Have golf dress codes reached a new low?
Four players. Four questions. One topic. In this week’s Fourball, Alex Perry, Mark Townsend, James Savage and Steve Carroll take to the tee to discuss golf dress codes, inspired by social media chat this week that had people seething. But first…
What is the most ridiculous dress code infringement you’ve witnessed?
Alex: At about the age of 14 I walked into my dad’s golf club wearing jeans. I needed to go in for about 10 minutes, but was immediately shown the door by a member. Pathetic.
Mark: In 1986 a friend who played for Chelsea’s youth team turned up in a pair of shorts of his favourite football team. It was approximately 30-degrees and it was 4pm on a Sunday. The pro made him play in a set of waterproof trousers which very nearly killed him from heat exhaustion.
James: Not witnessed anything first hand apart from an incident involving a sausage roll but that’s a story for another day. A friend of mine was made to buy some long socks after being refused to play in ankle socks. He and his friend took them off on the second tee.
Steve: I recently saw someone wearing a Manchester United shirt on a course. That was quite offensive. If it had been Middlesbrough, though, I’d have been fine with it.
If you ran a golf club, what dress code(s) would you incorporate?
Mark: The easy and cool answer is none but, if I’m honest, if someone turned up in a Gold’s Gym muscle top then I might feel a bit gutted. My main gripe is the problem people have with socks which, should anyone be reading this in 20 years’ time, will hopefully sound like the words of a mad man.
James: None. There would be no dress code whatsoever. Turn up and play in a clown outfit if you like.
Steve: People seem to think allowing jeans on the course is one step away from the clubhouse getting graffitied and petrol bombs being chucked in the car park. I’d have no dress code because I reckon that, in the long run, people would wear pretty much what they do already – because it’s designed for golf, efficient and comfortable.
Alex: None. Obviously.
So how did dress codes in golf reach a new low? Find out on the next page…
