Collared polo, long trousers or knee-length Bermudas, long socks recommended: at Rome's Acquasanta the dress code is written into the local rules, and it says more about a club than many brochures. A story of regulations, a brand born in Florence and a futurist clubhouse.
In Italy, style on the course begins with a rulebook. You read it on the clubs' websites, often in two lines: what you may wear, what you may not. Behind those lines lies a precise idea of elegance, more measured than showy, which has little to do with the catwalk and a great deal to do with golf etiquette.
The dress code as a club's grammar
One of the most precise texts is that of the Circolo del Golf Roma Acquasanta. Its local rules state that men wear a polo and long trousers or knee-length Bermuda shorts, with long socks recommended; women wear a polo, with or without sleeves, and trousers, Bermudas or a skirt. Jeans, tracksuits, leggings and shoes with metal spikes are banned.
The Golf Club Rapallo is more detailed in its list of prohibitions: blue jeans, tracksuits, non-sports shorts, T-shirts, tank tops, Crocs, flip-flops and slippers. The Golf Club San Donato asks for a polo with a collar and excludes jeans, cargo trousers, drawstring trousers and sandals. At the Golf Club Castelconturbia the dress code rules out tank tops, faded jeans, leggings and tracksuits.
Style, moreover, does not end with the last hole. At the Golf Club Margara the rules also apply off the course: in the common areas no swimwear, bare chests or slippers, and in the evening men wear long trousers and closed shoes in the restaurant. Not every club is so strict: the Golf Club Il Colombaro in Salò states that the dress code is casual.
Florence, where Italian golf and the wardrobe meet
If you look for a thread between golf and Italian fashion, it runs through Florence. According to the Circolo del Golf Ugolino, golf arrived in Italy in 1889, when the city's British community built an 18-hole course on land belonging to Princess Demidoff, north of the city. The Florentine brand Conte of Florence tells the same story with a different topography: on the golf page of its website it states that golf was born in Italy, in Florence, in the Cascine Park. The two versions do not agree on the exact place; they agree on the city.
According to the company, the brand was born in Florence in 1952, near the Ponte Vecchio, with the opening of the first shop under the Con.T.E. name, and the company Conte of Florence spa was incorporated on 21 July 1972. The logo bears the lily, the emblem of Florence. As for golf, the brand writes that it has "always" been an integral part of its DNA and that its golf garments are, in its words, "a unique Style and a Brand of belonging".
The Ugolino: style is also architecture
The club descended from that Florence Golf Club, the Circolo del Golf Ugolino, now in the first hills of Chianti, has a second story of style to tell, that of architecture. The clubhouse is, according to the club, an example of futurist and Art Deco architecture from the 1930s, the work of Ghirardo Bosio, and is a listed building protected by the Soprintendenza. Also listed is the swimming pool, 25 by 12.5 metres, with a diving board and platform designed by the engineer Pier Luigi Nervi. From the panoramic terrace on the second floor you can see the 18th green.
The wardrobe is bought at the club
Then there is the pro shop, the place where a club's style becomes merchandise. At the Golf Club Menaggio & Cadenabbia the pro shop, next to the clubhouse, sells clothing and accessories under the Menaggio & Cadenabbia Golf Club 1907 label, with the founding year in plain view; the Golf Club Lanzo sells products from the leading brands as well as its own, Golf Lanzo. At the Golf Club Grado the shop stocks clothing, shoes and accessories.
What to wear, in practice
Taken together, the clubs' rules give an Italian golf wardrobe a few fixed points:
- Collared polo, long trousers or knee-length Bermudas for men; for women a polo or top, trousers, Bermudas or a skirt.
- No jeans, tracksuits, leggings, tank tops or T-shirts at the stricter clubs.
- Golf shoes without metal spikes, never sandals, flip-flops or Crocs.
- For the evening, where required, long trousers and closed shoes.
For clubs that publish no rules, there is only one: ask at the office before you leave.
Frequently asked questions
What clothing do I need to play golf in Italy?+
It depends on the club, but the most common model is a collared polo and long trousers or knee-length Bermudas, excluding jeans, tracksuits and leggings (as at the Acquasanta, Rapallo and San Donato).
Can I play in jeans?+
Usually not: jeans are banned at the Acquasanta, Rapallo and San Donato; at Castelconturbia faded jeans are ruled out.
Is there a Florentine golf clothing brand?+
Yes: Conte of Florence, which according to the company was born in Florence in 1952 and considers golf an integral part of its DNA.
When did golf arrive in Italy?+
According to the Circolo del Golf Ugolino, in 1889, with Florence's British community. The Conte of Florence brand, which places the origins at the Cascine, agrees on the city.
What do you wear in the evening in the clubhouse?+
Where the rules require it: at the Golf Club Margara, for example, men wear long trousers and closed shoes at dinner.
Can I buy clothing with the club's brand?+
At several clubs, yes: the Menaggio & Cadenabbia pro shop sells garments with the club's label and the 1907 founding year, and the Golf Club Lanzo's sells products under the Golf Lanzo brand.
