So, What is a Golf Shirt

GB72

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Having read a few of the posts on Smiffy’s thread about polo shirts it really did bring home how absolutely barking the attitude of some clubs are to what is and what is not acceptable golf attire. Rather than hijack that thread, I thought I would start a new one. Let me get the usual point out the way, I know that clubs have rules and if I do not like the rules then I can move on and I accept that and abide by the rules at my club.
If, however, you were a total outsider to the game, how would you look at some of the examples I have seen or heard about:
1. To take the original thread, a shirt displaying quite subtly the name of an F1 team and sponsor is not acceptable but a shirt with same sized logos for a golf brand is. I even suspect that if they had added the word ‘golf’ under the F1 team name it would be OK to some. A shirt showing all of the same logos but made by a golf brand and also showing their logo is also fine.
2. You cannot wear shirts from other sports but I am allowed to wear a Leicester Tigers golf shirt even though it looks similar and has the badge in the same place because it is labled Tigers Golf. I was advised at a previous club that if had not been marked as Tigers Golf then it would be classed as a shirt from another sport and would not be acceptable.
3. Once you get past the non golf related polo shirts, you then get on to specific golf gear. Some of the younger lads have been asked not to wear Bunker Mentality shirts due to the size of logo or other slogans despite this being made and marketed as golf gear. They can, however, wear the ones that have loud patterns and designs but not the plain ones with a larger badge or a slogan on it.
4. I remember when Tiger was wearing collarless golf tops. OK on the PGA or at the Open, sold and marketed as golf gear, banned at golf clubs.
So, where is the line drawn. Should there even be a line a long as the shirt fills the basic criteria of being a polo shirt and does not contain any language or imagery that is offensive. Should clubs just tighten the rules and restrict it to wearing nothing but plain or striped polo shirts with nothing more than a discreet manufacturers logo.
No right or wrong answer to this, the rules at my club state all recognised golf attire to include a fixed collar and sleaves but that in itself does not exclude some items that the club does deem unacceptable so I would be interested to see where people think the line is drawn.
 

colint

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Our dress code says clothing made specifically for the playing of golf, which is a bit odd really. I wear some Ralph Lauren polo shirts which are not specifically for golf, just general polo shirts so technically I'm in breach. Must also have collars (and they feel the need to say sleeves as well !)
 

GB72

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Our dress code says clothing made specifically for the playing of golf, which is a bit odd really. I wear some Ralph Lauren polo shirts which are not specifically for golf, just general polo shirts so technically I'm in breach. Must also have collars (and they feel the need to say sleeves as well !)

There is a certain irony that polo shirts were actually designed to play tennis in and so are not strictly not actually golf attire in any sense.

How would your club react to modern golf specific shirts made by a golf company with a big logo or slogan on the back? Technically not a breach of the rules but not really welcome at some clubs.
 

Lord Tyrion

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I've sometimes gone out in short sleeved shirts, not Hawaiian but that style, if I was just going out for a few holes at the end of a day. I have not even thought if it was allowed or not but thankfully my club is not so restrictive as for that to be an issue. Personally I would not care about logo's, other sports etc. For me it needs to have a collar, I did not like the Nike collarless and I am pleased to see they have largely disappeared, be a shirt and that is pretty much that. I would not join a club that was so stuffy and restrictive to care so greatly about the shirt you wear for golf.

I understand the benefits of new materials and largely buy into it but for me that is a personal choice and if I want to wear Magnum PI's shirt then that is up to me. Also seems ironic that people can wear garish trousers that are utterly hideous to my eye but your shirt can be a problem.
 

jamielaing

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I generally go with anything with a collar which includes shirts (remembering that back in the day this is what you would see Hogan etc wearing). Understand the reasoning behind no football colours but would happily wear a rugby style shirt (i.e. thick long sleeved polo). I think that anything beyond that comes down to personal preference and if I was pulled up for my attire being wrong when I am wearing some form of polo shirt I would certainly argue my point.

Personally I don't like bunker mentality and brands that are louder however I wouldn't think to say anything to someone wearing that stuff.
 

colint

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There is a certain irony that polo shirts were actually designed to play tennis in and so are not strictly not actually golf attire in any sense.

How would your club react to modern golf specific shirts made by a golf company with a big logo or slogan on the back? Technically not a breach of the rules but not really welcome at some clubs.

I've never seen any but I actually think they'd be OK, there's certainly nothing in the club rules about them so don't know what grounds they could object on. The club seems to be making an effort to move with the times while keeping the basic standards, which I approve of, and we have quite an active junior section so we make them feel welcome or they'll play elsewhere
 

pbrown7582

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Don't forget respecting the dress code as set out by the club you are playing :thup:

and therein lies the issue, each club has its own rules and no matter what is allowed at yours if you are visiting another course you should respect there dress code, if you don't agree with it then jog on.
 
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and therein lies the issue, each club has its own rules and no matter what is allowed at yours if you are visiting another course you should respect there dress code, if you don't agree with it then jog on.
Spot on mate :thup:
 

colint

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and therein lies the issue, each club has its own rules and no matter what is allowed at yours if you are visiting another course you should respect there dress code, if you don't agree with it then jog on.

Can't disagree with that, we also have a note on the dress code that all clothing on sale in our pro shop meets the dress code, so anyone caught can buy a new shirt if they need / want to
 

Lord Tyrion

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The problem for golf is that more and more people are jogging on and committee's are scratching their heads and wondering why. It is not solely down to dress codes but it does add to an image that golf needs to shake up. Of course clubs can stay as they are but don't then complain when numbers continue to decline.
 

Sybez

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The problem for golf is that more and more people are jogging on and committee's are scratching their heads and wondering why. It is not solely down to dress codes but it does add to an image that golf needs to shake up. Of course clubs can stay as they are but don't then complain when numbers continue to decline.

+1 with this attitude. Will be great for the game world wide once all the fuddy duddies die off!
 
D

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The problem for golf is that more and more people are jogging on and committee's are scratching their heads and wondering why. It is not solely down to dress codes but it does add to an image that golf needs to shake up. Of course clubs can stay as they are but don't then complain when numbers continue to decline.

When we have members leaving not one single person has ever left because of the dress code - not one

Don't recall anyone ever having any issues with the dress code we apply to the course

I can't ever see why someone will ever have an issue with having to wear a golf polo shirt - they are cheaper than most normal polo shirts or football shirts etc

One of the main reasons people are currently leaving golf clubs is - financial - simple as that.

There are always plenty of clubs around that allow people to wear trainers , cargo shorts , tee shirts , football shirts - done plenty of survy work within the county and EGU and dress code hardly even registers as an issue
 

BoadieBroadus

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i consider deferring to a clubs dress code is a mark of respect to the club and all the other members. that i do not consider myself so special that i simply can't abide the rules as they apply to everyone else.
 

GB72

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It is going a bit off topic in that every club has the right to impose whatever code it wants and people should respect that. The point I was trying to make is when the rules expect a polo shirt where are you breaching that with the options available. In part I feel that clubs and clothing manufacturers are going in different directions with manufacturers pushing for young, trendy and fun whilst many clubs prefer staid and traditional. I also see no issue with the name if a car or ither manufacturer on the breast as opposed to a golf brand but that upsets some clubs
 

HomerJSimpson

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I've never had an issue and pretty sure I've played in a polo shirt that had writing that wasnt golf related. Think from memory it was a work polo with Oracle UK on so I would argue pretty similar to the OP posts and something with non-golf specific (F1 team etc) and never had a problem.

Whether you agree or not with a club's interpretation of a dress code, especially away clubs, you are ultimately a guest and need to abide by what they lay down.
 

Foxholer

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I've never had a problem with any club I've been either a member of, or visitor to, so maybe not the best to comment.

But there was a time when Tiger wore his mocks and the club I was a committee member of was selling them in the Pro shop but they were excluded from the 'allowed' list. We changed the code so that anything that was sold in the Pro shop, as Golf gear, was allowed.

The course I play most of my golf at now has a virtually anything goes code.

So to me, dress code is a non-issue - at least, on the course!

Any Club that differentiates between slight differences in logos on Polo shirts should re-assess its code imo! And allowing football/rugby team shirts that have been made for golf seems a bit too specific too! I'd go along with not allowing them, if those not specifically made for golf were not allowed.

And i don't believe that Dress Code per se is the reason clubs are losing/not gaining members!
 
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