Kilted Golfer DENIED Play at Royal Troon because of the kilt

[McClef]

The club might be within their rights to define a dress policy but that is not the issue - what they have interpreted is different to what they have defined.

If they wish to plainly ban kilted golfing and risk the ire and opprobrium and bad publicity then they should say so.

When one has read the rules as stated one is entitled, member or not, to be somewhat surprised that there are additional unstated exclusions. This has led to major inconvenience for a visitor besides his experiencing a discourteous attitude in the way it was handled.

We have seen the effect that adverse publicity has had on other plain daft rulings - this club deserves all that it gets.

[ForresterModern]

I mentioned in my OP that after the round, while in the clubhouse I was talking with weveral senior members of the club, and mentioned that I had been prevented from playing while properly kilted. Each of them said that without a doubt that was NOT the intention of the NO SHORTS FOR MEN rule, and that they thought the caddiemaster was incorect in his decision, and one even said that after talking to me he was considering formally asking the rules committee if he himself could play a round kilted, as he thought it a "grand idea".

As we approached the 18th green (which I birdied from 3 feet right in front of the members dining room window) I was visually accosted by seeing two gentlemen in knickers in canary yellow and fluorescent pink respectively, with matching argyle vests, teeing off from number 1 adjacent. And they consider that appropriate?

For those who say "rules are rules", I agree, except that I TOO read the rules before arrival and saw nothing against the kilt, as those who have reproduced those rules here have corroborated.

No apology so far, but I did play what most around here regard as the snootiest of private clubs in Scotland, Muirfield (Edinburgh Golfer's private course), today, kilted almost identically to yesterday. They are so restrictive that they would not even let our driver take us down the short street to the club, and instead made him drop us at the outer gate and we walked the last couple hundred yards carrying our own bags to enter the grounds and go to the clubhouse. Again I was met at the gate by a caddiemaster who said no to the kilt, then alledgedly called down to the club to verify and again returned with a NO answer. I grabbed my pants and said I would have to go to the toilet in the clubhouse to change, and while in the clubhouse asked three MORE senior officials, all of whom were more than pleased to allow me to play kilted, even excited to have a kilted golfer from america in their midsts. One even asked to be photoed with me before our round. I mentioned the caddiemaster's initial and repeated refusals at the gate, and they were appalled and promised to "straighten him out" about kilts in the future. Had a blast in the rain, still played like crap, but had fun anyway. And got a lot of compliments (and six other photo requests) before departing after the round. I will return to Muirfield again some day. And I thanked them all profusely.

jf

[denmcdough]

At a boy Jeff!!! Good for you!

[AFS1970]

It seems to me as others have said, that while it is perfectly within the clubs right to ban kilts, they so far have not done so. If this is a common and repeated interpretation of the rules, then it would seem that the rule needs to be clarified in order to not have the same question raised again.

Especially on kilt oriented forums like this one, we see a fair amount of folks who wear the kilt to the exclusion of those two legged garments. Had this been the case, the option to return to a hotel to change would not have been possible and the response would have been every bit as rude.

[Riverkilt]

It seems to me that if any business in Scotland had a rule AGAINST kilts they would have it posted prominently.

LACK of a rule against kilts certainly seems to be permission and acceptance.

That there is no specific rule against wearing a kilt seems a strong indication that there was no intent to ban kilts.

[Bigkahuna]

Once again, one of the outstanding virtues of living in the USA is being able to play golf ANYWHERE kilted and if you so desire you can hire yourself a topless female caddie at some courses!

[davedove]

Once again, one of the outstanding virtues of living in the USA is being able to play golf ANYWHERE kilted and if you so desire you can hire yourself a topless female caddie at some courses!

Now we're talking; just where are these courses?

[Jock Scot]

Now we're talking; just where are these courses?

Just in case I should take up the game it would be handy to know.

[azwildcat96]

Just in case I should take up the game it would be handy to know.

Yes...Handy in deed!

[sathor]

Yes...Handy in deed!

I'm out of practice golfing, at least I could come up with a good excuse for not playing well.

As long as I don't tell my wife.... actually, I doubt she would care a whole lot as long as I don't touch.