Call for entries and additional details will be forthcoming, but the basic premise will be a look... an outfit...a style statement, worn by a real guy (not a professional golfer) and captured in a photo. There'll be posting and voting and such (I've got to work out the details) but the end result will be a better idea of what's going on in golf apparel for the male recreational golfer: what's being worn...where and by who.
From the responses I've been getting there's a tremendous amount of variation - depending on the man, the course and the country - and contrary to what one might assume, there's a whole lot of interest.And BTW women are definitely not indifferent to how guys look on-course, so gals, take this opportunity to show off the golf style of your significant other or weigh in on the awesome outfit of a random golfer you just happen to notice.
We'll certainly want to have several categories (good, bad... fugly?) and some seductive prizes. It's all in the works and I'll keep you posted. This should be fun.
*Cargo shorts can sometimes be controversial!
Now I really wish I had more photos from Opening Day at my course. I'm pretty sure all of those categories were covered--several times!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like great fun! I'll have to keep my camera with me & ready to shoot unsuspecting men golfers.
ReplyDeleteHaving a bit of a brain lock Sunday. That is "Bantam Ben" right? I saw him play and I saw everyone play in person the last 50 plus years. They all dressed nicely. Guys like Boros and Doug Sanders always looked good. My Dad dressed that way- natty and neat. Poulter, Parnevic, and Villegas?? Not a fan of their "looks."
ReplyDeleteSome of the new breed look good- notably Sergio. Now he needs his game to catch up to his appearance. Don't get me wrong- I don't want fashion to go back to the "middle ages"....ie. Johnny Miller and checked pants.
Geez - isn't it enough that you're upset at the state of women's golf clothing ? Now you have to get upset at men's clothing ? :-D
ReplyDeleteGive me a pair of clean, pressed pants or shorts and a nice shirt, and I'm ready to go. It's about the game, bay-BEEE !
Totally going to employ the 'skin to win' approach.
ReplyDeleteI sent you two from today. One is really nice and the other is ... "the worst ever" Way too big cargo shorts with a way too big plaid flannel shirt. And hair that made Rory McIlroy well coiffed. I can't wait to hear what the prizes are because I'm pretty sure I'll win with this one. ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny is that if you go to Ireland or Scotland -- in other words, the provenance of the game as we know it -- you will see levels of dress of all kinds. This is triply true on something that America is woefully short of -- the municipally owned courses where youngsters and casual players sink their teeth into the game.
ReplyDeleteYou might well see someone in jeans and a t-shirt, not wearing golf shoes, but having one helluva caic with his buddies as they forge their way around the 9-hole linksland that has an honor system for greens fees. In other words, there, the hoi polloi golf.
Then again, since we almost insist on the usage of golf carts here, so we can carry our daypack of four dozens balls, fourteen dozen tees, ball retreiver, scrub brushes, GPS gizmos, coolers of beer and so forth and so on after paying $40 or more on a muny that more closely resembles bad roads on the wrong side of town as opposed to a true golf course, I often think that we play two different sports here and over there: they play GOLF and we play, well, golf (small letters intended.)
Ironic, isn't it, that the oldest and most prestigious course in all the world, the Old Course at St. Andrews, is actually a public park for the residents of that fair town?
CB - when you get a minute - pull out an atlas and take a look at the actual size of the UK. Most of the states in the US are larger than the countries that make up the UK.
ReplyDeleteThen - pick a state and find out how many muni's are in that state.
What you're going to find is that the number of muni's are comparable to that of the UK in the same amount of land.
Here in Atlanta alone, there are at least 8 muni's in the 4 county Atlanta proper area. In St Andrews, there are 7 - all on the same piece of property.
St Andrews also falls more into the catagory of semi-private since you can buy a membership, not just the local discount.
court,
ReplyDeleteHaving traveled extensively in the UK (which most of Ireland isn't a part of, BTW) I maintain that there are more opportunities for
Secondly, you are somewhat correct about St. Andrews, but what remains a fact is that St. Andrews citizens have always enjoyed special access, playing rights and concessions at their courses. The R&A may administer it, but fact remains, if by birth or special dispensation you are a citizen of the Royal Burgh you gain rights unavailable to just anyone. Moreover, the courses are closed on Sundays there so that the links may be used by the locals as a public park.
Carnoustie has multiple clubs and is also a public links.
And so forth and so on.
But the courses with relaxed standards I speak of are the little ones never mentioned in travel books, save for books like Tom Coyne's 'A Course Called Ireland' where he talks about the hidden village courses that America truly lacks.
Raleigh, the town I live in, has precisely zero municipally owned golf courses. In Atlanta, you speak of an average of one muny for roughly each 660,000 residents. And do those residents play for a mere pittance as they do in the UK and Ireland? Or do they play for $25 or more, sans cart, which is beyond the means of most inner city youth?
Gone are the days in America a man from the wrong side of the tracks learning the game and getting access to courses by caddying. The halycon days where that was possible produced Ouimet, Hagen, Snead, Nelson and Hogan here, among many others. Now, one must at least spring out of the middle class with rare exception, because greens fees, teachers, and camps must be paid for and that would be beyond the reach of modern families who had the means of those aforementioned golfers.
First Tee helps but it needs more help here if America is going to have a truly democratic game like the one I have witnessed overseas.
And before I forget, no I am not forgetting that Torrey Pines and Bethpage are rough equivalents of Carnoustie and St. Andrews in terms of being public parks, or that Harding Park will be hosting the President's Cup.
ReplyDeleteBut as you say, Court, compare the geographical size of the US to that of Scotland.
I love the contrast between the natty Ben Hogan and the corpulent gentleman below him.
ReplyDeleteCB - I'm surprised that there are no muni's in Raleigh or the counties in the metro area. Then again, Raleigh was started as a farming town. The semi-private public courses are around. Not like there are only country clubs around your area.
ReplyDeleteActually, Atlanta proper has about 350,000 residents. Metro Atlanta is in the 4 million area. I have no idea how population has anything to do with the number of muni's. St Andrews is a fairly large city. Carnoustie is considerably smaller, but that has nothing to do with how many people actually play the game. And it definitely doesn't have anything to do with affordable places to play golf.
What difference does it make if a course is privately owned, but open to the public, or owned by the government ?
What bothers me is this idea that cities in America SHOULD be more like cities in the UK. The countries are nothing alike. You can't name an American city that grew up around the golf course like St Andrews or Carnoustie, or so many of the sea side towns of the UK.
The muni's around here cost $45 or less to play, with cart, on the weekend. St Andrews is 4 or 5 times that amount if you're visiting. When I lived in Phoenix, you could get a golf card from Maricopa County and play three of the four muni's for $13 plus cart fee. It all just depends on where you live.
Romanticizing the great links courses of the UK is fun, but it's usually not accurate. The two countries are different. We have country clubs here - they have country clubs there. We have more of them because this is a bigger patch of land.
Why don't we turn this silly debate around ? As great as St Andrews is - why doesn't the UK have a course like Augusta National ? Equally as silly and idea.
By the way - I agree - "A Course Called Ireland" is a tremendously fun read.
I think the difference in apparel will depend on whether the golfer is playing in competition or just a weekend outing. They tend to try to coordinate a little better for tournament play. Let's see!
ReplyDeleteNo dress code.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait - I will be on the "Beyonce Diet" so that I, too, can take the "Skin to Win" approach !!!
ReplyDeleteI am totally in.
ReplyDeleteLet me know where to send the shots!
Hey Patricia! I did a 'guy's prespective' on my blog! Check it out!
ReplyDelete