Having become somewhat occupied (if not obsessed) with the culture of golf and having visited more than my share of clubs, I’ve observed varying levels of atmospheres at the venues for our favorite game. My consulting practice combined with my lifelong addiction to the game and coaching a high school golf team takes me to probably in excess of 100 golf facilities per year and given that golf is a hospitality enterprise, it’s fascinating how varied the culture(s) of golf can be.
What’s interesting is that there seems to be no direct relationship between the cost of membership or fees and the level of hospitality. I’ve been a member at and visited private clubs at various levels where some of the more upscale clubs were quite “chilly” and others more than welcoming. I’ve been to some munis that were as warmly welcoming as any of the prestigious clubs I’ve played. How can you get a sense of the culture of a club during a first visit?
At one club I was a member of for a long time, every visit was greeted with a hug from the head golf professional. As a result, encounters with many of the members also began with similar hugs and the atmosphere was generally quite warm and friendly. Historically, private clubs have been an oasis of decorum and politeness, but not always a warm welcome. Some clubs attempt to create a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Others seemingly seek to establish rules and policies attempting to develop prestige that are often perceived as “stuffy”. The resulting environment is equally stiff. Still others, attempting to elevate their reputations foster an air of superiority while attempting to display an (often insincere) culture of warmth. Anyone who’s visited many private clubs can attest to what I call the “country club wave” where members might acknowledge others with a wave of the hand while not even looking at each other. Private clubs can be the most comfortable places and at times the most awkward – even for members. At some clubs it seems as though the goal is to make both members and guests as uncomfortable as possible. Each club has its own unique culture.
Some upscale clubs, often in the interest of establishing a level of status create an atmosphere often described as “stuffy” and interactions are sometimes subdued and conversations are often in “hushed” tones. The handshakes are typically “firm” but not always warm and welcoming. Cultures can also vary regionally, as depicted in the adjacent map.
Many facilities (private and public) have a “golf factory” feel to them and there is a focus on volume of play and shepherding play around the course. In many major metropolitan areas golf comes in various forms. The private clubs often focus on walking the course, having captains of local business and industry as members, and maintaining club traditions, in a “hushed” environment, often with numerous rules relating to dress codes, cell phone use and other issues. Golf courses at these clubs are normally precisely manicured for the most perfect playing conditions. By contrast, the daily-fee and municipal courses in these areas exhibit considerable economic, ethnic, and racial diversity in their patrons and golf course playing conditions that can be both ideal and not so great. It’s also not uncommon to see a variety of “homemade” golf swings producing good results that are rare in the more polished environments of most private clubs.
An interesting description of the differences in daily-fee, private and municipal golf culture was described by Ryan Balengee a few years back in Golf News Net:[1] I went out to play golf earlier this week, getting on to the muni down the street from my house. On the front nine, we eventually ran into a group of four kids who were probably 12-13 years old. (They weren’t slow; it was the group in front of them.) They were having a blast, playing the forward tees in T-shirts, athletic shorts and ball caps. I tweeted how happy it made me to see the kids having a good time, and the tweet absolutely took off with no explanation.
Less than a dozen people responded with something negative, which must be a new Twitter record. However, the naysayers all said the same thing: They wanted the kids to wear traditional golf attire (Note—Tiger Woods doesn’t wear shirts with collars, but I don’t think that anyone is going to ask him to change shirts in order to play.)
I think that’s a ridiculous argument.
First, we were playing on a municipal golf course, funded by taxpayers and owned by the government for the enjoyment of everyone. That’s whether you come from a golf background or not. That’s whether you come from a family that can spend money on polos and full-price green fees or not. That’s whether you’re new or seasoned, skilled or developing skills. Munis are for everyone to come as they are. The requirement is that they respect the people they’re playing with and the course they’re playing. Clothes? Who cares? Just look like you tried. There are plenty of nicely dressed golfers who disrespect their fellow players by not replacing divots, not fixing ball marks and not properly raking bunkers, among other things.
Second, no one should be deriving their enjoyment of golf based on what other people are wearing. If your enjoyment of golf is entirely based on people wearing clothes a certain way, then perhaps you don’t actually like golf.
Third, traditional golf clothes have changed dramatically over the centuries. It wasn’t all that long ago in the course of human history that men played golf wearing full suits and women wore formal dresses — and that’s if they were allowed to play. Just because we settled on a collared shirt and nicer-looking pants or shorts some 70 years ago doesn’t mean that’s the way it’s going to be forever.
The economics of member-owned private clubs are usually of a not-for-profit nature, with members determining how the club operates and paying the bills. Conversely, investor-owned clubs require a profit, sometimes compromising conditioning, service or other amenities in the interest of economics, but also sometimes providing an excellent experience more efficiently and cost-effectively. Municipal courses are sometimes perceived as a recreational amenity for the community and can be subsidized or at best expected to be self-sustaining. Politics often impact the municipal model, sometimes determined by the current community leaders.
The “moral” of this story is that despite the various forms golf comes in, it’s a hospitality exercise where the consumer (member, patron, etc.) is investing his money and time in a leisure activity. That activity is enhanced by the concept made famous by Will Guidara in his book Unreasonable Hospitality, which suggests that anyone, in any business can and should “go the extra mile” to enhance the experience. As Guidara says in the book; “People will forget what you do, they’ll forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.”
[1] Ballengee, Ryan – Golf News Net, 2020, https://thegolfnewsnet.com/ryan_ballengee/2020/08/29/the-break-newsletter-how-we-can-welcome-new-golfers-120274/ EQ: visited on?
