Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Good posts Neddy, testify brother.........
Dress Codes - give us your views!
- Thread starter MikeH
- Start date
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
My view on this is pretty simple. Dress codes are stupid and should be done away with. They only serve to alienate people. I personally wouldn't even consider joining a club with a strict dress code on a point of principal. Nobody has the right to tell me what clothes i should wear in my free time. Golf is a leisure activity for christs sake.
I should say at this point that i always make the effort....when i go to work, when i play golf, and generally, to look my best. But i do that because i have some pride in my appearance and like to be suitably dressed for whatever i am doing. Not because some stuffy moron thinks i should be wearing white socks.
The only way anyone should be judged is by their behaviour. People always clump together dress code and etiquette, but they are 2 totally different things. As long as someone is courteous on the golf course, doesn't hit golf balls at people, lets faster players through and repairs marks/divots/bunkers i frankly could'nt care less what they are wearing.
If someone wants to play in jeans what harm are they doing? None, apart from making themselves highly uncomfortable.
So you wouldn't consider joining a club with a dress code, even though when you play golf you dress appropriately so adhering to said dress code wouldn't affect you in any way?
sev112
Tour Winner
I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member
And as I've just found out that I am, I have resigned ...
sev112
Tour Winner
One can object to Poll Tax, and protest publically to that extent, yet still pay it
I object to paying tax on my red wine, but I still buy it and pay the tax
I object to income tax at ... Etc etc etc
I disagree with most of the people on here but I still keep coming back
sev112
Tour Winner
You must all realise that I am in fact Mike's alter ego and don't really exist other than to spice up the odd dress code debate
Neddy
Challenge Tour Pro
It's not about whether i personally dress "appropriately" or whether it would affect me or not. I wear golf clothes to play golf because it's the most comfortable/stylish way to do it, not because i don't want to upset people.
I quite simply would not want to be part of an environment where you get told off/patronised/looked down on for wearing your polo untucked (which i do ocassionally) or the wrong colour socks.
I wouldn't walk up to someone in the street and tell them i think what they are wearing is inappropriate. It's none of my business how they choose to present themself. Why should golf clubs make it their business?
There is no practical reason to have a dress code (suitable footwear aside). They only exist "because they always have"
stevie_r
Tour Winner
It's not about whether i personally dress "appropriately" or whether it would affect me or not. I wear golf clothes to play golf because it's the most comfortable/stylish way to do it, not because i don't want to upset people.
I quite simply would not want to be part of an environment where you get told off/patronised/looked down on for wearing your polo untucked (which i do ocassionally) or the wrong colour socks.
I wouldn't walk up to someone in the street and tell them i think what they are wearing is inappropriate. It's none of my business how they choose to present themself. Why should golf clubs make it their business?
There is no practical reason to have a dress code (suitable footwear aside). They only exist "because they always have"
The comparison you use is a very poor one, you simply cannot compare the two.
It's very simple IMO, if you are looking to join a golf club but are not happy with the dress code (whether it be too strict or too lax) then don't join.
If you are a member of a golf club which is intending to drastically change the dress code and you are not happy with it then seek to address the matter through the committee and a vote (if possible). If you are still not happy with the outcome you have the option to resign your membership.
Golf clubs have dress codes (of varying levels of severity) because that is what they want their membership to adhere to, not simply because they have always had one.
chris661
Money List Winner
It's not about whether i personally dress "appropriately" or whether it would affect me or not. I wear golf clothes to play golf because it's the most comfortable/stylish way to do it, not because i don't want to upset people.
I quite simply would not want to be part of an environment where you get told off/patronised/looked down on for wearing your polo untucked (which i do ocassionally) or the wrong colour socks.
I wouldn't walk up to someone in the street and tell them i think what they are wearing is inappropriate. It's none of my business how they choose to present themself. Why should golf clubs make it their business?
There is no practical reason to have a dress code (suitable footwear aside). They only exist "because they always have"
But that isn't the fault of a dress code or not though is it?
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
It's not about whether i personally dress "appropriately" or whether it would affect me or not. I wear golf clothes to play golf because it's the most comfortable/stylish way to do it, not because i don't want to upset people.
I quite simply would not want to be part of an environment where you get told off/patronised/looked down on for wearing your polo untucked (which i do ocassionally) or the wrong colour socks.
I wouldn't walk up to someone in the street and tell them i think what they are wearing is inappropriate. It's none of my business how they choose to present themself. Why should golf clubs make it their business?
There is no practical reason to have a dress code (suitable footwear aside). They only exist "because they always have"
That's fair enough, it's up to you but if the dress code simply said "the club respectfully requests that members and visitors dress appropriately", would you still have an issue?
bluewolf
Money List Winner
Then who the heck did I play golf with at Woburn?
Now get yer posh britches on, get down to yer club and apologise for making so much trouble.....
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
I would disagree with that. What issues do you think they would have?
tim l
Newbie
Should we dress for the driving range?
cookelad
Tour Winner
It gets cold at this time of year!
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Which is where we came in several pages and posts ago. Can golf clubs afford to turn people away because of their dress code?
stevie_r
Tour Winner
I believe that some can, clearly some can't. Those that can't and who decide to tone down their dress code run the risk of pushing existing members out of the door. A conundrum indeed
swanny32
Journeyman Pro
I haven't read through the entire thread so don't know what the majority verdict is on this topic. I feel like golf should keep it's dress code, I feel having a dress code that you have to follow teaches discipline and etiquette, something that I would like my kids to grow up respecting which hopefully in turn will result in them being slightly nicer people than they could be when they grow up, if you know what I mean.
People who put the effort in to go the whole hog and wear the correct attire generally have more respect for the game of golf and help to maintain the sports integrity, obviously you still get some morons who wear the right gear but don't do themselves any favours by not replacing divots and repairing pitch marks but that's a different topic altogether.
I think what it boils down to is being able to distinguish between who's there to play golf and who's there to be a prat....or it is at our place anyway.
People who put the effort in to go the whole hog and wear the correct attire generally have more respect for the game of golf and help to maintain the sports integrity, obviously you still get some morons who wear the right gear but don't do themselves any favours by not replacing divots and repairing pitch marks but that's a different topic altogether.
I think what it boils down to is being able to distinguish between who's there to play golf and who's there to be a prat....or it is at our place anyway.
SAPCOR1
Journeyman Pro
Can't agree that dress code teaches you discipline and/or etiquette.
bernix
Challenge Tour Pro
are dress codes still relevant in this day and age - yes within reason i.e no jeans trainers football tops etc. its not hard to wear trousers and a shirt with a collar
what's the policy at your club - pretty much as above
have there been any recent changes to relax dress code at your club - yes, dress code was introduced 8 years ago. we had an American member who always wore blue jeans, seems like dress code a little more relaxed on the other side of the pond
have you or any of your fiends/playing partners ever fallen foul of a dress code - yes, sort of. at my first appearence on a driving range (in tracksuit) and once more before dress code was introduced
do you think dress codes put newcommers off the game - no not at all, never seen it cause problems in other sports where kits are required
should jeans be allowed in the bar - yes but no rips
if you could write a dress code what would it include - a on course would require golf shoes, trousers or shorts and a shirt should have a collar, no trainers, jeans, other sport team shirts (footie, rugby, cricket etc), off the course requirement would just be to be smart (still no footie tops etc but jeans and trainers fine as long as smart)
would you go down to your club more often for a drink/meal if you could wear more causal clothing - no
should juniors be subject to the same dress codes as adults yes, they should be required to be properly dressed if going on the course and smart off the course, same as everyone else
what's the policy at your club - pretty much as above
have there been any recent changes to relax dress code at your club - yes, dress code was introduced 8 years ago. we had an American member who always wore blue jeans, seems like dress code a little more relaxed on the other side of the pond
have you or any of your fiends/playing partners ever fallen foul of a dress code - yes, sort of. at my first appearence on a driving range (in tracksuit) and once more before dress code was introduced
do you think dress codes put newcommers off the game - no not at all, never seen it cause problems in other sports where kits are required
should jeans be allowed in the bar - yes but no rips
if you could write a dress code what would it include - a on course would require golf shoes, trousers or shorts and a shirt should have a collar, no trainers, jeans, other sport team shirts (footie, rugby, cricket etc), off the course requirement would just be to be smart (still no footie tops etc but jeans and trainers fine as long as smart)
would you go down to your club more often for a drink/meal if you could wear more causal clothing - no
should juniors be subject to the same dress codes as adults yes, they should be required to be properly dressed if going on the course and smart off the course, same as everyone else
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Can I just point out to the many people who have said that is not hard or expensive to wear the designated golf clobber, then that kind of means that any ne'er-do-well can do it. Hence the fact that someone is wearing the designated golf clobber is no indication of the moral fibre of that person, as it is apparently so easy to do.
So what is the point of having a dress code that is allegedly so easy to comply with that it no longer becomes a way of differentiating between the good types and the scum of society? So you may as well get rid of it. Q.E.D
I would actually respect someone's honestly who came on here and said part of the reason they want to keep existing dress codes is to make golf clubs less appealing to join and to maintain the aura of stuffiness, so they can keep anyone that does not conform to their view of what a golfer should dress like away. Which means the existing mostly socially,racially,sartorially and genderly (made up word) homogeneous members can enjoy their games in peace.
Socialist worker
So what is the point of having a dress code that is allegedly so easy to comply with that it no longer becomes a way of differentiating between the good types and the scum of society? So you may as well get rid of it. Q.E.D
I would actually respect someone's honestly who came on here and said part of the reason they want to keep existing dress codes is to make golf clubs less appealing to join and to maintain the aura of stuffiness, so they can keep anyone that does not conform to their view of what a golfer should dress like away. Which means the existing mostly socially,racially,sartorially and genderly (made up word) homogeneous members can enjoy their games in peace.
Socialist worker
sev112
Tour Winner
Socialist worker
Come and join us Anarchist Communists
- but watch out for those Communist Anarchists, they're a dangerous bunch
