Smart Casual

Much outrage at the club over the last couple of months as the committee has changed the dress code in the clubhouse to 'smart casual'. I sort of knew it would raise eyebrows among the senior members, but in an attempt to stage a coup, the 'antis' managed to push through an Extraordinary General Meeting to debate the subject. Fortunately, through heated debate ranging as far as allowable colours of trainers, the committee developed a rear-guard action, including approaching the English Golf Union for guidance, and maintained their grip. People remain free to occasionally put a pair of jeans on to go for a drink of an evening...

For what it's worth, my opinion - Golf is its own worst enemy on this one. On the course, it's a game of modern materials, ceramics, composites and technical fibres. There probably isn't another sport outside Formula 1 where so much money is spent on product development and new ideas. I've just changed over to Bridgestone balls because they seem to fly another ten yards further compared to the Srixons I used before. Yet in the clubhouse, and I don't just mean mine, this is a general rant, there is a substantial number of people who seem to want a golf club to remain a sort of weird 1930's gentlemen's club, with the emphasis on gentlemen - there are still several courses in Nottinghamshire where women are not welcome in the bar, and how strange and backward is that?

Now, I wouldn't want to tell anyone how to run their clubs, but golf clubs have to understand that there is a huge constituency of people out there, business and professional people in their late 30's, early 40's maybe who, like me, have stopped playing squash or other more aggressive games, want to do something different, would undoubtedly love the sport of golf, but wouldn't for a second put up with the bullshit, or the perception of bullshit, that often accompanies golf clubs. The dress code is probably the prime example of that. I argued the point with one of the members on Saturday morning, and he talked about 'traditions'. I think he's wrong - what he means is 'standards', and while I would hate to throw out sensible or honourable traditions (or even daft ones, come to that), 'standards' should move with the times. A jacket and tie was 'smart casual' in the 1930's, while a pair of jeans was workwear. Now, a pair of jeans is 'smart casual', but even I wouldn't want to see people cluttering up my lovely clubhouse in dirty overalls. I look forward to taking my turn as a dinosaur!