# Dress Code



## KrudlerAce (Jul 3, 2010)

Here in Australia I have noticed in recent years the drop in standard of golf attire on the golf course. When I first started playing the game you had to wear a collared shirt, tailored shorts or pants and socks pulled up. In particular lately I have seen some attire that I think should not be allowed on the golf course. I have seen guys wearing full length jeans, t-shirts and even board (swimming) shorts.

I understand this probably has a lot to do with getting more people to play the game (more money), which I think is a good thing. But I do believe there has to be a certain set of standards on the golf course. I am a young man and certainly am not against these people playing the game but believe it needs to be looked at.

Just wondering if anyone other members have noticed at their home courses around the world what the current dress standard is like and their thoughts.

Cheers


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## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

Down south in Vic I notice this on some of the cheaper public courses. When I started playing I was guilty of playing in jeans but I don't play in jeans anymore. I find on a warmer day and after a few hole the are restrictive to your swing and by no means do I wear really tight jeans. I wouldn't say it is just a young thing at my cheaper locals. Most of these locals do not have a dress code but at the ones that have a dress code it is normally hold to that standard.


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

On this side of the pond the dress code varies from course to course, the one state that I have played ,Colorado, all the couse that I played had a dress code. I wear shorts and a collard shirt in summer and slacks or casual pants and a collard shirt and sweater on colder days. I've seen some good golfers dress like they crawled from underneath a rock or out of jail


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

I wear what is allowed. In summer I wear shorts (most of them might be defined as cargo shorts, but they are nice 6 pocket walking shorts, not sloppy hip-hop cargo shorts. I wear polo style golf shorts most of the time, and I wear either regular golf shoes or my Footjoy golf sandals, depending on my mood. Most of the summer I wear the sandals.

However, now as the weather starts to cool off, I will be showing up at my home course in jeans quite regularly. I find them to be a practical option for cool and cold weather casual wear, whether I'm playing golf, hiking, going out to a casual restaurant.... etc. I wore jeans all of my working life, I've worn them for casual activities outside of work for 45 years. I see absolutely nothing wrong with wearing them if the course allows it. They are clean, neat and presentable. I wouldn't wear dirty, frayed work jeans for this. I've always made the distinction, and my casual jeans are always in good repair.

I find restricting apparel because of the fabric it is made from to be a bit silly. If you must have a restriction, place it on appearance and conduct. I can be dressed more presentably in blue jeans than some I've seen in so-called "proper golf attire". Make a code that requires a player to be neat, clean and presentable.... this is easy for most people to understand. If person's personal standards are so low that he can't grasp the concept, then that's his tough luck.

For me the real deciding factor is behavior. Boisterous, boorish behavior which is disrespectful to the course and to other players shows an ignorance of etiquette and is much more of a problem to me than anything that a player wears. I'm much more in favor of a code of conduct and adherence to etiquette which is rigorously enforced than I am of a dress code.


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## falcon1959 (Sep 18, 2010)

*Casual?*

Here in the UK the same thing is happening but to be honest I do like to be able to wear jeans or shorts. I think as long as the people playing on the courses show all due respect to other players this is far more important than what clothes they are wearing.


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Maybe I'm old fashion and should ajust my thinking to today. I must agree that courtesy is important. one of my peeves is hitting into players, intentionally, to me that is uncalled for and we have dipsticks that do it.


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Rick: I just can't picture you wearing sandels. is this from your hippie days in the sixties or getting ready for Burmuda. BTW have you starting building yet? if so what about Igor hitting tomorrow.


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

broken tee said:


> Rick: I just can't picture you wearing sandels. is this from your hippie days in the sixties or getting ready for Burmuda. BTW have you starting building yet? if so what about Igor hitting tomorrow.


Not Bermuda.... Long Island, Bahamas. Bermuda is some 850 miles northeast of us. Igor isn't even a ripple on the ocean to us. And yes we have started building... in fact it is a long way toward completion. This is an aerial photo of our settlement... the arrow points to our house.


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

That looks beautiful, when you stop grinning with pride let me know. :thumbsup:


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## Stuart StAndrew (Sep 9, 2010)

Your house looks stunning!

I think dress codes have been getting more and more relaxed. I think on the more popular courses its fine to maintain a smart dress code and not to be too hung up about specific golf attire, but I think on the famous, traditional courses they should maintain a high standard of dress code, partly out of respect and partly out of tradition


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## WindyDayz (Sep 9, 2010)

One of the best golfers I ever knew used to show up to the course in rags. Some of the best dressed and most well equipped golfers I've known have been horrid players. That said, I tend to tuck my shirt in and stick to the khaki/polo look. I usually wear all white shoes in the summer and brown/black ones in the winter. I have some windshirts and stuff too for cooler weather.


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

Stuart StAndrew said:


> Your house looks stunning!
> 
> I think dress codes have been getting more and more relaxed. I think on the more popular courses its fine to maintain a smart dress code and not to be too hung up about specific golf attire, but I think on the famous, traditional courses they should maintain a high standard of dress code, partly out of respect and partly out of tradition


The difficulty is in deciding what actually constitutes "tradition". Is that tradition from 1790? From 1850? From 1920? From 1960? Later than that? Herein lies the problem. What we like to call "traditional" golf attire was simply the normal outdoor casual apparel for the players of that era. It wasn't golf attire, it was just what they wore for golf and other similar activities. And it has changed over the years. It's still changing. 

It wasn't until the last 50 years or so that a dress code was instituted that applied to golf. Country clubs didn't need one.... members had the money to dress in an appropriate fashion anyway, just as a matter of daily practice. It was when the public started looking to play better courses than the local muni that we started to see an increase in upscale or resort courses which were open to the public. It was these courses which were really responsible for the establishment of golf dress codes. They wanted to cater to both public players and to club members on vacation. But the club members had come to expect a certain type of attire which did not include denim or t-shirts, or a generally slovenly appearance. Dress codes were designed to cater to those customers.

As a result, the so called "traditional" golf wear is what was in use in most private clubs at that time. It isn't really traditional. In fact it is actually quite recent, but it has become frozen in time. Real life casual styles have continued to change, but "proper" golf apparel is stuck in this static and imaginary "tradition" created in the image of country club styles of the 60's.

It's how I see it anyway. Tiger shocked the world of golf fashion with his mock turtlenecks. Nobody else could have gotten away with such a radical departure from those 40 year old "traditions". Some clubs still don't allow them... must have a true collar like the golf polo of the 50's and 60's. 

Time marches on everywhere else, but in golf apparel, time stands still..... for now.


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

I think Gary Player's dress was in turtle necks when he played (black)


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

broken tee said:


> I think Gary Player's dress was in turtle necks when he played (black)



Only his long sleeved shirts. His summer shirts were still the ubiquitous polos, sometimes buttoned all the way to the top.


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Did Tiger or another pro stand up to the officials on his caddie's dress because of the tempreture?:dunno:


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## FrogsHair (Mar 4, 2010)

I dress appropriately most of the time. Most of the time it's cargo shorts, and a collared shirt. I wear regular walking shoes instead of soft spikes most of the time. A good summer hat, and sun glasses complete's my out fit. There was one time I stopped in Grants, NM at a golf course where I was dressed in my road trip, sweat pants, and a sweat shirt. After the guy took my money, I told him I would slip into proper attire. He told me not to worry about it, that to play decent golf the player had to be pretty relaxed to start with. He said I looked very relaxed.

As for others, I don't really care how they dress if they are in my group. I just want people I am playing with to be able to find their way around a golf course in a timely manner. I would much rather golf with a 10 hndcp slob than a 30 hndcpr dressed to the nines in golf apparel player. Mind you I don't mind playing with a 30 hndcpr, just as long play in a timely manner. As mentioned above, as long they help with their green fees to keep my fees lower, I'm good. That said I have golfed at some pretty out of the way places where the golf course itself was in terrible condition, and the players for most part, dressed to the course's conditions.

It was mentioned above about Tiger and his caddy. The story is his caddy, and Duval's caddy were dressed in shorts, and tournament rules called for long pants to be worn. After a confrontation with a rules official, Tiger told Williams not to change clothes, and allegedly made the remark that he would just start playing on the euro tour if his caddy was not allowed to wear shorts. My cousin was there, and says he actually heard Tiger's Euro Tour remark, as did others. 

CNN/SI - PGA Golf - Inside the showdown: A battle over shorts - Tuesday August 03, 1999 12:42 AM


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