Cargo shorts - not acceptable course attire?

[xnavyct]

My frequent playing partner Mr. 17 Clubs and I were talking about where to go play a round here in a couple of weeks when our schedules match up. I suggested a course we've not played at, and he mentioned that he heard they have banned cargo shorts there as not being 'acceptable course attire'. Regular Dockers-type shorts, yes, cargo shorts, no.

Banned cargo shorts?

During the summer, I always wear cargo shorts while playing - plenty of room for tees, extra ball, scorecard and pencil....whats wrong with cargo shorts, as long as they are clean and not torn, etc ????

I don't get it....thoughts?

[JPsuff]

.

I guess it must be the same thing that's wrong with a pocket tee shirt. I once had to buy a collared shirt at a local muni because of the "collared shirt rule". Never mind the fact that it was a rainy day and there were maybe a couple dozen people at the course and basically no one there to be "offended" other than the seagulls.
Of course, Tiger wears "collar-less" Nike shirts anywhere he chooses, but if I went out and forked over the loot for one of them and then tried to wear it on a local course, I'd no doubt get a ton of grief from the management.

Personally, I've never been a "shorts person", but for those who do wear shorts, I don't have any problem with cargo shorts. I also don't have any problem with jeans either (I wore jeans for golf for over ten years).

I'll tell you what though, I think that any white male over the age of twenty with a shaved head (we know you're losing your hair and you're not fooling anyone) who wears a baseball cap backwards ought to be escorted from the course and turned over to the authorities on suspicion of being a moron; or at least looking like one.

Neat and comfortable (and that includes cargo shorts) is fine with me and frankly people could wear Klan robes for all I care as long as they just keep moving!


-JP

[straightshooter]

They are indeed great to store 'golf-stuff', but many of them look downright 'sloppy':

My guess is that because the course wants to discourage this look.....



..... they are forced to also ban these:

[xnavyct]

Originally Posted by straightshooter

They are indeed great to store 'golf-stuff', but many of them look downright 'sloppy':

My guess is that because the course wants to discourage this look.....



..... they are forced to also ban these:

What I don't get is you take the extra two pockets off shorts #2, and they're a pair of Dockers that would be acceptable.

Instead of banning cargo shorts 'period', looks like the usual 'torn, dirty attire' rule would be enough - maybe a caveat also that mens shorts couldn't be past the top of the knee.

Where's Diane when you need her?

[JimSomebody]

I wear Dockers shorts, but I'm not offended by people wearing cargo shorts (as long as they're clean and neat, as mentioned). And I can see their utility (lots of pocket space).

I think golf courses have had less business lately. If so, I'm not sure why public courses, especially muni's, would want to discourage business by banning cargo shorts. (Collarless shirts don't bother me, either--again, if clean and neat).

[straightshooter]

This site has some discussion on this topic:

Golf Girl's Diary: Cargo Shorts - A Golf Fashion Faux Pas ? (UPDATED)

I snapped the photo above yesterday at Candlewood Valley Country Club, a high end public golf course. As at many such courses, their dress code is simply stated as "traditional golf attire". Well, I don't know about traditional, but these guys were unconditional cargo fans...and told me they'd definitely think twice about playing where they weren't permitted.

Not a fan of cargo shorts on the golf course but I'm willing to compromise. Cargos are okay as long as you don't look like you're wearing capri pants. The guy on the right is okay (just barely). But, his tubby little friend on the left needs to change.

The second quote was one of the comments on the blog. NOT nice. I wouldn't want to play at a club with a gate-keeper like that! But the comment shows the need for very clear dress-code rules (for courses that wish to enforce such rules). Personally, I cannot get worked up over dress-code issues (i.e. what others wear), though I do put some effort into looking reasonably neat myself.

[scottevans77]

It's things like this that keep a lot of people away from the game. I can understand a private club having a strict dress code, but a muni course? If golf could start being a little more inclusive and a little less exclusive, maybe more people would play.

[halk]

After dropping three trouser sizes and replacing all my trousers and shorts, cargo style are the only ones I have (btw they are nice shorts). If a course I went to play told me I could not play because of having cargo shorts on then I would walk out and never go back. Have done that at one course guy at desk told me the next time I came there that I was not to carry my clubs across the parking lot told him he would not ever have to worry about that again I would never be back (you were suppose to pull up to the club drop area). The only reason I played that day was that the round was a gift from my wife otherwise I would have walked (clubs across shoulder across their lot).

[ringin]

I agree that if the cargo shorts are in nice condition, and not ratty, dirty, just came out of the hamper looking, then what's the problem? My club "discourages" the sloppy cargo shorts look, but I see some guys pushing the envelope on occasion. Doesn't bother me in the least...as long as they look ok (and not like capri's). I have a few pairs of shorts that aren't traditional cargo's. They're lighter weight shorts, about to the knee, that have pockets on the sides, but not the HUGE extruding pocket that cargo's have. I think that the heavy material and the large exposed pockets are what make cargo's cargo's. I don't prefer to wear that style on the course, but public courses don't need to be so picky in my opinion.

[Darth Fader]

There are more courses here that wouldnt allow you to play in cargo shorts,than there are that would allow you.

[ringin]

Originally Posted by Darth Fader

There are more courses here that wouldnt allow you to play in cargo shorts,than there are that would allow you.

How could you even wear shorts over there?? I thought Scotland was rainy, foggy and windy every day of the year?

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by straightshooter

They are indeed great to store 'golf-stuff', but many of them look downright 'sloppy':

My guess is that because the course wants to discourage this look.....



..... they are forced to also ban these:

Yeah. How do they define cargo shorts ? The number of pockets ? Their length ? I have and wear golfing a few pairs of the bottom type. None extend below my knees and I like the extra pockets. FWIW I also had to purchase a collared shirt (overpriced) at the clubhouse once. And ANYONE who wears a baseball cap sideways or backwards should be shipped back to 1985. Isn't that fad's 15 minutes up yet ?

[straightshooter]

Originally Posted by JPsuff

I'll tell you what though, I think that any white male over the age of twenty with a shaved head (we know you're losing your hair and you're not fooling anyone) ....

That reminds me of one of my favorite Seinfeld jokes: One of his friends went around with a shaved head for years and years, and when he decided to change his look and grow his hair back he discovered - much to his dismay - that he had gone bald during those years!

[JPsuff]

.

What exactly is the point to cargo shorts for golf anyway?

When I play, I carry three coins in my left front pocket as ball markers, some tees and a divot tool in my right front pocket and when I take my glove off to putt, I place it in my left rear pocket, which is otherwise empty. I generally wear regular golf pants and used to wear jeans for a time and each of those pants had four pockets of which only three were ever used and of those three, one was used only on a part-time basis (for the glove). Some people like to carry a scorecard with them (I sometimes do as well), and that would need its own pocket, but that barely brings the "pocket count" up to four.

Since I can't think of any reason to have more than four pockets - which are standard equipment on almost every pair of pants or shorts - why would anyone need to wear cargo shorts (or pants) for golf?


-JP

[JungleJ]

Many courses have seemingly strange dress codes. At my home club the pro once told me that my shorts were too long - had to be no more than knee length. I had to roll them up and it was only permitted because the course was basically empty. My uncle had to buy new socks because he was wearing shorts and his socks were not white.

The Tiger-style collarless shirts (semi-turtleneck, actually) are pretty much universally accepted now.

In the photo above the guy on the left DOES look pretty sloppy - definitely be sent back to the changing room at Chipstead.

[Darth Fader]

Originally Posted by ringin

How could you even wear shorts over there?? I thought Scotland was rainy, foggy and windy every day of the year?

Only in the summer!

Actually for the past few days its been in the 70's thats almost tropical for us.

[straightshooter]

Originally Posted by JPsuff

Since I can't think of any reason to have more than four pockets - which are standard equipment on almost every pair of pants or shorts - why would anyone need to wear cargo shorts (or pants) for golf?

I don't now why, but I don't like to use my back-side pockets, in golf or in regular life. And I don't like to have sharp items (tees, divot tool, pencil) in my front pockets. So I do prefer the cargo shorts (of the almost stylish variety) for golf.

[Diane]

Unacceptable and sloppy looking. Right up there with jeans IMO.

[JPsuff]

Originally Posted by straightshooter

I don't now why, but I don't like to use my back-side pockets, in golf or in regular life. And I don't like to have sharp items (tees, divot tool, pencil) in my front pockets. So I do prefer the cargo shorts (of the almost stylish variety) for golf.

Fair enough.

I understand the purpose of cargo pants and shorts (even just for style) and I can think of several activities including many work-related activities where the extra storage would come in handy.
But when it comes to golf, "the lighter, the better" is the way I look at it; some coins, a few tees and a divot tool - that's all I need. But the scorecard, pencil, golf balls, and anything else that could fit in a pocket, all stays in the golf bag. In the summer heat, it's uncomfortable enough as it is without weighing myself down with a bunch of excess junk in my pockets - no matter where those pockets may be.


-JP

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Diane

Unacceptable and sloppy looking. Right up there with jeans IMO.

I disagree. While the "styles" that are aimed at the under 30 crowd can be dreadful, there are lots of shorts styles with a couple of extra pockets which look every bit as nice as as the classic Bermuda shorts, but which unfortunately fall into somebody's classification of "cargo" shorts. I have several pairs of such shorts bought at significant expense from TravelSmith.com (in fact I don't own anything else), and any course which is so stuffy that they would reject my appearance for 2 extra pockets isn't a place that I have any interest in playing anyway. They have WAY too high an opinion of themselves.

The shorts I own were acceptable in several fairly nice restaurants in Italy (Venice, Milan, Florence), as well as a couple of country clubs here in Colorado, so I'm not going to buy new clothes just in the hope that I don't get barred from certain courses. I wouldn't probably be highborn enough to rub shoulders with their members anyway.

[essurfer]

Man, I do not believe I have