Is Golf’s Dress Code Outdated?

Yes.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

But seriously—can we lighten up a little bit? I get it. Golf is a game of tradition. In the same sense, though, golf is a game of advancements. If we didn’t change a thing about golf since its inception, the game would be obsolete by now. 

Adapt and thrive or fail to survive. 

This is exactly how I view golf’s heinous (yes, heinous) dress code. In what world does it make sense that players on the PGA Tour can’t wear shorts? And don’t even get me started on collared shirts. From the professional ranks to the municipal course, the dress code must change if golf has any shot at bringing in a new cohort of golfers. 

Let’s talk a little bit about why I think golf’s dress code is outdated and what can be done about it. 

Changing of the Guard

Golf is already controversial enough. From silly rules about fairway divots to rolling back golf balls to make the game harder, it’s very clear to me what the golf gatekeepers are doing. 

No, they’re not trying to protect the sanctity of the game although this may be the facade they hide behind. Instead, they claim interest in “growing the game” while making everything about golf less appealing—starting with the dress code. 

Golf’s dress code is pushing away more golfers than anything else about the game. Not LIV, not music on the golf course, not the ball rollback. The quickest way to invite new golfers into the game is to lighten up on the dress code. 

In my honest opinion, there shouldn’t be a dress code at all, outside of the requirement to actually wear clothes on the course. 

On paper, it sounds great, but implementation is not that easy. It starts at the top with the Tour. Until the PGA Tour can get off their high horse in regards to dress and grooming standards, clubs around the globe won’t see any reason to change, either. 

Let’s take a look at LIV. Did Anthony Kim playing a pro-am in shorts, off-white sneakers and a T-shirt take away from the “sanctity” of the game? Not in the slightest. Instead, it got golf fans talking and having open discourse. 

Even in regular LIV tournaments, golfers are allowed to wear shorts. What a novel idea! Who knew that a professional golfer was allowed to show bare calves? 

Until the PGA Tour loosens these silly regulations, golf courses around the world will continue to acquiesce to what the gatekeepers decide. Instead of welcoming the budding golfer or the newbie, they turn them away for rocking up to the course in a T-shirt.

No collar? No bueno. 

That, too, must end if golf wants any shot at including (not excluding) new members from joining the glorious golf ranks. 

The guard at the top of the game must change first. 

Until the gatekeepers and rulemakers become younger, more inclusive and less judgmental, golf’s dress code will never be relaxed. 

Traditional Logic

Can anyone give me a good reason for collared shirts and long pants? Any takers? 

To me, the only reason the dress code still exists is in the name of “tradition.” What tradition? Has golf not outgrown certain traditions already? Last I checked, we don’t play hickory clubs. Let’s leave those in the past along with golf’s outdated dress code. 

I’m all for golf being different. And, yes, most every professional sport has a uniform or dress code. But when Michael Jordan first entered the NBA, he wasn’t allowed to wear the predominantly red shoes that NIKE had designed for him. 

While it was more than likely the Air Ship that was banned by the NBA, Jordan generally tells the story with the Air Jordan 1.

As any good business does, the NBA adapted. Now players wear what they want and are free to express themselves through their footwear. So, too, should golf adapt and modernize. 

There is no sound logic for requiring collared shirts or long pants. Joggers are acceptable but shorts aren’t? Hoodies are OK but only when worn over a collared shirt? Give me a break. 

Golf must adapt, lest the game be abandoned in droves for less traditional sports that work to be inclusive and accepting. 

My Solution

The solution to all of this is easier than you think. Eradicate the dress code. Require only clothing appropriate for the game (essentially, a top, a bottom and some sort of footwear). 

Anything beyond these guidelines is superfluous. The repercussions are only positive, in my opinion. 

More golfers would feel comfortable on the course. PGA Tour players wouldn’t sweat through their pleated pants or strip down to their underwear when wading through the water. 

And, best of all, the 15-year-old kid who owns only a T-shirt and shorts won’t be turned away from hitting balls at the range. 

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