I recently got asked to ‘play in’ a new female member at my home club. It’s one of those long-standing private member club traditions introduced decades ago, supposedly to ‘vet’ the individual to make sure that they are the ‘right type’ for membership. My interpretation of this is to make sure that they can hit a golf ball well enough to get around the course without taking dozens of air shots or divots!
In reality, it’s a bit of a pointless, out-of-date institution. The poor woman is usually scared of mishitting a shot, particularly off the first tee, of saying the wrong thing, of making a rules or etiquette error. I think it would be better for prospective members to be vetted by the club pro on the driving range and then have an informal coffee in the clubhouse with a member afterwards who would act as more of an ‘introducer’ to the club, to help them make a few new friends and be invited to play a friendly with some new faces.
It’s a tradition that runs right through to the oldest establishment in the game of golf – The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. The new Captain of the R&A is vigorously vetted and approved and then sworn in, via a very old-fashioned ‘driving-in’ ceremony.
Pomp And Ceremony
The traditional driving-in ceremony for the new Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is part of the history and institution of the game. The new captain starts their year in office with a drive at precisely 8am as a cannon fires alongside the tee of the Old Course – the Home of Golf
Tradition dictates that St Andrews Links caddies line the fairway to retrieve the golf ball and exchange it for a gold sovereign – bearing the head of King Charles – gifted to them by the new captain. A rather elitist, extravagant gesture!
As Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the newly elected captain serves an ambassadorial role for the club and also for The R&A to support its work in developing golf around the world and will attend its professional and amateur championships and matches in that capacity. A very admirable and, may I add, voluntary role (so there has to be some nice perks.)
Former R&A Chairman and now Captain Ian Pattinson speaks ahead of the 2022 Curtis Cup
(Image credit: Getty Images)
However, the whole ceremony plays right into the hands of those who argue that the sport is elitist, that it favors wealthy, well-connected individuals. Captain-elect this year, Ian Pattinson, is a former…
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