not 'appropiately' dressed [ie in jeans or trackies] you were asked to use the spike bar at lunchtimes... The stewards at that time were seeking extra trade from the nearby offices etc... Was worth the effort as it was always quite full particularly Fridays...

They didn't seem to make any pitch marks for the last few holes we were behind them, I swear to god I only saw one bunker with a rake in it all round and we took just under 4 hours, I guess they did a little longer... the rain on Sunday meant me and my friend who payed only saw 2 or 3 other groups on the course!! The club would have been silly to turn away £63 + any extras on a day like that!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Some aspects of dress code do irritate me though. Like my lad aged 11 - never really wore long trousers. So he was pulled up by our steward for wearing shorts in the clubhouse - I think that was when shorts were only allowed in the clubhouse during the summer months and it may have been spring.

Also I have plenty of nice casual styled shirts that you do not tuck in to your trousers that I might not wear to play golf (though I might) but which I might well be wearing if I just fancied popping into clubhouse for a pint (as I occasionally do). But the dress codes says - all shirts must be tucked in! D'oh. Oh yes and my grey work trousers that look a bit like denim but aren't - got pulled up by the steward for that fairly recently. I told him not to be daft.

Anyway - banning jeans is really just used to reduce the amount of dirty or knackered looking trousers being worn in the clubhouse - and jeans, because of what we do when wearing them, are in truth, more likely to be dirty and knackered than other forms of trouser.

 

[GreiginFife]

Exactly! Why are jeans not allowed then!?

Jeans are a tricky one, some jeans are nice and can be classed as smart, some hang off of people's @rses, would these still be smart? Or ones with zips and bells and whistles everywhere? How about ripped jeans?
You would need to include a definition on jeans as to what constitutes smart and then you are back at the whole subjective nature of defining smart. Some people might think their ripped, zipped and belled jeans are the mutts nuts so would not understand why they weren't allowed when a plain pair of denims are.
Many clubs I have been to simply don't allow jeans as it's easier to disallow than to have multiple stage definition and requirements in place as to what is acceptable...

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

And thinking of the FedEx comp just finished. Is it only me who thinks that caddies just look untidy wearing long shorts, trainer type golf shoes, and no or 'trainer' socks.

 

[patricks148]

If it's a matter of 'looking smart', then does the fat guy look smart or a mess? The answer is a mess. Does the guy in the jeans look better or worse than said fat man? Much better. Much smarter.

I can see that a list as long as your arm is tough to implement - no jeans, no trousers too small or tight for your waist size, no polo shirts that don't fit etc.

By relaxing the WHOLE THING to say 'smart dress only' would that help? AKA smart jeans are allowed, and people who can't dress themselves aren't?

I would disagree, you are using someone who was fat and looked a mess, i'm sure he would still look the same in jeans.

For me i like tradition, whats wrong with wearing a pair of trousers/chinos.

and as for smart jeans are workwear, wear them to the pub fair enough, just not a golf club!

 

[MegaSteve]

Jeans are a tricky one, some jeans are nice and can be classed as smart,

Sorry... Jeans and smart in the same sentence ...

Even if they're by Hugo or Ralph and cost a fortune they're still only 'workwear' something you put on to fix the car or clean the drains! Done the wearing them with an expensive jacket [Jezza style] and quite frankly looking back its as dated a look as shell suits!!! ...

 

[dufferman]

Jeans are a tricky one, some jeans are nice and can be classed as smart, some hang off of people's @rses, would these still be smart? Or ones with zips and bells and whistles everywhere? How about ripped jeans?
You would need to include a definition on jeans as to what constitutes smart and then you are back at the whole subjective nature of defining smart. Some people might think their ripped, zipped and belled jeans are the mutts nuts so would not understand why they weren't allowed when a plain pair of denims are.
Many clubs I have been to simply don't allow jeans as it's easier to disallow than to have multiple stage definition and requirements in place as to what is acceptable...

I know where you're coming from - you're right, one mans smart is another mans scruffy. Likewise, someones lack of ability to wear clothes that fit is another mans scruffy.

 

[garyinderry]

this thread has been done to death. any chance of some golf chat rather than this load of codswallop!

 

[seochris]

I am afraid i have to go with the no denim jeans brigade and i have to admit that this has been conditioned by my visits to municipal courses back in the late 70's.

I would turn up for a game at 8am to be faced with a queue of about 5 games or so on the first tee...so at least a 45 minute wait.

The second up on the tee would be some guy in a pair of Levis complete with wife, 4 year old kid running around and a pushchair in tow. The guy would then top it off the tee...the 4 year old would run across the opposite fairway to pick it up and what a circus would ensue....all the way down the hole with shouting and screaming at said 4 year old etc etc etc. I have this picture in my head now when people wear denim jeans on the golf course that they are just hacking it aroung to kill a few hours....prejudiced i know but there we are. Cant help it and probably need counselling now to get this scene out of my head.

 

[Rooter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ww6aK2yD0

enough said.

 

[USER1999]

in the clubhouse at Medinah

View attachment 2817


what has the world come to :angry:.........................

Jackets with Jeans is a really naff look. Like a Jeremy clarkson look alike contest.

 

[JPH]

Jackets with Jeans is a really naff look. Like a Jeremy clarkson look alike contest.

Naff

Old polari word that one , know what it means ?