Would you join a club that did not have a dress code?

[Voyager EMH]

It took me 35 years to join a golf club because I thought they were all stuffy places full of reactionaries and I could think of better places to spend my chilling out time.
Thankfully I eventually discovered that those kind of clubs are just a noisy minority and are easily avoided.
If you’ve never tried it, when it’s hot I can really recommend playing golf in a t-shirt, athletic shorts and sandals.

I've done that in Australia, but not the sandals. I wore trainers like many others seemed to be doing. This was in the 1990s. My summer golf shoes (Footjoy) are trainers now.
Saw a few in what we would call a "vest" or sleeveless top.

I really saw no difference in terms of the playing and enjoying golf, the general behaviour and etiquette, respect of the club and the course.
All very similar people playing and enjoying golf on the other side of the world.
But the almost total absence of the "stuffy" attitudes that you very accurately describe.

I think wearing no shirt was not allowed.

 

[SteveW86]

Do clubs that enforce the no hats indoors rule have a hat stand by their entrance?

 

[doublebogey7]

Do you have any examples of people refusing to take up golf because of dress code?

There's plenty of research thar indicates this, so I don't need to give examples. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/128475/pdf/ https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/blog...nsumption-and-class-the-curious-case-of-golf/

 

[PaulMdj]

Do clubs that enforce the no hats indoors rule have a hat stand by their entrance?

Ours is in the car park.

 

[irip]

Ours is in the car park.

Is that to put your hat on while you change your shoes

 

[PaulMdj]

Is that to put your hat on while you change your shoes

Exactly

 

[Bagger Vance]

There's plenty of research thar indicates this, so I don't need to give examples. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/128475/pdf/ https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/blog...nsumption-and-class-the-curious-case-of-golf/

Interesting studies, thanks for posting them.

In the first one there is one single phrase relating to dress code (specifically women who tend to have a more relaxed code than men) and it is buried deep into other arguments that seem more relevant to why people don't take up golf. In the second link it is referring to class structure and cost which has nothing to do with dress code. It is also from 2015 and things have moved on considerably since then.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

My son has no interest in golf whatsoever.
His perception of a golf club is its full of old rich blokes with outdated opinions all dressed in suits looking down on other golfers and the world in general.
Although it’s not necessarily the dress code putting him off it’s his view of golf clubs in general (albeit a bit turned up to try and wind me up).
I think that’s a common opinion of golf clubs from non golfers

Worked in golf all my life and I have generally found the rich old blokes great to work with.
The middle age male 'Mr Bucket' types were the ones to watch out for.

 

[doublebogey7]

Interesting studies, thanks for posting them.

In the first one there is one single phrase relating to dress code (specifically women who tend to have a more relaxed code than men) and it is buried deep into other arguments that seem more relevant to why people don't take up golf. In the second link it is referring to class structure and cost which has nothing to do with dress code. It is also from 2015 and things have moved on considerably since then.

One of the ways people are and always have been sperated by class, is in the way the dress, as well as money of course. Yes, things have moved on from 2015, but that has been in part because many clubs have significantly relaxed their dress codes, which proves the point does it not.

 

[IanM]

On a similar theme, I'm reminded of a booking condition at a resort course locally that clearly states, "Resort reserves the right to make up games into four balls."

Plenty show up as groups of six, expecting to play as two three balls. They kick off when they are adjusted to a four and a two, with two folk added to the second game.

Whether that's fair or not, it's clearly stated. But if course some decide conditions don't apply to them. If I was booking for a group of six, I'd go elsewhere.

It's not snobbery, it's hard nosed commercialism.

 

[Bagger Vance]

One of the ways people are and always have been sperated by class, is in the way the dress, as well as money of course. Yes, things have moved on from 2015, but that has been in part because many clubs have significantly relaxed their dress codes, which proves the point does it not.

I'm not sure it does, I've played many high end courses that are generally 'invite to join' based on who you know and which school you went to that have relaxed dress codes.