To grow the game, golf needs to be forward-thinking. All of us who love this game must be open-minded and accepting of changing times and trends.
Golf doesn’t need to be exactly the same as it was in 1975. Golf can be traditional, but there’s no reason it can’t also be relaxed, fun and modern. There’s space for the world hickory open and there’s space for TGL.
Young players will be more attracted to golf if it’s less regimented and if there’s more opportunity to be expressive and individual within the sport.
That is basically why we should abandon the archaic concept of the dress code altogether, especially given it's a barrier to entry for some new golfers.
Who wants to be told what to wear? If you hit the ski slopes, you wear the clothing that is appropriate for the conditions and the activity. Nobody stops you at the bottom station to say you can’t ride the lifts because your salopettes are designed to look like jeans.
The lift ops wouldn’t stop you if you were actually wearing denim jeans, but they might shake their heads and worry for your comfort.
That should be the case with golf. It’s common sense that those who take to the fairways should and will wear clothing that’s suitable for the activity and the conditions.
Nobody is going to turn up on the first tee in high heels and a pair of speedos. People will dress for the occasion, as they do in every element of their lives. It’s overly prescriptive and patronising to tell them what they must wear.
Evolution over time
Modern golfing apparel has changed considerably since the bad old days of voluminous pleated trousers and argyle tank tops.
If you still want to wear them, fair play to you. But if you want to wear something more athletic, something with a hood, something with stripes or something you feel sporty and ready to play a sport in, then I say go for it.
One of the great things about golf is its variety. The variety of courses we play on, the variety of ways to navigate those courses, the variety of playing styles and abilities that you’ll see on any given day. We should celebrate the differences within golf and that should include differences in dress.
Some will opt for a more traditional golfing look, others (particularly younger players) will look to emulate the golfing stars they see on the PGA or LPGA Tours. Those stars now often dress in a way that wouldn’t conform to the old-school golfing dress code.
If someone turned up at a club wearing an outfit they’d seen sported by a top player in top level competition and were told they couldn’t play, something would be rather wrong.
I say, ditch the dress code and trust golfers to make sensible choices. They will want to look good and if they’re comfortable in their choice of attire, they’ll enjoy their day on the fairways far more as a result.
