Country Club Casual

Most country clubs have very strict dress codes and expect members and guests to comply with them. To assist the members in informing their guests about the dress code policy, most clubs have printed cards with the dress code rules on them that a member may send to his guest before he or she comes to the club. To avoid embarrassment, the members would be wise to get these cards from their respective clubs and to send them out to their guests.

Proper attire is so important at the Medinah Country Club, where my husband and I belong, that the DRESS CODE is now included in the monthly newsletters that are sent to all members. Now nobody could possibly say that he or she did not know what the policy is!

Country clubs expect men to wear collared shirts with either golf slacks or Bermudas that are not more than 3” above the knee while on the course.

In the summer of 1999, the PGA tournament was held at Medinah. Since the event was open to the public, dress codes were not enforced for everyone attending the event, however, they were enforced for anyone who was able to enter the clubhouse, members’ tent or any of corporate tents.

The above photo was taken in front of the clubhouse during the PGA tournament. As you can see, my husband and the men who are about to enter the clubhouse are appropriately dressed.

The rules for ladies’ attire are a little less strict, but collared shirts, slacks and Bermudas are always safe and proper for female golfers.

In the above photo, which was also taken in front of the clubhouse during the PGA tournament, I am dressed in a sleeveless and collar-less blouse. A blouse such as this is not acceptable on any of the golf courses at Medinah!

It was OK, however, to wear this while watching the PGA. I could also get into the clubhouse or the members’ tent during the tournament wearing this blouse and slack outfit.

Lady golfers at Medinah must have either a collared golf shirt or sleeves on their blouses when they are on any of the golf courses. At some of the courses that we have played in other states or countries, the ladies must have collars and sleeves on their blouses.

Make sure that you know the ‘Dress Code’ of any golf course before you arrive there ready to play. Knowing the dress code will not only save you much embarrassment but also money! At one of the courses that my husband and I wanted to play, I had to buy a shirt at the pro shop because the one that I was wearing did not have a collar and sleeves!

Denim, whether it is used in blue-jeans, jackets, skirts, vests, Bermudas or whatever, is unacceptable in most clubs. (It is, however, OK to wear denim Bermudas when taking your daughter and mother on a tour of the Sarah Duke gardens in Durham, NC on a hot summer day as Eric is doing in the photo above.)

Halter tops, short shorts, thigh high skirts, hooter-type blouses, baseball caps, combat boots, etc. should never be worn to any country club! (It is permissible, however, to wear short shorts and a halter top when watching your son play soccer when the temperature is in the 90’s!)

The above photo of my husband and me was taken in front of the Medinah clubhouse facing the putting green. We are dressed in country club casual. We were going to have dinner in the clubhouse with some of my husband’s clients who had been to the PGA tournament with us.