Women's golf didn't need a dress code when I played. It still doesn't. - Washington Post

Michelle Wie shoots from the second fairway during round one of the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open. (Elsa/Getty Images)

In 1995, a few years after I joined the LPGA tour, I was working out in the fitness van at a tournament when Charlie Meacham, our commissioner at the time, asked me to come outside for a few minutes to chat. I wasn’t worried — as a professional golfer, I was never caught up in any controversy, I had a good relationship with the other pros, and with Charlie, and he didn’t really seem too bent out of shape, but I still remember thinking: Hmm. I wonder what this is about?

Turns out, he wanted to talk about my shorts.

He showed me several letters he’d received from LPGA fans, all of them complaining about the flouncy short-shorts I’d worn during the U.S. Women’s Open the week before. Too short, they said. She shouldn’t be allowed to play in those shorts, they complained. As several letter-writers noted, the length of my shorts would run afoul of the dress code at most typical private golf clubs. But I wasn’t trying to cause a stir. To me, they were just fun, different, something I felt comfortable competing in and not at all inappropriate.

“Do I have to stop wearing them?” I asked. “I really like those shorts!” “Oh, God no,” he said, laughing. “I just thought you should know.”

I immediately thought about that conversation when I got the memo, sent out to all LPGA members a few weeks ago, about a dress code being implemented by the tour. To this day, I appreciate that I was given a choice about how to handle my on-course attire. As a former tour player, I wish players today were still being given that same choice.

Among the newly banned: racer-back tops without a collar; “plunging necklines”; “leggings, unless under a skort or shorts.” Skirts must now be “long enough to not see your bottom area (even if covered by under shorts) at any time, standing or bent over.” “Appropriate attire should be worn to pro-am parties. You should be dressing yourself to present a professional image. Unless otherwise told ‘no,’ golf clothes are acceptable. Dressy jeans are allowed,” but not cut-offs or holey jeans. Some of these restrictions make sense, but some go a bit overboard.

[Tim Gunn: Designers refuse to make clothes that fit American women. It’s a disgrace.]

As a lifelong golfer, I know golf has its etiquette and rituals. I get that players are in the public eye, that golf is a spectator sport and the LPGA has a brand to maintain. But I’m unaware of any groundswell demanding a dress code. If the LPGA is getting a negative reaction to the golf fashions of today, then the way to handle it is to make sure the players, who are all professionals, know how they are being perceived by the fans. Not dictating, top-down, how they should dress.

A few weeks ago, golfer Paige Spiranac wrote: “If professionalism in golf equals athleticism, then athleticism should be promoted and showcased and that means allowing the clothes that promote it.” Every golfer knows what works for them, and everyone knows where they draw the line. I find collared shirts and longer shorts uncomfortable. (If I had to wear them, I might not ever break 70 again.) Every player has a slightly different technique, and everyone has a different body type. Golf apparel that fits one might not fit all. And if a tour player feels more comfortable in a racer-back, adding a collar is both a distraction and really doesn’t alter the look in a meaningful way. Freedom of movement, choice of fabric and personal style all enhance the way players play. Plus, if every golfer dressed the same, that’d be boring. And that’s not good for golf.

Just like I knew, as an LPGA pro, what I was comfortable with and considered appropriate — where my own line was drawn — today’s LPGA pros should draw their own lines. If athletes like Michelle Wie and Sandra Gal play better in shorter shorts, then that’s a choice they should make. Otherwise, where does it end? Everyone playing in long pants? A policy for hair color and ear piercings? Yes, the lines (hem and otherwise) have changed over time, but there’s nothing about what today’s pros wear that isn’t in line with styles you see in everyday life. If people can wear yoga pants to the grocery store, a pro golfer should be able to wear a collar-less racer-back top to swing a golf club.

[Yoga pants are comfy. They’re also an assault on manners and a nihilistic threat.]

I’m not against all dress codes. Tour players are ambassadors for our sport, and it makes sense that for certain off-course events, the LPGA insists on professional attire. Call me old-fashioned, but I like seeing NBA players in business suits at postgame news conferences. And if I were still on the LPGA tour, I’d have no problem with that approach.

I’m also a mom, and yes, I’ve got a few rules for how my teenage daughters can dress. But they’re my kids, not professional athletes.

Golf is the only sport where players call penalties on themselves. That kind of honor system, of knowing where the lines are drawn, is part of the game. It should be the same way with drawing lines of appropriateness. Individuality — showcasing different players and their unique styles is one of the things that sets golf apart. I’d hate to see that change.

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