I opened the new membership package at the golf club I was lucky enough to join and read the guest policy and how to reserve tee times and tennis court hours. As I flicked through it, I came to the dress code section. “This is amazing!” I exclaimed to my husband. “Ladies are allowed to wear hats inside the clubhouse!” He was happy to share the joy of this victory with me, but it was clear that he did not fully understand the importance of that line in the dress code. I realized that almost all men are not like that.
Many private clubs require both men and women to remove their hats inside the clubhouse. It’s one of those things that doesn’t seem like a big deal. But it is. The male golfers around me enter the clubhouse, take off their hats, run their hands through their hair several times, and look as good-looking and normal as they are. They can stop by, take off their hat, grab a drink, and head back outside without a second thought.
Like many women, I have to think about it.
I have long hair, so when I play golf I wear it in a ponytail or bun under my hat. When you take that hat off, what’s underneath is not for the public. Sweat coated his forehead, and his hair was crushed into an unfamiliar shape. I say this as a fairly low maintenance person who has never learned much about hair and makeup. Even I know it’s a brutal look. To fix this problem, you’ll have to stop in the locker room and quickly try to create some mouth-watering visuals. You can then head to the clubhouse. When you’re on the course, you don’t have to think about this choreography. I wish there was an option to just wear a hat inside the clubhouse.
A professional at a club in the South, who asked not to be named, told me about her club’s “no hats in the clubhouse” policy. It’s impossible for her to wear a hat on tournament day, when she goes from the pro shop to the leaderboard to the clubhouse. Taking her hair off, styling it, and putting it back on again will take up most of her day. Her solution is to not wear a hat at all. That comes with its own problems. “Are we increasing the risk of skin cancer because of the dress code?” she wondered as we chatted.
This rule is in place in the clubhouse because it is a sign of respect to remove your hat when entering the space. It dates back to the Middle Ages, when knights would remove their helmets when entering buildings such as churches and castles. This custom of respect was carried into public society. The first golf clubs were created in England in the 1700s, applying the rules of high society to golf clubs. And I still feel honored by that. I appreciate tradition and our current society would benefit from an excuse to show more respect to each other. If you’re going to the clubhouse to eat after your round, take some time to get ready in the locker room so you can take off your hat and sit at the table.
For those moments when you need to make a quick stop in the clubhouse to get a drink or go to the restroom, the option to keep your hat on can come in very handy. This is not to say that all golf courses should eliminate the no-wearing-hats-in-the-clubhouse rule. I’m saying that tradition can evolve.
But more important than the ability to keep my hat on inside the clubhouse, I like what my club’s hat policy says about my club. It means the club cares about female golfers and includes women in decision-making. The hat situation is not as much of an issue for men as it is for women, so they probably don’t know about it. If a club allows women to wear hats inside the clubhouse, that means women asked for that policy. And when women raised this issue, their voices were heard. Clubs that allow women to wear hats inside the clubhouse immediately show that they value female golfers.
One line in our dress code policy doesn’t make or break your golf experience. But being a woman in golf means you’re a minority entering an intimidating world with a history of male dominance. You feel more at ease when you see the signals that women are speaking up on the course you’re playing. More welcome. I’m more interested in playing it again.
As the number of women playing golf continues to grow at an alarming rate, it’s the little things that keep us enjoying the game again.
