Why the existence of the hoodie debate is a sign of golf’s bigger issues
Iwatched in awe as Tyrrell Hatton dismantled Wentworth’s West course at the BMW PGA with a clinic of dishearteningly long and accurate driving, precision iron play and red-hot putting.
Yes, I also noticed he was wearing a hoodie on all four days, but at no point did I feel the urge to send a strongly worded tweet or draft a letter of complaint to the European Tour.
The uproar on social media that followed seemed disproportionate to the ‘crime’ and purely highlighted the problems with exclusivity and elitism that still exist in our game, which discourage newcomers to our sport.
It was by no means a horrible hoodie. It looked like a top suitable to wear on a golf course, rather than one you might see on a group of youths at the park.
Clothing brands are always trying to set, or at least be level with, current trends and even be disruptive to get noticed. While I think there needs to be a line in the sand somewhere, Adidas didn’t come close to crossing it this time. It borderline overstepped said line back in February when its players, including Jon Rahm, teed it up at Riviera wearing a collarless Palace skatinginspired shirt with fluorescent yellow trim. You wouldn’t see me on the course (or anywhere) wearing this, simply because I don’t think it’s too much to ask to wear a collared shirt and trousers (other than jeans) to play golf. They’re no more expensive and it’s nice to wear some sort of uniform to play sport as it provides a sense of identity.
Golf has long been hamstrung by its stuffy, outdated clothing rules and archaic image. With the ongoing pandemic, golf has provided welcome escapism for people looking to exercise in the outdoors while boosting the outlook for those who work in the industry. The fact we’re even talking about if someone should or shouldn’t wear a hoodie to play golf, regardless of what level, is a sign that a more relaxed approach needs to be adopted to welcome people from all walks of life into our great game.