There are too many other recreation and entertainment choices for families, and we must be their first.
This is being written one day after Rory McIlroy won the British Open. I couldn’t be happier for him—he seems like a likable, affable, decent person. He acknowledged his parents on the 18th hole, which was a nice touch.
One of the charms of golf is that it (for the most part) lives in a world of politeness. It relies on the players to be honest, by taking a player’s word for it on scoring and ball placement. And while rule-heavy (who can know all the rules of golf?), it relies on individual integrity to enforce them.
Even though I personally have experienced a 180-degree turn on course dress and cell phone rules, it still is a self-enforcing culture, and I like it that way. It’s worth restating my complete reversal on some issues:
Dress codes—I used to be foursquare in support of dress codes for clubhouses and courses. But as an industry, we are faced with the irrevocable fact that we are getting older and must attract new members, which means families. Younger families have different values when it comes to dress, especially denim (blue jeans). To ban casual dress from clubhouse activities is to say that younger members and families are not welcome, and if so, they won’t join. There are too many other recreation and entertainment choices for families, and we must be their first.
On the course, we must also change our attitudes. For the most part, course decorum will be self-enforced and (with the notable exception of hats worn backwards) I say do away with all course apparel rules.
Cell phones and electronic devices—The other day I was taking one of my morning walks (I call it dork-walking) and I noticed a woman standing in a busy intersection with her child in a stroller halfway in the street, looking at a text message on her cell phone, oblivious to car traffic. I have written extensively in this column about how I feel about these habits, but banning their use is a) unenforceable, and b) once again saying that certain age groups are not welcome. This, too, is antithetical to new-member marketing.
Some updates to the professional sport, while seemingly necessary, reflect an unsettling modern truth. As I was watching McIlroy’s graciousness in victory, I noticed something in his final couple of holes that was very disturbing to me. While walking up the fairways, he was surrounded by a phalanx of uniformed security people. It was almost like they were Secret Service people surrounding the President. This caused me to reflect that golf, the most polite of sports, now feels the need to surround its stars with beefy, intimidating security details.
I couldn’t help but think this was reminiscent of Bear Bryant, the football coach who was always surrounded by Alabama state police. I always thought that this was more a factor of state policemen wanting a great view of the football game rather than the need for Bryant to have security.
I don’t know if golf fans have gotten rowdier, or top players want to feel safer, and maybe it’s necessary—but it does seem sad.
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