This morning in my email I received the following response from the club secretary at Royal Troon regarding my previous email complaint:

Dear Dr Foster



Thank you for your e-mail regarding your visit to Royal Troon. I regret that you felt aggrieved by being asked to change from your kilt into trousers to play golf. Royal Troon wants guests to have an enjoyable experience when they visit us and indeed we have a large volume of correspondence thanking us for our hospitality.



In keeping with many organisations in golf, including most amateur and professional organisations who stage major championships around the world, long trousers are the accepted form of dress on the golf course. Royal Troon adopts a similar approach.



We greatly respect, however, the traditional dress of Scotland and welcome full ceremonial kilt attire being worn within the Clubhouse.



I hope that you will reconsider your view and visit Troon in the future.



Regards



David



D L K Brown
Secretary
Royal Troon Golf Club
Troon
Ayrshire
KA10 6EP
Tel No: 01292 311555
Fax No: 01292 318204


To which I responded promptly but after much thought:

Mr Brown (David),


Thank you for your response to my concerns with regards the treatment of the kilt as being considered innappropriate attire for golf at your club. From your response below I am gathering that the kilt may be worn within the clubhouse for ceremonial events, but is still specifically NOT allowed for play on the course under any conditions. If my interpretation of your statements is incorrect, I would welcome clarification of my potentially mistaken impression.



If however that interpretation is correct, that kilts are specifically NOT approved wear for golf on your club course, then I will follow my previous decision to file a formal grievance with the club membership and rules committee for a formal review of that policy, as well as other avenues of action in notifying other potential kilt wearing golfers the world over of that policy so that this incident will not be repeated again. I will also be in contact with the PGA of America and the Royal and Ancient and other governing bodies regarding their dress policies, if any, regarding the wearing of the kilt as attire for golf play in official events, to verify your below claims. I also find it interesting to inform you that of the 8 rounds of golf I played at traditional Scottish golf courses last week, including such prestigious venues such as Turnberry, Muirfield, Carnoustie, St Andrews Old and New Courses, St Andrews Dukes, and Kingsbarns courses, all were played kilted by me save the one at your club because of your restrictions. Many clubs indeed welcomed the wear of the traditional scottish kilt, and thought it more than appropriate, seeing as Scotland is the birthplace of the game of golf and the home of its original set of rules governing play.



The only chance I will ever attend any event at your Royal Troon Golf Club will be wearing a traditional tartan kilt in traditional and wholly appropriate golf attire, with the expectation that I will be allowed to play a round of golf dressed as such, with the specific approval and welcoming open arms of your administration and club membership in such endeavor.. Short of that I will never darken your doorstep with my presence again.



Again, I thank you for your cordial and clear response, although remain disappointed with it. I hope that Royal Troon Golf Club administration and membership will again reconsider its position regarding the propriety of the traditional scottish kilt as wear for a round of golf on you club's course.



Cordially,



Jeffrey L Foster, MD




We shall see what further research into the rules of golf in both professional and amateur societies here and abroad have to say about dress codes, and kilts specifically if at all, and be back with you soon. Next stop is the formal media, once all my research is completed, all "i's" dotted and all "t's" crossed, so to speak.

I must also write thank you notes to each of the courses I played in appreciation of their allowing to play kilted, despite any potential conflicts with their formal rules of attire.

We are not finnished yet.

Jeff