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.

 

[Voyager EMH]

I walked into the house today and did not remove my cap.
This was very bad as I walked directly past the Lady of the house.
I think I got away with it, because she appeared to be resting her eyes.
I had good reason for this awful faux pas. My hands were grubby after mowing the lawn. I removed my cap after scrubbing my hands.

Now what was I doing mowing my own lawn on a Sunday? - you might ask.
Well, it is hard to find the help these days.
A few weeks ago when the grass clearly needed attention, I asked a chap I saw outside the Post Office whether he would like half-a-day's pay for mowing my lawn.
He declined and then asked me whether I would like to mow his.
I called him "a cheeky fellow" and bid him good day.
People really should know their place and keep it.

While I was about my toil this afternoon, I saw washing hanging on a neighbour's washing line. On a Sunday!
These houses were built in 1957 and I am sure that has always been against the rules.
I'm sure others saw this so there is no need for me to do anything. Word will get round to everyone and eventually the vicar, I would hope.

All in all, I actually enjoyed the exercise and fresh air. Very pleasant for this time of year. Even though I felt a little guilty with depriving someone of small wages.
The thought occurred to me that with the coming of warmer temperatures, I will have to endure some of my neighbours cooking and eating outdoors and being unnecessarily raucous.
I accept such behaviour on Guy Fawkes' Day and New Year Eve, but I would much prefer the peace and quiet of summer evenings, reading a good book and the only sound being the evening birdsong.

I see no progress with this "free and easy life" that many embrace. It is merely the lowering of standards and the abandonment of traditions.

"Change and decay in all around I see".



At least the gawf club remains a safe haven - "up to a point".

 

[D-S]

Or they have been reviewed and the Club is happy with them?

Ours was reviewed about 10 years ago, no hats indoors was binned.

But we still don’t allow Football shirts to be worn while playing, or cargo shorts.

Should there be any dress code at all?

Have you seen the title of this thread?

The votes are in.

 

[PaulMdj]

Have you seem the title of this thread?

The votes are in.

Yes, but as it’s a few years old and gone off track I was answering a specific post.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I use decent eating houses around the Troon Prestwick Ayr area.
Seeing golfers sitting down to eat wearing hats is not unusual but it looks so wrong. Like men wearing a hat in church.
Many look uncomfortable as they probably don't understand why the locals are giving them strange looks.

We ask hats/caps to not be worn in the clubhouse lounge areas. It’s in our club rules and dress code, and visitors are informed of them in advance. That’s said we are otherwise pretty much completely relaxed about what we can wear in the clubhouse lounge.

This is a huge change from not that many years ago when a jacket and tie was required in one of our lounges. We want our expensively refurbished clubhouse lounge to be a welcoming environment for members and visitors…so don’t want to be in the invidious position of having to pull folk up for contravening a restrictive clubhouse dress code…so we did away with it and pretty much anything goes…but no hats/caps please.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We ask hats/caps to not be worn in the clubhouse lounge areas. It’s in our club rules and dress code, and visitors are informed of them in advance. That’s said we are otherwise pretty much completely relaxed about what we can wear in the clubhouse lounge.

If you are advising visitors in advance of your dress code then you are really not 'pretty much relaxed about what we can wear in the clubhouse lounge'.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

If you are advising visitors in advance of your dress code then you are really not 'pretty much relaxed about what we can wear in the clubhouse lounge'.

Dress code on the course remains largely ‘traditional’…excepting the ‘long socks with shorts’ bit

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Dress code on the course remains largely ‘traditional’…excepting the ‘long socks with shorts’ bit

So again, not relaxed .

That's fine, absolutely your clubs perogative. It is not relaxed though.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

I’m going to guess that you might not be 100% correct in that assertion

And just to be clear…I’m not advocating that a dress code for on and off the course has to be of the traditional nature - or indeed not necessarily that close at all - especially in the clubhouse - but I’m thinking I’m not comfortable with NO dress code whatsoever.

I’m intrigued as you how you correlated that clubs with dress codes on the course means more people repair pitch marks. I’ve played many a course with strict dress codes that have a shocking amount of pitch marks. I’ve equally played more relaxed courses where there are less pitch marks and vice versa.

How someone dresses doesn’t immediately make their golfing etiquette better. But I’ve also yet to meet a golfer anywhere that would admit they don’t repair pitch marks, rake bunkers , replace divots or are slow players. Like with everything it’s always someone else never us

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Dress code on the course remains largely ‘traditional’…excepting the ‘long socks with shorts’ bit

Also that’s not relaxed