Golf Style: God Help Us
There is a saying here in the Texas Panhandle, “If you don’t like the weather here, just wait, it’ll change in a about ten minutes.” While it took more than ten minutes this time, the weather sure changed for the better here. Yesterday morning involved making the morning drive on snow packed roads through blowing snow, while the evening drive involved bright sunshine and sixty degree weather.
Weather like that tends to make a man’s thoughts drift towards the long narrow fairways and lush greens of his favorite loop. The same goes for me as well, but after watching the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am this weekend, my thoughts strayed just a bit. After seeing some of the wild get-ups that people donned for the nationally televised event, I couldn’t hold my toungue any longer.
- If I see you looking like this on my home track, I will try to pelt you with an errant drive.
Mr. Bill Murray gets a pass. His comedy genius is near unrivaled, and that is part of his persona. The ghillie suit he wore on Sunday was a bit much, but like I said, he is Bill Murray, and he knows when to rein it in. I’m talking about others that golf for a living. Guys that are trying to stand out. I’m all for being an individual, but golf is not a Monster Truck show or Dirt Bike rally like young Mr. Fowler would have you believe.
I do take some solace in the fact the Rickie Fowler missed the cut this weekend. Knowing that Phil Mickelson was in the lead, and that he would dominate the coverage on Sunday, the potential new viewers that the PGA might have gained were able to see that golf does in fact remain a gentleman’s game. Phil was smartly dressed in all black, which coordinated with the weather in Pebble Beach that day. Another gentleman who fared far better than Fowler, is a man who I take cues from when dressing for golf.
Ryan Palmer tied for 29th this past weekend, and was (as always) dressed well. My opinion is most likely biased as Palmer is from the Texas Panhandle, but I think many other people will agree. Ryan proves time and again, that you don’t have to dress like a Peacock to carve out a name for yourself in the PGA.
I can’t quite remember which event it was from, but the picture below shows that even in antiquated items like knickers, Ryan Palmer still dresses better than the majority of the young PGA players. I don’t know. Maybe I am hitting my stride as a curmudgeon. I do know one thing though. When I hit the course, the bill of my cap will always have some curve to it, and I will in no way resemble a neon sign.
Now it’s your turn to speak up. Am I wrong? Am I just getting too set in my ways, or is the gentlemanly game of golf being mocked by the new wave of Hip-Hop and Punk?
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Spot on. While I appreciate a good pair of GTH pants on the course (see Davis Love III’s pink pants at last year’s US Open), it only works if the rest of the outfit is subtle and subdued. There’s no place for flat bills and Day Glo shirts on the course. Let it continue and it’s only a matter of time until someone is out there in a pair of cargos.
Thank you GLP. Cargos would defintitely warrant an errant drive in the direction of the offender.
The truth is that the panhandle of Texas and So.Cal…where Fowler is from…are world’s apart in many ways, fashion being just one. I think there is plenty of room for a broad range of styles on the PGA Tour. It’s all part of the entertainment value.
All good points Dave. Thank you for validating my curmudgeon status! Thank you for reading as well.
Do you know how hard it is to find women’s golf clothing that isn’t pink or bedazzled with a rhinestones? I have to scour golf shops looking for a classic pair of brown and white FootJoy saddle shoes. I wore mine for 15 years until I literally swung out of my spikes because I couldn’t find them in the stores.
Yep…just got the spring TGW catalog and about puked all over it. I recommend duct tape to repair the old FJ’s over the new crap they have coming out these days. Or…if you have ginormous feet, you can have my old brown and white saddle SoftJoys!