Are Golf Shoes mandatory?

sleepyholland

I have been dabbling in a bit of par 3 golf lately in Stepaside and Marley Park. I am in Dungarvan tomorrow evening and might venture out to one of the local 'full-size' golf courses.

I don't own golf shoes so to date I've just worn a pair of trainers with smart shorts or cords.

Will a proper course accept a ragamuffin like me or do I need to go shopping in the morning? Especially concerned about the shoes-do studded shoes do less damage to golf courses?

SM746

wear a pair of trousers and a collared top and you will be grand. i always walk into pay a green fee with shoes / runners on before changing into golf shoes back at the car and not once have i been asked when paying had i golf shoes.
im sure in the current times they will be more than happy for your green fee but perhaps try and find out from someone who has played the course or knows someone there

stockdam

Golf shoes are not mandatory. They are most useful when the grass is wet. Some modern golf shoes have soles like trainers (well maybe a bit more grip). The only requirement in most courses now is if you wear golf shoes then they must have soft spikes instead of the older metal ones.

sleepyholland

Thanks gents.
I'll dress smart and head out early when its nice and quiet - for others safety and for my own ego.
Going to go to The Gold Coast and avail of their €20 Monday offer.
Looking forward to it.

bailey99

i'm a member of the gold coast.

You'll be grand. Mondays be quiet down there. Enjoy the 6th-9th, great holes out towards the lighthouse.

Kace

sleepyholland wrote: »

I have been dabbling in a bit of par 3 golf lately in Stepaside and Marley Park. I am in Dungarvan tomorrow evening and might venture out to one of the local 'full-size' golf courses.

I don't own golf shoes so to date I've just worn a pair of trainers with smart shorts or cords.

Will a proper course accept a ragamuffin like me or do I need to go shopping in the morning? Especially concerned about the shoes-do studded shoes do less damage to golf courses?

Just don't show up wearing football boots.

Believe it or not I have seen this show up on the first tee before for a Society outing :eek:

golfwallah

I hate to be a bit of wet blanket but the main reason for requiring people to wear golf shoes on a golf course is safety.
It's easy to slip while taking a shot without golf shoes and I've seen people slipping and falling while walking off a slope on a tee box (even while wearing golf shoes). There may also be insurance implications (i.e. you may invalidate the cover that paying a green fee gives you) as golfers have a duty of care towards themselves as well as to others. But you can check that out yourself.
All the above is food for thought for the future, but meanwhile I hope you had an enjoyable and safe round!:)
For blog on this issue see: http://successismineonline.net/are-golf-shoes-essential-to-master-golf/

david

Dress codes are (almost) a thing of the past.

At the end of the day it's not about aesthetic, it's about safety. From my experience of club public liability and personal golfer's insurance policies, nowhere does it state a requirement for golf shoes to be worn. However, it's common sense to wear them especially when you can get cheapo pairs for small money in Heaton's/Elvery's etc.

Opics

david wrote: »

Dress codes are (almost) a thing of the past.

I wouldn't say that at all. If you showed up to a course wearing jeans, for example, you would at best get dirty looks and at worst be chucked off the course.

Nemesis

Golf shoes are also handy at the local sports day Fathers race.

I wore mine as it was so wet one year and my kids made me run, due to my superior grip underfoot I zoomed into gold medal position.

One of the few things I won wearing those shoes that year

golfwallah

Agreed, safety is the most important point as regards wearing golf shoes on the golf course.
From my experience, public liability insurance will cover a business (i.e. the golf course owners) if a third party decides to sue for compensation for a loss they have suffered, i.e. bodily injury and/or death, and it can be proved in court that this was due to businesses negligence (or lack of care) by that business.
The concept of proving negligence (by the person who caused the injury) also applies to personal golfer’s insurance policies.
I’m not an expert on insurance law as I would rely on my broker for advice on such matters, but the club would be well advised to take professional advice about notices on their website and/or on their premises regarding visitors need to take care of their own safety.
As you quite rightly say, golf shoes are not expensive and better to be safe than sorry – and leave issues of who is liable for injuries to the insurance brokers, lawyers and courts.:)

sleepyholland

So I played the Gold Coast on a lovely sunny afternoon. Wore a smart pair of grippy trainers and am pleased to say I had no safety issues.

It's a beautiful course for a visitor. A few great holes along the coast.
As I'm just graduating from par 3 golf and building up my set of clubs, I played the round with only a full set of irons (and putter), off the yellow (and on some holes ladie's) tees.

I got a tremendous amount of long iron practice, but it did get tiresome after a while.
I shot between 95 and 100. The spectauclar par 3 8th over the beach summed up my round: 1st tee shot I topped a 6iron about 80 yards straight onto the beach - it never had a chance. 2nd tee shot I caught sweetly and hit the green, 10 ft to the hole. Missed the putt of course. Bought a driver that evening.

So I have to visit the range and learn how to use it, and then get a couple of clubs inbetween - I've been advised to get a 3wood and a 3 hybrid.

Can anyone reccomend a good, reasonably forgiving course in South Dublin for a beginner?

Bandana boy

Leopardstown is nice and open ,so forgiving to those of us who tend to zig zag around a course.

PARlance

Bandana boy wrote: »

Leopardstown is nice and open ,so forgiving to those of us who tend to zig zag around a course.

I'd second that, only played front 9 there but very forgiving and wont shatter the confidence.

I'd also recommend Stepaside Public Course, personally I'd go for this one, there's a bit more to it than Leopardstown imo whilst still being a good course for beginner.

Off topic but seeing that its OP asking