Jeans on the Golf Course - Yay or Nay?

[Bomb and Gouge]

I can't believe how many dudes are wearing jeans this Fall. Even more than last year and at ALL OF THE COURSES.

The nicest public courses in the state are allowing jeans. I played with a guy a few weeks ago who was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
It was at a $115 per round golf course.


Apparently golf courses aren't about to turn people away. I'd imagine they're hurting, financially, after the last two or three years.

[captpat]

Black and Tans ARE great on the course!!!

[MightyMark]

I don't wear them, when playing golf.
As a kid, I remember wearing black jeans. My Dad wouldn't allow me to disrespect him or the game he loved. This was a time to look and be your best.
Living now in SoFl., I would never consider wearing jeans on the course. They are too heavy and restrictive in this climate. On occasion , when the temperatures soar, I will wear shorts.
Besides, Dad would be frowning and shaking his head in disapproval. To me, it's a matter of respect to tradition, the game, myself and my Dad.
That's a nay.

[nicaslim]

to me its like the restaurant you go to....depending on that is weather or not that should matter

[highergr0und]

[quote name='wesparov' post='2036900' date='Oct 31 2009, 08:03 AM']NO! I don't even wear shorts in the course no matter how hot it is out there!

Haven't seen any pga players in shorts though.

we just try to do what the best players do.[/quote]

PGA players aren't allowed to wear shorts, and you can bet that a lot of them would given the choice. When you see casual rounds, a lot of them are wearing them.

[Bonneville85308]

I don't wear jeans on the course. Then again I don't wear them off the course either. I don't find them to be comfortable at all, and I've never found a pair that fit me well off the rack. I can't imagine playing golf in them, way too thick and restrictive. Most courses I play don't allow them anyway. I'm usually not one to tell other people what to wear, but personally I think golfers wearing jeans should be limited to dog-track muni courses. Nice golf courses/clubs, for the most part, are some of the few places in today's society where people make some effort to dress reasonably tasteful, and I'd like to see it that way. Call me 30 going on 80 but I cringe when I'm in a restaurant like Ruth's Chris and people walk in wearing t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers.

[Bomb and Gouge]

Not wearing shorts because PGA players can't is pretty dorky!

[toddnt]

Bro you hit the nail on the head.. Here in San Diego were so used to the casual lifestyle its crazy, went to Ruth's for my B-Day and saw guys with cut off cammy pants. I told waitress they should start a protocol on dress! That mindset carries over to the course, played Torrey yesterday and saw plenty of jeans, how tacky! Why not to go Target or Marshalls or TJ Maxx and get a pair of Dockers![uote name='cherokee8215' date='Nov 6 2009, 06:05 PM' post='2050052']
I don't wear jeans on the course. Then again I don't wear them off the course either. I don't find them to be comfortable at all, and I've never found a pair that fit me well off the rack. I can't imagine playing golf in them, way too thick and restrictive. Most courses I play don't allow them anyway. I'm usually not one to tell other people what to wear, but personally I think golfers wearing jeans should be limited to dog-track muni courses. Nice golf courses/clubs, for the most part, are some of the few places in today's society where people make some effort to dress reasonably tasteful, and I'd like to see it that way. Call me 30 going on 80 but I cringe when I'm in a restaurant like Ruth's Chris and people walk in wearing t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers.
[/quote]

[farmer]

Depends on where you are. In my part of Texas, dress pants are starched and pressed jeans. People wear them to church, weddings, funerals and any restaurant that had a no jeans policy would go out of business. What you wear in no way implies respect or a lack thereof for anything. Some guy wearing a thousand dollars worth of clothes who cheats or abuses the course is far more a problem than wearing a pair of jeans could ever be.

[KMeloney]

[quote name='farmer' post='2060530' date='Nov 12 2009, 02:25 PM']What you wear in no way implies respect or a lack thereof for anything.[/quote]

Are you talking about in your part of Texas, or anywhere?

[juggernaut33]

Never...ridiculous. What would be next...jean shorts to play tennis or basketball???

[Javitron]

Never!

I never wear jeans to church and I never wear jeans on the golf course!

[racingdc9]

Here in Houston, whenever I see someone wear jeans on a golf course, it's usually a redneck and he usually plays like crap. I'm not stereotyping, i'm just stating what I see. I wear shorts in the summer and khakis in the winter. I wear jeans everywhere else, unless it's a highend restaurant then I wear slacks. I'm Buddhist so no church for me.

[Bonneville85308]

[quote name='Bomb and Gouge' post='2050543' date='Nov 6 2009, 10:56 PM']Not wearing shorts because PGA players can't is pretty dorky![/quote]

At my club there are a couple of early 20's toolbags who think that they are quasi-professional (handicaps are probably in the 3 to 7 range, hit the ball a mile but no short game control) and wear long pants at all times. I assume because they think it makes them look "cool" and professional-like. The one guy goes as far as to wear black pants (with white belt of course) in the middle of July, 90 degrees and high humidity.

[WishICouldPlayMoreOften]

I don't wear jeans because they're just not comfortable or the best pants for golf. I have different weighted/material golf pants for different seasons. I don't care if someone else wears jeans and more than I care what clubs they use. I do think people should wear golf shoes though - seen too many slips and accidents due to lack of traction in regular shoes and sneakers.

That said, I think places that forbid jeans are just being highbrow for the sake of it.

[grlichti]

[quote name='Emm' post='1307495' date='Oct 26 2008, 09:38 AM']Its not a gentlemans games, its a sport, thats pretty much it, so many people try to link it to the past and these are the ones that come up with stupid rules about socks, tailored shorts, trousers, and besides, wearing trousers has nothing to do with whether I say please and thankyou, or hold a door open?

"Respect the game and its traditions."
I respect some players and enjoy the game, but I really don't care for the stuffy club house traditions. If you want to keep the hundreds of years old traditions get out your tweed cap and Plus Fours, but people don't often simply because times change...[/quote]

I disagree. It is the tradition that keep it what it is. Once you begin to tear down the rules and traditions things change. And normally not for the better. Golf is what it is. Sure, changes like allowing minorities to play is for the better. But the first stop after jeans is relaxing attitudes about ettiquette. Then honor. Soon enough you wind up with a guy in wife beater and jeans yelling and hollering, not fixing divots and cheating.

It is not exactly a precise measurement, but why is it that when Golf Digest does a secret survey of courses the more exclusive the course the fewer ball marks and better raked bunkers?[i] (In order, from best to worst were Private, semi private, "exclsuive" public and then munys)[/i] Because the standards at the higher calber courses not only attract a better caliber of player [i](and not necessarily score wise either),[/i] but also due to a certain peer pressure, push others to act properly even if they are not so naturally inclined.

It is quite similar to the way neighborhood specific crime dropped in New York when Guliani fixed broken windows and got rid of graffitti. [i](That example has been proven in other more scientific conditions as well).[/i] Sloth begets sloth and vice versa. Another example, how many of you out there play better when teamed with a better player versus playing with hacks? Why? It raises your standards regardless of reason.

But I could be wrong, maybe what golf needs is a good case of the "white/black/yellow/brown trash" so it could attain the high moral standards of so many other professional sports. Just what golf needs is to make John Daly the norm and throw in Blake Moore as the status quo. Maybe we could have some brawls spilling into the stands over a camera click for Sky Sports/ESPN to show. Can't you just see Tiger giving a "Liverpool Kiss" to some camera wielding fan? Instead of a Barron "sacrificial lamb" we could have yearly Barry Bonds-like drug scandals. Instead of a Steve Williams/Philly Mac one-week long war of words, we could have some nice rape/bar shooting/assault charges.

Ah yes, by all means, let us begin to relax the standards of golf so it can live "up" to standards of othe r professional sports. Now, where did I put my Lucky jeans...

[grlichti]

[quote name='cherokee8215' post='2064406' date='Nov 14 2009, 04:07 PM']At my club there are a couple of early 20's toolbags who think that they are quasi-professional (handicaps are probably in the 3 to 7 range, hit the ball a mile but no short game control) and wear long pants at all times. I assume because they think it makes them look "cool" and professional-like. The one guy goes as far as to wear black pants (with white belt of course) in the middle of July, 90 degrees and high humidity.[/quote]

In a hot climate the only time shorts are cooler in hot weather, especially over several hours, is in the shade or maybe high humidity. If you are in the sun, long natural fiber clothes keep you much cooler. Not to mention protect you from the sun. So you can have loose fitting cotten pants or you can cover yourself in nice sticky high spf lotion or you can sun burn. Granted, color makes a difference and I wear only light colors in summer. I save the dark colors for cool winter days. But why does them dressing nice (which in no way effects you) make them out to be tools?

Based on your 30's going on 80's comment I would have figured you to not care at all that they dress nice. In fact, I agree with you completely about your Ruth Cris comment. I fly all the time and I see people in airports that are wearing stuff I would be embarrassed to answer the freaking doorbell in! If somebody likes to dress nice on a course, how is that somehow bad compared to the slob, regardless of scores posted?

But nothing says "good time party" like some nice shorts on a pair of spindly man legs topped off with some golf shoes. OOH baby!

[Bomb and Gouge]

[quote name='cherokee8215' post='2064406' date='Nov 14 2009, 05:07 PM']The one guy goes as far as to wear black pants (with white belt of course) in the middle of July, 90 degrees and high humidity.[/quote]


Apparently they're everywhere.

We've got one at our club....his face is always red and sweaty by the 7th hole.

[Bonneville85308]

[quote name='grlichti' post='2071723' date='Nov 18 2009, 02:37 PM']But why does them dressing nice (which in no way effects you) make them out to be tools?

Based on your 30's going on 80's comment I would have figured you to not care at all that they dress nice.[/quote]

They aren't tools because they dress nice - I actually respect them for that - but they are tools because of arrogance and thinking they are "pros" when they aren't. At least in my area, the only golfers that really wear long pants in the middle of the summer (other than folks with artificial legs or other visible medical issues) are club/tour pros, or people who think they are/want to be one of them.

[grlichti]

[quote name='cherokee8215' post='2074813' date='Nov 19 2009, 08:48 PM']They aren't tools because they dress nice - I actually respect them for that - but they are tools because of arrogance and thinking they are "pros" when they aren't. At least in my area, the only golfers that really wear long pants in the middle of the summer (other than folks with artificial legs or other visible medical issues) are club/tour pros, or people who think they are/want to be one of them.[/quote]


I am not trying to start a big debate with you, really. Not that disagreeing with somebody matters. Hell, most friends debate and give each other crap over one thing or another. But I find it interesting that you could say what you say above. The crux of the issue seems to be that unless you dress like everybody else or have an overriding reason not to, then one must be a "tool". I am a giant "effing" tool then. I admit it. I wear long pants 80-90% of the time and do not follow everyone else.

I am not arrogant... I have faults like everyone. I have no delusions about ever being a pro, though I wish I would have taken up golf at an early enough age to at least have tried, but I didn't. Sometimes I wear shorts when I feel like it and weather is appropriate. Maybe the hazard of being married to a woman from Milan is I focus more on my appearance. To each their own.

As an aside, I wonder how often Ben Hogan wore shorts? Fort Worth summers are hot. Bobby Jones as well in those steamy Atlanta summers. Nah, can't see it. But in those days everybody was a "tool" and dressed nice even the wannabe spectators.

I will not change my way of dress simply because some narrow-minded person might think I am a tool because I did not buy my clothes from the same page of catalog as they did. I figure if somebody is that superficial then they will always find something to despise me for. The size or color of my bag [i](remember that forum?),[/i] my clubs, my car, how I chew my food, whatever...

A bit surprised from you, though. In the states WAY too many people dress like bums. I would have figured you would dress more in tune with your beliefs rather than going with the crowd. Not trying to sound harsh and you likely are a decent sort as most on this forum generally appear to be. I just found the inconsistencies in your statements interesting and was curious about them. I guess a lot of others look at how I dress and think I am a d--k instead of paying attention to how I conduct myself and treat others. Bummer.

[farmer]

Tiger was dressed really well and bounced a club into the gallery at the AU Masters. So, if he had been dressed even better, his respect for the game would have been increased to the point where he would not have thrown the club? What you do on the course shows respect, not what you wear.

[marker]

I am a working guy and wear overalls during work time.
For me a big part of playing golf is dressing smart and looking sharp during and after the round.
I do it because I like it ,not because I think I am a pro.

I loose respect for a person who wears jeans on the course.
True golfers and those who repect the game do not wear jeans.

[Bonneville85308]

[quote name='grlichti' post='2075422' date='Nov 20 2009, 11:17 AM']The crux of the issue seems to be that unless you dress like everybody else or have an overriding reason not to, then one must be a "tool". I am a giant "effing" tool then. I admit it. I wear long pants 80-90% of the time and do not follow everyone else.[/quote]

Maybe "tool" was a harsh word. Those guys probably dress better than 90% of the golfers out there. People just think they're odd because what they wear is kind of "unseasonal" for the summer.


[quote]I guess a lot of others look at how I dress and think I am a d--k instead of paying attention to how I conduct myself and treat others. Bummer.[/quote]

Yes, people should pay more attention to one's conduct and the way they treat others, but today's society tends to be a superficial bunch, and people will often make judgments on appearences. If you show up to my first tee wearing long pants in the summer, I am probably going to think you're a pretty serious golfer who takes pride in his appearence. And that you might be sweating a bit. I don't see that being too harmful.


[quote]I will not change my way of dress simply because some narrow-minded person might think I am a tool because I did not buy my clothes from the same page of catalog as they did.[/quote]

And you shouldn't change. Everyone is free to wear what they want to wear, so long as it conforms with any rules that particular golf course or establishment might have. I don't care if a man wears a hot pink belt - that's his right, and I wouldn't think less of him for it, although I'd think it's offbeat - but people will certainly notice it as being different and draw their own conclusions.

[grlichti]

[quote name='farmer' post='2075591' date='Nov 20 2009, 10:49 AM']Tiger was dressed really well and bounced a club into the gallery at the AU Masters. So, if he had been dressed even better, his respect for the game would have been increased to the point where he would not have thrown the club? What you do on the course shows respect, not what you wear.[/quote]

I think most people consider Arnold Palmer special. And nobody can rightfully claim he was a spoiled rich kid growing up. Look at what he says in the August 2008 issue of Golf Digest on page 106 in the article entitled The Ten Commandments for Good Golf Etiquette. [i](I would bet you my left testicle and all my money that if you asked Ben Hogan he'd agree 100%).[/i] But I will admit that the rules today in the States are different. In many countries, if you dress like a slob, people think you are one, or worse. Here in the States, if you take much pride in your appearance and dress, people question your manhood.

Here is part of article:
[b]VII. Always look your best[/b]

[b]From Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen to Ben Hogan and Sam Snead to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the best players have been meticulous about their appearance. Their clothing has been sharp, and not one of them has shown up on the first tee with his cap backward, mud caked on his shoes, or his shirttail hanging out. [/b][i][b](My shirt often came untucked, but it was my swing that did it. I started with it tucked in!)[/b] [/i]

[b][u]Your appearance speaks volumes about you as a person[/u], [u]and the neatly appointed golfer, like a businessman or someone headed to church, gives the impression he thinks the golf course and the people there are special.[/b][/u]

Here is link:
[url="http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/arniesrules"]http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/arniesrules[/url]

Oh, and thanks Cherokee, nice reply. Appreciated. We agree to disagree on small parts and can still play golf together!

[doof_dizzler]

I think dressing sharp in slacks is important, just like raking the bunker or being quiet when others are hitting. When I'm playing a competitive round, ironing my slacks to put a good crease in them is an important part of my pre-round routine. I might wear shorts a couple dozen times a year, out of +/- 120 rounds, when it's really hot, but that took some adjusting to. It just doesn't feel right to me, to even wear shorts, so if I was ever spotted on the course in blue jeans, I'd expect to be committed/institutionalized with the rest of the people who never learned how to dress appropriately along the way.

[doof_dizzler]

[quote name='grlichti' post='2071696' date='Nov 18 2009, 12:26 PM'][quote name='Emm' post='1307495' date='Oct 26 2008, 09:38 AM']Its not a gentlemans games, its a sport, thats pretty much it, so many people try to link it to the past and these are the ones that come up with stupid rules about socks, tailored shorts, trousers, and besides, wearing trousers has nothing to do with whether I say please and thankyou, or hold a door open?

"Respect the game and its traditions."
I respect some players and enjoy the game, but I really don't care for the stuffy club house traditions. If you want to keep the hundreds of years old traditions get out your tweed cap and Plus Fours, but people don't often simply because times change...[/quote]

I disagree. It is the tradition that keep it what it is. Once you begin to tear down the rules and traditions things change. And normally not for the better. Golf is what it is. Sure, changes like allowing minorities to play is for the better. But the first stop after jeans is relaxing attitudes about ettiquette. Then honor. Soon enough you wind up with a guy in wife beater and jeans yelling and hollering, not fixing divots and cheating.

It is not exactly a precise measurement, but why is it that when Golf Digest does a secret survey of courses the more exclusive the course the fewer ball marks and better raked bunkers?[i] (In order, from best to worst were Private, semi private, "exclsuive" public and then munys)[/i] Because the standards at the higher calber courses not only attract a better caliber of player [i](and not necessarily score wise either),[/i] but also due to a certain peer pressure, push others to act properly even if they are not so naturally inclined.

It is quite similar to the way neighborhood specific crime dropped in New York when Guliani fixed broken windows and got rid of graffitti. [i](That example has been proven in other more scientific conditions as well).[/i] Sloth begets sloth and vice versa. Another example, how many of you out there play better when teamed with a better player versus playing with hacks? Why? It raises your standards regardless of reason.

But I could be wrong, maybe what golf needs is a good case of the "white/black/yellow/brown trash" so it could attain the high moral standards of so many other professional sports. Just what golf needs is to make John Daly the norm and throw in Blake Moore as the status quo. Maybe we could have some brawls spilling into the stands over a camera click for Sky Sports/ESPN to show. Can't you just see Tiger giving a "Liverpool Kiss" to some camera wielding fan? Instead of a Barron "sacrificial lamb" we could have yearly Barry Bonds-like drug scandals. Instead of a Steve Williams/Philly Mac one-week long war of words, we could have some nice rape/bar shooting/assault charges.

Ah yes, by all means, let us begin to relax the standards of golf so it can live "up" to standards of othe r professional sports. Now, where did I put my Lucky jeans...
[/quote]

+1

That's one of the best posts I've read in ages...

[profsmitty]

I haven't made in through all 14 pages of discussion so forgive me if someone else has already suggested this.

I think I finally understand the issues involved. It is much deeper than it appears. Finally, analysis that I can related to.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFE31-GzjaY&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFE31-GzjaY...feature=related[/url]

[marmooskapaul]

I have made it through all 14 pages and this has to be the funniest discussion I've read in my life!!!!This is like listening to two women/metrosexuals argue over which color handbag to carry!!!
It's so meaningless yet I can't stop reading it.
Paul

[mulelips]

if that course allows jeans it is not a nice course

[KYMAR]

I have worn jeans at a little 9 hole course a couple of times. This is an awesome place with a huge Short game range, driving range and 9 hole course. and its 9 bucks to walk weekdays and the short game range is 4 bucks for a shag tube of 25 balls and you can stay from dawn til dark if you like. Sometimes ill get done with the days business early and hit that place for 9 holes or a range session. If I am wearing jeans there, so be it. However any match with a 4some at any of the regular courses I play I wouldnt even think of wearing jeans. It looks bad, is uncomfortable, and i find them somewhat restrictive.