History
A golf trip to Great Britain is a journey back to the beginnings of the game and the place where the sport began, more than 500 years ago. Scotland was first and England discovered golf only a few decades later, as did Ireland.
It was the British who took golf to Continental Europe, at the turn of the century, as they carried their passion for the game to countries where they had business involvements, places such as Portugal, Spain and France. These same countries were the favorite British vacation spots, where the warm temperatures of The Riviera and Costa del Sol, were so much more appealing than the cool, damp weather of home, making golf an even more important pass time.
The British influence on golf has been long and strong and although we Americans have been inclined to bend and adapt many of the centuries old traditions, you will find that once away from American soil, the rest of the world has kept very close to the traditional, British approach to the game.
There are idiosyncrasies of golf, as it is played outside of the United States, which may surprise you. But this is traditional golf and those traditions are to be respected.
To be forewarned is to be forearmed and an awareness of the way things are, may save a little embarrassment during your trip. The end result we hope, will be a better golf trip for you and your traveling companions.
Playing Golf the Old Fashioned Way
Although motorized riding carts are available at most Continental European courses, that is not the case in the British Isles, especially the major championship courses where carts (or buggies as the British call them) are strictly forbidden. There are a few exceptions where buggies are available and others where, with a doctor’s letter explaining the medical reasons, you may be granted permission to use a buggy. In most of these situations, the club will usually require that it is driven by an authorized caddie.In England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, golf is played the old fashioned way…by walking.
Caddies
By far the most pleasant way to enjoy a golf course that is unfamiliar and perhaps a little tougher than anticipated, is with the assistance of a caddie.
Not only will your caddie carry your golf bag and offer usually expert advice on how best to play each hole, most are characters in their own right, full of anecdotes and humorous golf stories that will only add to the golf experience. They will provide you with material enough to carry you through more than a few cocktail parties after you return home.
The caddie system in Britain is, however, full of its own peculiarities which you should be aware of:
Caddies are not employed by the Golf Clubs they are authorized to caddy at, but are self employed. As independent contractors with the freedom to show up or not show up for work, they cannot be positively reserved. If secured, the caddie must be paid for directly on the day of play. Please bear in mind though that Scotland especially suffers from a chronic shortage of qualified caddies and often they are more difficult to find than a needle in a haystack.
Caddie Costs
Fees charged for caddies are established by the Golf Clubs and will vary from around U.S. $20 at a lesser-known course to U.S. $45 at a major championship course. In addition to the caddie fee, a tip will be expected and the normal would be about 50% of the fee charged….more if you feel you received exceptional service, less if you were not satisfied with your caddie.
If no Caddies are Available …
Pull trolleys are available at most courses at a rental fee of about U.S. $5. Where available, we recommend that you purchase a Strokesaver from the Pro Shop at a cost of another U.S. $5. This is a detailed, hole by hole guide to the course, which could prove invaluable.
Pace of Play
Golf is played at a much brisker rate in the British Isles than in the U.S.A. with a far lower tolerance level for slow play. Typically a round is expected to take less than 4 hours and often, less than 3 1/2 hours.
Slow play will bring along the course ranger who will encourage faster play and in the worst case scenario, the very slow may be requested to leave the course.
Handicap Cards
It is most important that you carry a current handicap card with you, or failing that, a letter of introduction from your home club professional, attesting to your level of play. Although you may never be asked for it (which is frequently the case), every club has the right to ask to see it before allowing you to play and if you can’t, they can refuse you access to the course. Some clubs also have maximum allowable handicaps. Again if your handicap card does not confirm that you fall within the handicap limitations, play may be refused.
Dress Code
As a rule of thumb, attire that would be acceptable to a U.S. Country Club is generally acceptable to a British or Continental European Club. The British however can be somewhat more formal, but the common sense rules of dress normally prevail.
* No jeans, cut-offs or short-shorts
* No tank tops, collarless or sleeveless shirts
* No sneakers
* Do wear proper golfing attire, including golf shoes
* You can wear knee length, tailored shorts at most clubs (see note below)
The more prestigious clubs have rather harsh rules about men wearing shorts. Some will require that men wear knee length socks if they are wearing shorts and others only permit shorts during a specified season. Men are normally never permitted to wear shorts inside the Club House. To be safe, we suggest that men wear long trousers when playing any British course. The women of course, can often get away with many liberties when it comes to dress, but a more conservative approach will still be the better way to go.
Access to Club Houses
The vast majority of British Golf Clubs will welcome all visitors into their clubhouse after golf, providing they conform to the rather strict dress codes they impose. For gentlemen this will require a jacket and tie, street shoes and dress pants. Ladies may have difficulties with shorts and miniskirts; so once again, the conservative approach is always to be recommended.
The American Baseball Cap and Other Head-wear
The British are of the firm belief that while it is quite acceptable to wear hats of any type on the golf course, once inside the clubhouse, a gentleman should remove any head covering. With the rapidly increasing number of American visiting males, many of whom seem particularly attached to their baseball caps (both outside and in) an almost forgotten tradition from Victorian days has been revived. This tradition dictates that any gentleman discovered wearing a hat inside of a club house shall buy a round of drinks for all. It is far less a price not to be caught wearing that favorite hat inside!
Course Etiquette
Everything that applies back home, applies everywhere else in the world and throughout Europe you will find the locals to be far less tolerant of any shortcomings on the etiquette side.
Punctuality
The British are particularly picky about punctuality and nowhere is this more in evidence than in the starters box of virtually every golf club throughout the land The starter at any course is the in-house, sergeant major…an individual placed there to impose discipline and order among the ranks. If your starting time is 10:05 a.m., you will be expected to present yourself to the starter by at least 9:55 a.m. Show up at 10:03 a.m. and our friendly starter might just refuse to allow you on the course. Please show up 15 minutes early, just to be sure.
One more thing…Take Extra Golf Balls Along
The cost of golf balls throughout Europe is astoundingly high, often 3 or 4 times more than you are accustomed to paying at home. The fact that you will be playing courses which are probably a little tougher than you are accustomed to, may also mean you will be losing more balls than usual. So save yourself a few dollars and take along extra balls when you pack.
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