What to wear to a golf club

The general pattern

Every club sets its own dress code, but four North West clubs' own pages land in roughly the same place for what you wear to play: a collared shirt tucked in, tailored trousers or knee-length shorts, and golf shoes. Jeans, tracksuits, football shirts and cargo-style shorts are out almost everywhere. What differs is the detail, and the clubhouse rules on top.

Photo to followGolf clothing laid out that meets a typical club dress code

On the course

Formby Golf Club's own dress code asks for shirts with "collars or polo necks... worn tucked inside trousers or shorts", socks with the ankle visible above the shoe, and shoes that are "spiked, soft spike or dimple soled". Tailored shorts with no external pockets are allowed; jeans, tracksuits and shell suits aren't, and neither are cargo or combat shorts.

Wilmslow Golf Club's dress code is just as direct: "Men's collared Shirts should be tucked in at all times, even if designed to be worn untucked", shorts should be "smart, tailored and predominantly of a single colour", and "blue denim jeans are not permitted" on the course. Caps have to be worn peak-forward, and mobile phone use is banned on the course except in an emergency.

Prestbury Golf Club rules out "tracksuits, 'cargo style' trousers, gym wear, football or rugby shirts", and asks men to wear shirts "tucked into trousers or shorts" with collars and sleeves. Shorts should be "tailored, knee length" and usually worn with predominantly white socks.

West Lancashire's dress code, which it publishes as "Dress Code & Etiquette", asks for "smart golf clothing with shirts tucked in" and golf shoes, rules out sleeveless shirts for men, and specifically allows women to wear "calf-length trousers, skorts and sleeveless shirts".

Four clubs side by side (on the course)

In the clubhouse

Clubhouse rules are frequently stricter than the course, and change by time of day. Formby expects "smart casual golfing attire" in the ground-floor bars, but "jackets and ties" upstairs after 11am, with trainers, sandals and flip-flops banned throughout. Prestbury allows golf shoes on the ground floor only between April and October, and bans them entirely from November to March except in the locker rooms. Wilmslow takes the opposite approach on jeans: smart jeans, including dark denim, are fine in its clubhouse even though they're banned on the course, though caps still aren't allowed upstairs.

Photo to followSmart-casual clubhouse attire in a golf club bar or lounge

For juniors

None of the four clubs' own dress codes we checked publish separate rules for junior golfers, so the adult dress code is the one to follow. A comfortable collared shirt and any pair of trainers are fine for a beginner's first taster session away from a course; see our page on starting golf as an adult (it applies just as well to juniors) for what beginner sessions actually require.

Check before you go

These four clubs show the shape of a typical North West dress code, not a universal one. If you're playing somewhere new, especially as a visitor or for a society day, look up that club's own dress code page or ring the pro shop first. It's a five-minute check that avoids being turned away at the first tee.