Go Home & Change

A few weeks ago I played at Rye Golf Club for the first time.

A dreamy course, but it did raise the dress code issue.

This time it was in the clubhouse. I was unaware that it was jacket and tie for lunch until I was a good few hours from home.

My playing partner had to dig deep into his resources and lend me his Dad's old suit jacket, a shirt, tie and shoes. I did at least bring my own underwear!

The lunch was outstanding, but a jacket and tie just felt too stuffy and formal. The golf vibe should be relaxed. If I had been dressed in a polo shirt or, dare I say it, a t-shirt I would have been no less appreciative of the lunch or the course.

I can't see that when we reach 50 or 60 a dress code of jacket and tie will still exist. I think it's one of golf's biggest PR nightmares and hopefully time will bring this to an end... Magical course though!

Flip Flops In The Clubhouse!

A questionnaire has been sent round by my club (see above)

Questions were as follows:

- What do you think about the current dress code? (5 is much too formal, and 1 is much too informal.)
5

- What changes, if any, would you suggest?
I wouldn't have one. flip flops in the bar!

- Please use the space below to give the committee any comments and views that you may have to help them to enhance the enjoyment of the club facilities by the membership as a whole.
The club house and bar are very formal spaces. I guess the question for you is, is that the environment you are trying to create? If yes, then keep it as it is, if no then you need to relax the place and make it more welcoming. For me it's a no brainer, I am not going to go out for a meal where you are told what to wear. I can just about put up with it for golf, because its a great course, but i am not going to socialise in that environment, least of all bring my friends who aren't members into it. Socialising for me is about relaxing. However i appreciate that there may be other who like putting on blazers and ties, and if they got to a lot of events, good luck to them. It's just a shame they force what they want to wear on all of us!

I expect my comments will fall on deaf ears but you got to say how you feel.

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem

This vid by John Daly is a bit of a gem. It puts in perspective the pedantic dress code of wearing the 'right' coloured socks, tucking your shirt in and not changing your shoes in the car park.

Golf could do with a bit of his no shirt, no shoes, grip & rip it mentality.

Golf Trainers

Just picked up these little beauties for the big trip to Devon and Cornwall this Easter.

Taking trainer style on to the fairways.

Sure to raise a few eyebrows, but they are legal people.

Chillax at Frinton!

I found this in the paper at the weekend!

T-shirts On The Course

Rye Hill Golf Club is stocking our organic cotton, screen printed t-shirts.

This is not only good but revolutionary!

Rye Hill is one of only a handful of clubs where you can throw on a t-shirt to play golf.

At Rye Hill, just as at dressed to a tee, its about riping a drive down the middle, holding a monster putt just off the green and not about whether your shirt is tucked in or if you're wearing the right coloured socks.

So we'd like to big it up to Rye Hill and all those who are making the game a better place.

Keep it simple.

Go Play.

Power To The People!

This is a gem, sent in by a friend of ours.

One of the Harewood Downs members put a proposal forward for people to be allowed to eat in the dining room on weekday evenings without a jacket and tie on. The captains committee rejected it so he requested it go to a full members vote.

I voted for the proposal by postal vote. Was the first thing I have voted on at the club.

It went through 106 to 105 votes. Apparently it was hilarious. They had to triple count the votes during the AGM meeting and almost everyone who actually turned up on the night was against the proposal and there was a bit of an uproar. Loads of shouting, people storming out etc.

Democracy is a beautiful thing. Change it from the inside.