What’s all the panic about men on the golf course wearing shorts? Kim Wild takes a look at the European Tour's recent decision to relax their short rule.
By Kim Wild
What’s all the panic about men on the golf course wearing shorts? Some seem to view the European Tour’s CEO Keith Pelley’s recent approval to relax the rules for tour players to wear shorts on pro-am and training days tantamount to heresy!
Golf shorts are worn by men and women on courses all around the world. Admittedly, you do get some dodgy sights – we haven’t all got toned, tanned pins like Olympic sprinters - but surely if you feel comfortable you play better? I couldn’t bear the thought of donning long trousers on a hot summer’s day to play a round of golf even if they were made of the latest ‘breathable’ fabric.
Golf is, of course, a game known for its traditional values and some may view this move as demeaning the professional game. But surely in this day and age, when everyone is bleating on about how we must find ways to encourage younger people into the game, how much longer can we continue to stick so rigidly to stuffy dress code rules? And let’s face it; these rules were concocted before golf was even heard of in the sort of exotic places that played nowadays, where excessive heat can be debilitating. It seems ridiculous that the caddies are allowed to wear shorts when they choose but the players themselves must suffer in silence in long trousers.
There’s also a train of thought that by allowing men to look as if they’re in holiday attire while earning, and in some cases, huge sums of money, that this isn’t acceptable. You only have to look at other professional sports stars that allegedly earn pots of money to see that the wearing of shorts doesn’t seem to be a handicap. Can you imagine Andy Murray pulling on a pair of long trousers before a tennis match?
As for women golfers, we have more scope and the wearing of shorts isn’t generally an issue, just the length of them is still frowned upon at some golf clubs. The likes of Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie have set the trend for women’s golf wear which tempts us to go out and buy something that will help us look and feel good on the course. Feeling comfortable in something we enjoy wearing is a bonus, so at least women have the upper hand on their male counterparts on this issue.
When asked about the European Tour’s decision to relax the dress code even Martins Slumbers, the new head honcho at the R&A, recognises that the sport shouldn’t be frightened of ‘making sure golf is modern and relevant’ while ‘preserving the integrity and history of the game’.
So, let’s give our men the choice to wear shorts whenever they like – dodgy legs or not!
Image Credit- Getty Images
