Kilted Golfer DENIED Play at Royal Troon because of the kilt

[ForresterModern]

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

[Jock Scot]

Being mischievous of mind and with absolutely no knowledge of golfing rules. Would plus 4's (traditional golfing attire I believe) worn on a golf course(Royal Troon for example),by a male,but without hose, be regarded as "long trousers" or, a variation of those "long short things" that are seen about these days?One could argue that they are shorter long trousers,I suppose?

Get stuck in Jeff!!!!

[seanachie]

Jeff:
I don't know you're thoughts.....but the secretary had a perfect opportunity in his email to say "hey we screwed up and I am sorry" and he did not. I find that disappointing. I have had situations occur and as aggrieved and PO'd as I might have been someone admiting that they screwed up and apologizing went a long ways. Part of it being that I have made my share of mistakes as well. But hiding behind rules, management policies or very arbitrary decision making just irritates the heck out of me. In this instance the secretary had an opportunity at redemption and blew it in a big way. Also I do hope you follow up on the actions you said you were going to take. That would be sweet to make a nice stack of correspondence and refute him. As to the earlier comments about the caddie just following the rules, and just doing his job I was laughing yesterday after perusing the news. There are a few other folks who have made the same claim, and they are on trial at the Hague right now. (Note: I am not directly comparing the 2 or diminishing the criminal acts they commited, just pointing out that that defense is often ludicrous)

[MacMillans son]

Jeff,

I understand their refusing to allow the wearing of the kilt must have been a real head spinning moment, but it just further supports the reality that the kilt is not commonly worn attire in Scotland. Native Scots wanting to have a picture take with you further supports that.

It seems their response is wholly consistent with what our native Xmarks members have told us. The wearing of the kilt is not much more common in Scotland than it is in the U.S. and is typically relegated to, as the club indicated in their response, “ceremonial” attire (worn to, and for, special ceremonies only). I read that portion of their response to mean they would not allow the wearing of casual kilt attire in the club house either. Apparently, the kilt is not inherently appropriate attire in all areas and venues of Scotland. That, I am sure, is not news to native Scots.

I am missing what it is that is fueling the outrage over the fact that they have a dress code, and the kilt is not included as acceptable attire, other than the romantic belief that it should be. As you know, most courses in the U.S. have some sort of dress code. I would expect the same response from a U.S. course if a Scot came over and attempted to play in Levi’s at a course that deemed them inappropriate course attire, after all Levi’s are an original American garment. The course response, I assume, would be similar to the one you received ,“ We appreciate Levi’s, and agree they have their place as original American attire, but do not consider them appropriate attire on our course”. End of story.

It’s your sanity friend, but I would consider letting the matter drop. I am confident that you will receive no real satisfaction if your goal is to have a private club change it’s rules based on a romantic American notion that kilts should be inherently acceptable attire in all areas of Scotland.

Respectfully,

Brooke

[artificer]

It’s your sanity friend, but I would consider letting the matter drop. I am confident that you will receive no real satisfaction if your goal is to have a private club change it’s rules based on a romantic American notion that kilts should be inherently acceptable attire in all areas of Scotland.

Respectfully,

Brooke

I think part of the issue is that the kilt ISN'T specifically barred.

Jeff,
the reply sounds a lot like a very polite "thanks for the email, get stuffed" to me.

Give 'em hell ith:

[Mike_Oettle]

Interesting point made there by Jock.
But I must congratulate you, Jeff, on a balanced and courteous response to the club secretary that underlines his hypocrisy without calling a spade a bloody shovel.
I don’t play golf, but I support the right of kilted men to play the game, especially since it is a Scottish sport.
Women golfers are nowadays permitted a choice between trousers and a skirt. What is different about men?
Regards,
Mike

[artificer]

What is different about men?
Regards,
Mike

Women's legs are nicer to look at?

[ForresterModern]

Being mischievous of mind and with absolutely no knowledge of golfing rules. Would plus 4's (traditional golfing attire I believe) worn on a golf course(Royal Troon for example),by a male,but without hose, be regarded as "long trousers" or, a variation of those "long short things" that are seen about these days?One could argue that they are shorter long trousers,I suppose?

Get stuck in Jeff!!!!

Jock

To the best of my knowledge, Plus-2's, Plus-4's, and Kinickers, when worn with proper length hose (those covering the legs below the hem of the trousers, are appropriate for wear (they must be since I saw two golfers teeing off Troon #1 wearing canary yellow and fluorescent pink knickers with matching argyle hose and vests as I was coming down Troon #18 in my trousers. I believe that if they were worn without hose or with shorter hose than covered the exposed lower leg beneath the hem that they would likely be considered inappropriate (as well s funny looking), as best as I can assume they would then be considered "shorts". But then again I can only speculate what Troon's decision might be.


j

[Mike_Oettle]

Artificer wrote (in response to my question): “Women's legs are nicer to look at? ”

Well, men (myself included) enjoy looking at women’s legs, but women also like looking at men’s legs (as testified by several of our female members at X Marks).
Modern-day fashion requires women to remove the hair from their legs (thank heaven we males don’t have to), but it actually doesn’t do much for them.
There are few things uglier than a woman’s leg with stubble, and it doesn’t feel great either.
Most women’s legs are just as eye-catching with a little bit of natural fuzz than hairless, especially if the hair is blonde or red.
Regards,
Mike

PS: Okay, you were in jest and I haven’t responded that way. But this is a point that irks. I hate seeing advertisements for women’s razors, or for hair removal by electrolysis.

[wildrover]

Ok, I like this turn of topic!