Is Golf's Dress Code Outdated?

[Tom the Golf Nut]

46 minutes ago, hoppman said:

I have seen plenty of people wear a hoodie with the hood over their head and ears when playing, temp in mid 40s and wind blowing 20mph. I have done it, pull it up over my hat to cover my ears. I am usually wearing a FJ wind 1/4 zip pullover with it to block the wind. I prefer soft comfort and no wind. Good chance I am wearing jeans that day as well. We are talking March, April, maybe May, October, November, December in Colorado. Rest of the time I am wearing shorts and a collared golf shirt as I run warm, prefer not to play in jeans, but when it is cold, I have no issues with them. 

As a 60yo man, I don't really care what people wear as long as they aren't dicking around on the course. 

 

I actually prefer a hood on my rain jacket so I can pull it up over my hat and keep the rain off my glasses and hat. I like hoods on my outerwear. 

Totally forgot about you cold weather guys. The hoodie makes sense for cold weather. I haven't even had to wear a winter jacket / coat in 18 years year.

I agree on the rain gear.  

[jaskanski]

14 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Is that the question? Why is a stranger on TV wearing something you don't like or you wouldn't wear? I try and watch every televised LPGA event and I have seen plenty of women wearing their hood up while playing in the wind or chilly temps. Same thing on the range before an early morning round when it is cold. Hood up on the range and when it gets warmer on the course hood down. That said even if the ladies are just making fashion statement I am perfectly OK with that too. 

 

Fair point - now you mention it,  you could employ a hoodie while you are standing about not swinging a club. But as for playing with the hood up - I've tried it and it didn't make any rational sense to me over wearing a hat.

Sincere apolgies if it came across as crass.

[funkyjudge]

1 hour ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

I am more of a traditionalist, but it is due to the clubs I belonged to, and it was the dress code. It just became the norm for me. The materials these days are far superior for moisture wicking and, UV protection. Why would I want to wear a cotton tee shirt?

I don't care if you wear a hoodie because you are younger, and this is more in line with what the younger generation wears. But I do have a question. What is the purpose? I have never seen someone wear it on their head playing golf. PET PEVE, one thing that really annoys me is seeing someone driving their car down the road with the hood of the hoodie up on their head totally taking away their peripheral vision. 

As Sam posted, I put the hood up plenty when it is cold and windy, sometimes even over top of a ski-style hat ("took" in Canadian slang, I believe).

[cnosil]

41 minutes ago, jaskanski said:

Fair point - now you mention it,  you could employ a hoodie while you are standing about not swinging a club. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDuWCZTh88z/

[jaskanski]

3 minutes ago, cnosil said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDuWCZTh88z/

Meanwhile in the background, Patrick Reed...

[Michael.Sandoval33]

There were Leprechauns teeing off during my putting practice yesterday and nobody said a thing to those guys chasing gold around with a Rainbow

I think it is definitely time and place as previously mentioned. But, I still like to look nice wherever I go so I'm still in the "I wear what I like, you do the same" category.

Edited March 18 by Michael.Sandoval33

[David Leighton Reid]

I believe so.  I see no reason why the pro's aren't allowed to wear shorts, especially in the heat of the summer.  

[Another Steve]

8 hours ago, Guest-0 said:

………John Dalys golf clothes???? By the way I love John Daly but couldn't pull that look off myself

Guest-O quoted you for the JD picture….. frigging love it!

 

At one point in my life I would go out and specifically purchase loud, miss matched clothing like this specifically to poke fun at some particularly stuffy courses ~ala~ JD or Rodney Dangerfield vs Bushwood cc. I just made sure that it met the minimum requirements…

[BreakfastBall15]

We all can’t be Cashmere Keith but there’s nothing wrong with joggers, hoodies or tee shirts. You wanna enforce a dress code at a private club where people are paying 5 figure initiation fees and hundreds of dollars for monthly dues, fine. But enforcing a dress code at a local muni that is already overcharging greens fees? Ridiculous 

[Another Steve]

Wish I had a picture of it, but one time i wore a long sleeve dress shirt, bow tie, vest, and plus fours….. wonder whatever happened to my plus fours!?!? Not that i could squeeze any part of my fat self into them….

[hoppman]

40 minutes ago, Another Steve said:

Wish I had a picture of it, but one time i wore a long sleeve dress shirt, bow tie, vest, and plus fours….. wonder whatever happened to my plus fours!?!? Not that i could squeeze any part of my fat self into them….

I have played in knickers a couple of times in Scotland. Made sense since the weather wasn't always great, not so much where I play in the states. 

[bama no 1]

On 3/15/2024 at 10:49 AM, MGoBlue100 said:

Here come the "Most Wanted Bluetooth Speaker" commenters.  I don't really want to see anyone topless, but collared shirts and pleats need to go the way of the tweed jacket, necktie and the Dodo. Show up, keep up and be fun to paly golf with for 4+ hours. Those should be the criteria.

Not sure if you saw that Holly sonders (formerly on the golf channel) wanted to start a female topless league.  my only question to that idea was where were they going to be able to play.

[Rob Person]

33 minutes ago, bama no 1 said:

Not sure if you saw that Holly sonders (formerly on the golf channel) wanted to start a female topless league.  my only question to that idea was where were they going to be able to play.

Wherever they wanted?   

[Shifty]

On 3/18/2024 at 3:26 PM, David Leighton Reid said:

I believe so.  I see no reason why the pro's aren't allowed to wear shorts, especially in the heat of the summer.  

Men's hairy legs in HD makes me physically ill.  Disgusting imo.  Here is where I'm a little traditional for PGA.  

And then there are joggers.  Nothing screams beta male more than joggers.  But hey its 2024, who am I to tell someone what to wear.  But I'm allowed to have opinions.

Edited March 26 by Shifty

[unccross]

On 3/18/2024 at 4:06 PM, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Totally forgot about you cold weather guys. The hoodie makes sense for cold weather. I haven't even had to wear a winter jacket / coat in 18 years year.

I agree on the rain gear.  

I wear a hoodie all the time, with a collared shirt underneath 

[unccross]

Mark Wahlberg had to change his socks in order to play a round in Australia 

 

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/why-mark-wahlberg-had-to-change-dress-standards-australia-elanora-country-club

[Tom the Golf Nut]

8 hours ago, bama no 1 said:

Not sure if you saw that Holly sonders (formerly on the golf channel) wanted to start a female topless league.  my only question to that idea was where were they going to be able to play.

 I was invited by my friend to be in a golf tournament and that’s all I knew going in to it.
It was “The Masters Gentlemen’s Club” outing in NJ many years ago. Three man team plus an entertainer caddy. There were also entertainers stationed at every green that wasn’t in view of houses or roads. I can’t go into details here but they were banned from the golf course after that day. The after party was even crazier. 

 

[MGoBlue100]

On 3/26/2024 at 9:39 AM, bama no 1 said:

Not sure if you saw that Holly sonders (formerly on the golf channel) wanted to start a female topless league.  my only question to that idea was where were they going to be able to play.

I've played a few courses where they would be MORE than welcome... 

[Chubbs1991]

I play golf at local muni in Nova Scotia Canada. On a daily bases, Ive seen guys/women in jeans, cargo pants, t shirts and basically anything else you could imagine. 

 

But in my mind, Classics looks are the best looks. Shirts Tucked in and proper golf attire. Which I think is more along the lines of what you see on tour. I love a good greyson jogger or knit hoodie. 

[MN_Hacker]

I'm fine either way.  When hitting a country club with a friend, it's obviously time to dress the part.  At golf league, I don't wear jorts or cargo shorts, but I don't always tuck in my shirt either.  Dress for the venue.  

[Kaden_Marcell]

As much as I want the dress code in golf to be modernized, I want it to still be "strict" in the sense that it is not going to look unprofessional. Golf I think has this standard because it has been a game of "high class", and I personally don't like how AK is dressing even though LIV is fine with it (just finish the tucked shirt dude). I love the hoodie and jogger style coming into the game, since they both have that professional feel, sweatpants and a super baggy hoodie would not have the same affect, however.

[Jonesy09]

I believe that it is slightly outdated from the past. I mean the world evolves so golf attire needs to evolve with it. But there still needs to be some level of respect giving to how you dress. Not everyone can afford to buy golf clothes as we know the prices have skyrocketed. But at the bare minimum you should be presentable to the point you look put together enough to go anywhere. Its a very interesting subject as trying to make golf more inclusive means gone the days of only certain styles. There are so many opinions to this I don't think there will ever be a "right" answer. 

[malward6]

It really depends on the vibe the club or course is trying obtain along with the demographic.  I live in a blue collar town where jeans and a collared shirt is perfectly acceptable at our semi-private club.  

[malward6]

On 3/26/2024 at 2:29 PM, unccross said:

I wear a hoodie all the time, with a collared shirt underneath 

I hate flipping my hood back everytime I have to bend down from marking or teeing up the ball. Looks fine though.

[Bill Galinas]

I am going to respectfully disagree with the author here.  First, Anthony Kim looked like a homeless person that day on the LIV Tour.  No t-shirts please.  Maybe because I am old and that is the way it has always been but I cannot get on board with t-shirts and running shorts to play golf.  A collared shirt and nice pair of shorts shows respect for the game IMHO.  Hoodies? Fine, but I can't swing the club with the hood much less bending to mark balls and get them out of the hole.  I know the hood would bother me.  For anyone else, no worries.  PGA Tour pros wearing shorts?  Again, no objections.  Let them wear shorts.  The PGA Tour had much bigger problems than the dress code.  I don't think the dress code is keeping the game from growing.  The problem is the same it has been since I started playing in the mid-1970s and before:  the game is too expensive and access is limited.  Find a way to get more economically diverse players into the game (First Tee is a good start) and you can grow the game.  Also, it is very hard work to improve and become good at this game.  I think the difficulty of the game turns off many prospective long-term golfers.  

[MN_Hacker]

I may wear a light hoodie Sunday just to mess with my buddies.  

Edited April 13 by MN_Hacker
I can't spell

[Nickygolf]

I don't see the big deal. As golfers we pay a lot of money to play, only to be told how to dress? If someone wants to be in a t-shirt and play 18, does that really matter? does old Tom spin in his grave? I once played a round for a bachelor party, the groom wore a collared shirt with the nipples cut out. It was both hilarious and within the dress code.

[Shankster]

It’s Golf’s “uniform” just as tennis players wear polo’s, and tennis shoes.  
 

I prefer the classic look myself.  The athletic golf stuff looks cheesy to me.  
 

some things don’t need to change, and golf is one of them, including the “uniform”

[RickyBobby_PR]

41 minutes ago, Nickygolf said:

I don't see the big deal. As golfers we pay a lot of money to play, only to be told how to dress? If someone wants to be in a t-shirt and play 18, does that really matter? does old Tom spin in his grave? I once played a round for a bachelor party, the groom wore a collared shirt with the nipples cut out. It was both hilarious and within the dress code.

Do you wear ripped jeans and a tee shirt with graphics when you go to a nicer restaurant or somewhere other than the mall, a movie theater?

Dress for the occasion 

[EL30]

I think the dress code debate is silly because most sports has regulations on what you can and can't wear. If you love the sport enough, it's a none issue. But it's always fun trying to push the boundaries like what malbon and Jason Day did this weekend at the Masters. Yes, he was made to take it off but that vest was straight fire.

Golf fashion has become so stale with every brand pushing out the same styles in the same fabrics and colours. The worst trend of all is everyone wearing skin tight pants ffs... Leave some things to the imagination.