Dress codes and buggies in Mornington/SandBelt/KI/Taz/Sydney

[Michael Wolf]

I've tried a couple different topic searches, so apologies if I've missed an obvious one. Looking for a recent summary on:


Mornington/Sandbelt/Sydney dress codes? Specifically the sock situation it seems? I realize I can look up each individual clubs on their websites - was looking more for common themes that will help me not look like a tourist.
And then anything drastically once we get to Taz or Cape W?


Finally - if you were worried you were going to need one or two days in a buggy mixed in among multiple 36 hole days over two and a half weeks in Mornington (5 days) Sandbelt (5 days) then KI (2) then Taz (2) then Sydney (3) then Adelaide (1), where would be the most discreet/easiest of the Doak 6.5+ courses to shamefully chauffeur oneself around without looking like an American rube? 


Thanks, Michael

[Pete_Pittock]

Interested in the answers too.  My Feb. trip is at https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,64916.100.html, reply 101

[James Bennett]

General rule #1 - don't wear shorts with short coloured socks.  It is fine for plain white socks, preferably covering the ankle.  Most pro shops will sell you a pair if yours don't comply.  No such issues with long pants.
General rule #2 - don't leave your shirt tucked out.
General rule #3 - don't wear a hat inside the lounge.
Occasional rule #4 - carts require a medical certificate.  Not all courses you are visiting Michael, but some of them.  If the course is mildly undulating (ie easily walkable) then don't presume you can take a cart.  At some courses, if you take a cart (with a medical certificate) then you will probably also have to pay for a driver.  I think Barnbougle is like that.
Golden rule - don't be a Dick.
The dress inside the clubhouse can (confusingly) be more relaxed than on course, eg boat shoes with no socks may be ok.  I emphasise may.
Your last day at Royal Adelaide will be a walking day unless you have a medical certificate.  You will enjoy the walk.  Buggies are provided (push/pull buggies).  You can hire battery-powered buggies at many of the clubs if you don't want to push/pull your own.
If you are taking shorts for golf, just pack a few pairs of white short socks.  Make sure your shirts can be tucked in and have a collar.  Bring a couple of hats (bucket hats are better than baseball caps).  Sunscreen is available at most clubs.  You will need it.  UV today in Adelaide is 14 - you will burn much more rapidly in OZ than in USA.  Burnt ears aren't fun (and worse if you eventually get a melanoma on one of them).
I think the days of coat and tie have gone.  In fact you can (generally?) wear your golf attire including shoes after golf.  If you were going to the dining room, it is probably best to have freshened up and changed but it might not be required.

James B
ps  if you can, have a mix of bounce on the sand wedge and lob wedge.  Some bunkers will be 'fluffy' suiting the bounce whilst other courses will have 'packed' sand which will just bounce any club with bounce.  Some lies around greens can also be tight, so a wedge with bounce isn't always the preferred shot.  Choose the right bounce club for the shot depending on the course/sand/lie.You are playing at so many courses in different states that you can't generalise about what you will find.

[Andrew Bertram]

Michael and Peter


have a look at
https://www.royalmelbourne.com.au/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/RM%20Dress%20Code%20Brochure%20Web.pdf


https://www.yarrayarra.com.au/the-club/dress-standards/


RM allows socks to match colors of outfit, most other sand belts it is white
You cannot go wrong with white ankle socks


I also back up James on UV, you can get burnt easily on days where it is somewhat overcast not just bright sunny days, particularly the further south you go
Clubs have sunscreen in locker rooms and wide brim is a must


enjoy your trips gents

[David_Elvins]

Michael,


No one in Australia other than tourists wear black or brown golf shoes with their white socks. 


St Andrews Beach is a great course to take a cart.  Difficult walk and a lot of cart use.

[Kalen Braley]

The arbitrary nature of dress codes always provides a nice chuckle, in this case the white Wal-Mart socks being preferred over a nice pair of moisture wicking colored socks that cost 4x.


While its been a long time since I've been there, i'm half surprised the wife beater isn't mandatory wear given how many blokes I saw sporting em on a daily basis.

[Scott Warren]

Michael,


The sock situation is complicated! The single sock type that will be accepted everywhere is white and long enough to cover your ankle bone (so needn’t be a tube sock, but not an anklet/sockette either).


I often wear jeans at Barnbougle (mostly cos
I tend to go in winter).


I’ll echo what the boys have said about the sun — the hole in the ozone layer above Australia is no joke. Pro shops will sell an array of bucket hats in heat-appropriate materials. I really suggest wearing one. Over the course of a long trip the extra sun on your neck and head takes a toll. If it’s not super hot, I’m not averse to wearing lightweight trousers with an ankle sock to keep the sun off my legs but allow some air-conditioning through them.

[MKrohn]

Carts:
- St Andrews Beach, if nothing else for the walk from the 18th back to the demountable.
- Sydney, presume you are The Lakes, Australian and NSW. Nobody will be pointing fingers and shaking their head if you are in a cart. I think NSW is a fantastic walk, so use the carts on the other two. The Australian is our little version of 'Merica, drive away.


Socks: go with Scott, after months of wrangling, protests and general narkiness, my club now allows black socks but who knows where in this complex web of intrigue other clubs are at.

[Alan Ritchie]

Definitely agree with a cart for St. Andrews beach. I made the mistake of walking 36 in 30 degrees C with the National in the morning.


Walking doing 18 holes only can certainly be done though

[Pete Lavallee]

I’m always amazed at the Queens Empires Sock Rules! Of course it stems from using knee socks when wearing shorts. I’ll never forget the two young Australians I played with at TOC in 1989 who dutifully had their long socks with shorts. I can also remember Members at Woking expressing their dismay on the patio that guests were allowed to play with shorts and the Australians “exceptable” version of white ankle socks; what have we come to was the members lament. NSW actually gives you a pair of white ankle socks with the club crest in their welcome package should you show up on something cut a little lower. As someone who has lived in So. Cal. for 38 years it seems strange to require someone to cover their ankles when exposing their knees! What is the genesis of this strange tradition?

[Pete_Pittock]

if you are bringing your own sunscreen, what do you recommend as minimum level?  SP50? or even higher?

[James Bennett]

Pete
SPF50 is really as good as you get.You won't see anything labelled higher than that in Australia.

The best protection is clothing - broad brim hat.I wear light long pants and a light long sleeve shirt, But that is because I burn and have damage from the sun when I was young.
Pick up a lip stick as well.
James B

[Adam_Messix]

As an American who almost never wears sunscreen I will echo the sentiments of everyone here to use it liberally.  I wore my collar up too. Also be mindful that insects are abundant in Melbourne and in the supposedly rare easterly wind on KI and Tazzy.  Bring or buy insect repellent or use the sunscreen that is also an insect repellent. 


Even though I was always in long pants, I never saw a sock problem outside of the steward giving someone a hard time for wearing shorts and no socks in the clubhouse at Victoria.


Carts....  bring a medical card and you should be fine.

[Jeff Schley]

I also thought it odd to read the restrictions which were very niche when I went last year for my first time.  NSW gives you a pair in their welcome bag.  I just wore white anklet socks and these worked just fine, albeit perhaps with whispers from members don't know.

In regards to hats, people don't care about the sun until you have some type of melanoma. Then all the sudden it runs your outdoor life. I found OZ to be probably 50% more intense sunlight than in the south US, point being you burn quicker. I stumbled onto a wide brimmed hat over 20 years ago in the football coaching days and have used them ever since. I believe they even make baseball caps and others out of this material now as well.

Aussie Chiller is familiar to some here and it has that name as they appreciate a good Soak Me hat to lower your temp and keep the sun off of you. I have 3 now and wore them coaching football pretty much my whole career in SoCal, and those that have played golf with me in the hot weather know I wear them quite a bit as still. Don't see a reason to change as it works and really like the Soak Me feature which does its job wonderfully by keeping water off the sunglasses and releases water from the hat down your head and face slowly.

[Tim Martin]

1.Wear a hat- It’s hot and sunny.
2.Use sunscreen-It’s hot and sunny.
3.Wear plain white ankle socks-Acceptable everywhere.
4.Watch out for snakes and bugs-They can annoy and or hurt you.
5. You want to take a cart but are unaware of the policy- Reach out to the club in question.


With the exception of the sock issue I don’t see any need for this thread. #USECOMMONSENSE

[Kalen Braley]

The sun is indeed more brutal in OZ land, its not just anecdotal.  Not only is the earth closest to the sun in January, Oz's summer time, but its also more of a direct hit with the tilt of the earth.


https://earthsky.org/tonight/earth-comes-closest-to-sun-every-year-in-early-january

[Mark Pearce]

With the exception of the sock issue I don’t see any need for this thread. #USECOMMONSENSE

That's fine.  You're welcome to ignore it.  Perhaps you're enjoying the WHS one more?

[Pete_Pittock]

If you like your CPAP machine, when you are booking hotel reservations  make sure they are responsible for having it at hand.  Have traipaed and called r1hrouhput Melbourne over the last 3 hours without ant luck.  Must add I am talking about getting distilled water

[Kalen Braley]

If you like your CPAP machine, when you are booking hotel reservations  make sure they are responsible for having it at hand.  Have traipaed and called r1hrouhput Melbourne over the last 3 hours without ant luck.

Pete,


I use one, but I always bring my own with me whenever I travel.  But maybe i'm just old school, because other than flights, I never have anyone else handling my luggage.  But then again, I prefer it that way.

[Pete_Pittock]

My really bad, must have been jetlag.  Was intending to diSeuss how hard it was to get distilled water if you did not have your own tranportation

[Kalen Braley]

My really bad, must have been jetlag.  Was intending to diSeuss how hard it was to get distilled water if you did not have your own tranportation

Yea even that part is BS, I've been using mine with tap water for 4 years and it still works great.  However, I live in a dry environment in Utah and I'm not sure how well that would go over in a humid one...