The Tradition Equation

I received an interesting email from a reader this past week:

I’m a member of two clubs - one is more of a golf club than a country club, the other is elite. Clearly, the dress code, etc. of member expectations are completely different. I thought this might be a potential topic to discuss in a newsletter - wearing sports teams apparel to different level clubs. What is going to far? For example, a Peter Miller or H&B polo with your team’s logo vs. Jordan, Under Armour, etc. with your team’s logo. I’m sure you get my point. I thought it would be some great content for you.

Thank you to Wayne G. for the question. At this point, you can wear just about anything to public courses. My advice below applies to the higher-end spots.

I think Millar produced the NFL line to be worn to the office or a game, and not at a club.

You could technically get away with wearing an NFL-branded quarter zip or polo at a nicer club, but I would advise against it.

NFL logos are on my list of clothing you can wear, but probably shouldn’t, unless you played or worked for the team. In my view it’s better to stick to simple club logos, or, even better - no logos at all.

College logos are different, as I understand the deep-seeded rabidity of the students and alumni. I won’t begin to opine on that.

If you have any pressing attire or general golf questions you’d like answered, shoot me an email [email protected] or simply reply to this email. I’ll pick the best one every few weeks for a broader discussion.

Last week I wrote about the changing demographics at clubs, and wanted to expand a bit more on the topic.

I sat across from a friend of mine at a wedding, and when the topic of golf etiquette arose (as it naturally does?), he quoted a famous Austrian composer:

The imagery lingered more than the words. The slow degradation of etiquette in the game is evidenced by a truth which is pointed out by this quote.

Tradition is a living entity.

The only way to pass tradition down is from person to person. It cannot be passed down by a machine, or a phone, or an AI model. It’s why I can’t have AI write these essays - it doesn’t have a soul. It has never played golf at clubs where etiquette matters. It cannot feel.

There is no more efficient way of learning tradition than being on the receiving end of an excoriation from an older member.

It’s a rite of passage, and was once a commonplace experience among junior members. I remember sharing “war stories” with my golf buddies of times when you’d see an older guy drive two or three holes ahead to yell at a group of kids who didn’t rake a bunker. We learned quickly.

Kids need to be given a certain level of freedom at clubs so that they may make these mistakes. It’s the most efficient way to pass the torch.

Culture is nothing more than the sum of all member actions during a day. Are phones out? Were there egregious etiquette infractions left unaddressed?

What seems transitory and insignificant spreads silently.

When those actions (good or bad) are repeated over the course of many years, you get the equation for Tradition.

The importance of introducing children to proper behavior at clubs is even more important once you internalize the below equation.

Tradition = Member behavior x Time

Setting a proper etiquette precedent at a young age is the highest leverage activity any club can do, if it wishes to maintain it’s Traditions.

So, you’re going to get fitted for clubs, what should you ask the fitter? I posed this question to a friend and confidante, The Golf Engineer, who wrote Lessons from a Club Engineer for me a few months back. It’s worth a read.

He knows more about lie angles and fitting specs than just about anyone I’ve ever met.

Anyway, he answered my DM, and then turned it into a solid post to help those who may be lost if it is their first time getting fitted.

If you’re thinking about getting fitted in the coming months, check out https://clubfittingdirectory.com/ to find the best independent, verified shops near you.

A friend and reader suggested I start doing “bag reviews”, an idea I have toyed with but never implemented. I said I’d do it, but he’d have to submit his bag for a crash-test dummy run. He agreed. Let’s break down the film.

Generally, his bag is organized correctly. I’m not going to tell you which slots to put your clubs in, but I will tell you that good players all organize their bags the same way:

Drivers, woods, putter up top, irons in the middle, and wedges in the bottom. Simple. Balanced.

Slot Literacy: 10/10

He loses points for the mallet. Something about a mallet hurts the feng-shui of the bag. The other clubs look to be in good shape to me. Titleist driver and wedges are always a good sign. Not sure what’s going on with the irons though.

Club Literacy: 7.6/10

Looks like he has a navy blue Titleist Players Carbon. BTG approved.

Bag Literacy: 9/10

A not-so-subtle flex here. I know for a fact he’s a member at those clubs, so it plays. I like the needlepoint/ leather combo in the driver. Class.

Head Cover Literacy: 8.1/10

The towel placement is perfect. Not a grommet in sight. No notes there. He also has two alignment sticks in there which is the mark of better players, but I’m not sure he’s ever used them. Points for style though. Fake it until you make it.

It’s hard to see from this angle what he’s got going on with potential range finder/ groove-cleaner set up.

He does have his initials on the bag, which I think is questionable unless you’re a competitive mid-am.

This is a strong performance out of the gate. The aesthetics are there. Once he rids himself of the shovels he’s currently gaming, it’ll push the score up higher.

Bag Literacy: 8.6/10