In the Hood
Are hoodies acceptable golf attire?
“It’s comfy, what’s the issue?”
That is Tyrrell Hatton’s take on the uproar that his chosen attire caused as he won the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship. The issue is that golf is a game steeped in tradition, and despite a desperate need to appeal to younger players to ensure the game’s continued existence, many clubs and players alike are hesitant to disregard the style that has defined the game for so long.
Many clubs have a strict dress code, with rules ranging from requiring collared shirts, ladies’ skirt length, and only wearing white socks. That last one was a new one to me, but golf broadcaster Ewan Porter found out last week that some clubs still hold this rule in high regard, and will kick you off the course for not adhering to it (and then ban you from coming back if you tweet about it). Obviously not all clubs hold golfers to such strict standards, but scroll through your average country club rule book and you are sure to find details on requested attire. Even some public courses have certain requirements that must be met before you can tee off.
Most sports have some form of requirements for attire, whether that be matching jerseys, safety equipment, or type of shoe. The difference with golf is that it is a single player, the choice in apparel generally has less of an impact on player performance, and it is one of the few sports where the playing field is so closely monitored and controlled. Even tennis, which has a similar history of guidelines for attire (particularly for women), is a more accessible game. Head to a local park and in many cases you will find tennis courts that are readily available for whomever wants to play.
Players on Tour are held to a higher standard for appearance, not only because of the host club’s rules, but by the fact that their apparel is branded by their sponsors, and no one is paying to have their brand stamped on a pair of cargo shorts. But while a hoodie is not the typical branded apparel, was Tyrrell’s look really sloppy? The hoodies were well made, properly sized, and reflective of Adidas’ brand. No one can argue that wearing a hoodie as opposed to a quarter zip or jacket affected Hatton’s performance; he won for crying out loud! The only complaint here is the fact that hoodies have traditionally been a more relaxed piece of clothing, and the rules of the club have long stated “no hoodies.” I am all for tradition, and in general I prefer a more put together look, but if you look at Hatton’s outfit (including the hoodie), I would say that he looked nicer than many a weekend warrior in a sloppy polo and wrinkled khakis who is technically obeying club rules.
So if the choice of attire is mostly reflective of the aesthetics of the game, where do we draw the line on what is acceptable? For a game struggling to attract younger players and one in which the barrier to entry is already fairly high, is the value of holding onto tradition really more than the value of the game? If the advent of brands such as GolfKicks is any indication, there is a significant trend in opting for less traditional attire on the golf course. Even the established golf brands have released apparel, shoes, and gloves that would feature on a club’s fashion faux pas list.
The debates on this topic over the last few weeks have ranged from civil to all out Facebook wars (one such broke out in a Facebook golf group that I am a member of). There are those who will stand their ground until their dying day that no one should step foot on a course with a mock color or black socks (still weird to me), but there is a growing population of golfers pro and amateur who believe that style comes in many forms, and that it is time for golf to be a little more accepting.
Drop me a comment and let me know where you fall on the golf style spectrum. Are hoodies acceptable golf wear? Does a mock color make a mockery of the game?
Until next time,
Fore!
Katherine
This post originally appeared on The Birds and the Tees
