Removing your hat at end of round

[hnryclay]

Always remove my hat, and shake everyone's hand after the round. Also always remove my hat indoors. When being introduced outdoors, I remove my hat, and indoors, if seated stand and shake hands. Manners do not go out of style. However if someone did not do these things, I would just pass it off as having a different culture than where I am from.

[cliffhanger]

As an older guy, too, I respectfully disagree. I have always removed my hat (and sunglasses) after a round when I shake hands with the members of my group. I truly feel this is a sign of respect, however, I do not judge others that don't.

I feel the same way regarding this.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

I think someone should start a thread "Hat on or off in the grillroom" ?

[ZA206]

Depends on who I'm with....

Champ flight caliber guys at my club, hat comes off.

Degenerates I play with occasionally, hat stays on and I laugh as I take their money.

 

-ZA

[DavePelz4]

I think someone should start a thread "Hat on or off in the grillroom"

 

Medinah...hat off or they will ask you to remove it.

[tbowles411]

I always remove my hat. It's a friendly gesture and a sign of respect.

[cvhookem63]

For me it really depends on who I am playing with / where I am playing. If I am playing with a regular playing partner at a local muni or playing a par 3 course in tshirts or something (local practice facility has a lighted par 3 course) - we'll just fist bump and say 'Good round'. But any other time I will typically take off my hat and sunglasses and shake hands with the whole group.

[Sean2]

Nowadays it seems many "traditions" are seen as outdated, old-fashioned, or just plain bad.

 

There are some traditions I think are worthy of upholding. Removing your cap, and shaking the hands of those in your foursome, is one of them.

[bazinky]

Something to remember:

 

Wearing hats while playing golf was a lot less common in the past (especially prior to the 1990's).

 

I do it out of reflex now because everyone else does.

[soregongolfer]

I think it’s a great gesture that upholds the tradition of the sport, but here is one thing that I just don’t get. I see a lot of the pros grab their hat with their left hand, run their right hand through their sweaty hair after a 4 hour round of golf, and then go in for the handshake. How about grabbing the hat in the right hand, do the hair fix, switch the hat to the other hand and then shake, or wait to arrange the locks until after the handshake.

 

Haha. I've noticed this, too, and decided that if anybody does that to me, I'll spit into my hand right before I shake theirs. Seems fair.

 

As for the original question, I remove my hat and shake hands after rounds in league, tournaments, etc. But not with my group. We never shake hands anyway.

[Baitkiller]

My son's grandfather would have taken it off your head with his ring hand.

Sure miss my dad some days.

 

Watch my son when I'm not around. The hat comes off. It's respect.

[kerila07]

Always remove mine also never wear one indoors being from a town close to latrobe Mr. Palmers values were taught to me at an early age

[Shakester]

I'm definitely a hats off while shaking and thanking my partners for a round. I've been doing it so long, that I don't even think about it anymore and I just do it.

[nbg352]

I think it’s a great gesture that upholds the tradition of the sport, but here is one thing that I just don’t get. I see a lot of the pros grab their hat with their left hand, run their right hand through their sweaty hair after a 4 hour round of golf, and then go in for the handshake. How about grabbing the hat in the right hand, do the hair fix, switch the hat to the other hand and then shake, or wait to arrange the locks until after the handshake.

Or do it like the men did in the 70's, 80's and 90's, leave your hat on and just shake hands.

Played golf in every one of those decades. We always took our hats off at the end of a round. Most did Most still do.

[m_alco]

I always take off my hat to shake hands after a round, but not offended by any means if someone does not. There is only exception to this and it is when I play a round with my dad and brother because hand shakes rarely happen when it is just us three playing. If there is another person filling out the foursome, hand shakes always happen. But, just us three, I cannot count the number of times those two were half way to the clubhouse by the time I put the flag stick back in and turn around with my hand on the bill of my cap ready to take it off for a hand shake.

[Malvern]

I remove mine to shake hands however in what is probably considered worse I wear mine in the clubhouse not just the 19th hole.

 

You will need to bring your wallet into the club out here if you want to wear your hat inside. There will be any number of people indicating what beer they want from your compulsory shout.

 

I see sunglasses and hat being removed as an indication that you should remove your hat. Leave your hat on and remove your sunglasses, the handshake "tradition" is that you look the person in the eye.

[davep043]

I think it’s a great gesture that upholds the tradition of the sport, but here is one thing that I just don’t get. I see a lot of the pros grab their hat with their left hand, run their right hand through their sweaty hair after a 4 hour round of golf, and then go in for the handshake. How about grabbing the hat in the right hand, do the hair fix, switch the hat to the other hand and then shake, or wait to arrange the locks until after the handshake.

Or do it like the men did in the 70's, 80's and 90's, leave your hat on and just shake hands.

Played golf in every one of those decades. We always took our hats off at the end of a round. Most did Most still do.

If you remember what you did 20, 30, 40 years ago, you're a better man than I. Whatever I did was some kind of routine, not worth taking up space in my own memory banks. That's why I did refer to the old videos where I could. Here's a few occasions where players didn't take their hats off at the round-ending handshake:

Payne and Phil at Pinehurst in 1999. Neither removes his hat

Venturi wins the US Open at Congressional in 1964. His playing partner doesn't take off his hat.

Mize beats Norman at the Masters, 1987, keeps his hat on, Norman wasn't wearing one

1986 Open Championship, Tommy Nakajima shakes Greg Norman's hand, his hat still on

1965 US Open, Kel Nagle leaves his hat on to congratulate Gary Player. Player had removed his hat earlier as the sun was going down

I don't believe any of these guys could be classified as rude, this was just a normal way things were done at the time. I remain convinced that taking the hat off for the handshake is a more modern evolution of good manners.

[ImBurningStarIV]

I think it’s a great gesture that upholds the tradition of the sport, but here is one thing that I just don’t get. I see a lot of the pros grab their hat with their left hand, run their right hand through their sweaty hair after a 4 hour round of golf, and then go in for the handshake. How about grabbing the hat in the right hand, do the hair fix, switch the hat to the other hand and then shake, or wait to arrange the locks until after the handshake.

Or do it like the men did in the 70's, 80's and 90's, leave your hat on and just shake hands.

Played golf in every one of those decades. We always took our hats off at the end of a round. Most did Most still do.

If you remember what you did 20, 30, 40 years ago, you're a better man than I. Whatever I did was some kind of routine, not worth taking up space in my own memory banks. That's why I did refer to the old videos where I could. Here's a few occasions where players didn't take their hats off at the round-ending handshake:

Payne and Phil at Pinehurst in 1999. Neither removes his hat

Venturi wins the US Open at Congressional in 1964. His playing partner doesn't take off his hat.

Mize beats Norman at the Masters, 1987, keeps his hat on, Norman wasn't wearing one

1986 Open Championship, Tommy Nakajima shakes Greg Norman's hand, his hat still on

1965 US Open, Kel Nagle leaves his hat on to congratulate Gary Player. Player had removed his hat earlier as the sun was going down

I don't believe any of these guys could be classified as rude, this was just a normal way things were done at the time. I remain convinced that taking the hat off for the handshake is a more modern evolution of good manners.

 

I agree with you, I have seen countless old clips and videos from 60's and 70's for sure, that they did not remove their hats (when they were wearing them), I actually thought it was a relatively new thing.

[earleyrc]

I've always done it. I also generally don't get offended if others do not do it. If they are pleasant the entire day, I'm not gonna waste a minute of my time getting offended by the guy leaving his hat on. You should be able to tell if someone is a jerk during a 4 hour round.

 

Same goes the other way.. if the guy is throwing clubs and f-bombs but takes his hat off at the end of the round I would be more offended..

[2bGood]

By the logic of the OP - why even shake hands?

[dlygrisse]

My group always makes a point to do it. We always make others that join us do it as well. It’s good etiquette and we always get a smile from people who aren’t used to doing it. Sometimes it’s the little things that remind us we can still be a civilized society.

[theboypinoy]

I do it; it's become second nature

[earleyrc]

My group always makes a point to do it. We always make others that join us do it as well. It’s good etiquette and we always get a smile from people who aren’t used to doing it. Sometimes it’s the little things that remind us we can still be a civilized society.

 

How does that conversation go when you "make" someone take their hat off? I mean no disrespect, but I could see that being embarrassing for someone who isn't familar with the gesture at the end of the round.

 

Just a perspective to keep in mind since it's a discussion on etiquette and what is considered polite.

 

Btw - this post is just an example of another perspective. I'm not suggesting that you embarrass people on purpose :)

[saksittb]

I'm 33 and I still remove my hat to shake hands. Sunglasses stay on tho

[towncryer]

Hats and handshakes...it's code in my book. I wouldn't be upset if someone kept theirs on, but I'm taking mine off (sunglasses too).

[Wooderson]

Hat off and then shake.

 

I often watch the pros do this and then rub their hand through their hair and then shake. It's so disgusting and funny. Eeeww.

[towncryer]

Hat off and then shake.

 

I often watch the pros do this and then rub their hand through their hair and then shake. It's so disgusting and funny. Eeeww.

 

YES! Gag...I think that every time I see it.

[Hawkeye77]

Leave them on, take them off ..... won't hurt my feelings one bit. I'm one of those that thinks this relatively new and "must comply with" standard at the end of a golf round has become overblown. People are always drawing lines in the sand over certain etiquette for which there really isn't a right or wrong answer. I'm outside, generally sunny and I'm wearing the hat to keep the rays away from my face, usually with other guys (not ladies I'm meeting) -then again, I'm playing with the same guys most weekends and we aren't too concerned with such niceties at all, usually headed right back out and somebody more likely to be flipping somebody off (in a nice way) over something that just happened.

 

Having said all that, if that seems important to or a custom of a different group I happen to play with, no problem to take off hat and shake hands and keep my middle finger to myself, lol.

 

It's a moving target for me, again not judging one way or the other.

 

I think you'll know if I respect you long before the round is over, and likely will - sometimes baby, we don't need words!

[95124hacker]

Always do it unless I’ve been playing with a ****** in my group, then I don’t give an F to him but I’ll show respect to others in the group.

[Tingting]

I do a mix of both. I remove my hat but do a fist bump. I see way too many people using the trees as the toilet when playing