Teed off by Royal Troon kilt ban

THEY are Scotland's national dress and Scotland's other national game. But according to one of the country's most prestigious golf clubs, they don't mix.

A visiting golfer from the United States has been banned from playing at Royal Troon because he was wearing a kilt.

Dr Jeffrey Foster, who is of Scots descent, played kilted rounds at seven other championship courses, including Muirfield, Turnberry and St Andrews, without any problem.

However, when 51-year-old Foster, a radiologist from Louisville, Kentucky, arrived last month at Royal Troon, which describes itself as "one of the finest championship courses in the world", he was told he would have to change into trousers to tee off.

Foster is to lodge a formal grievance with the Ayrshire club and has threatened to "never darken your doorstep with my presence again" unless its dress code is changed.

Royal Troon, where Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie learned to play, was founded in 1878 and first hosted the Open in 1923. It received its royal accolade in its centenary year of 1978 and is the only club to have been honoured with the status by the Queen.

Foster said: "As a 13th-generation Scots-American I own 14 traditional kilts and often play golf here in the US kilted. I intended playing every round in Scotland kilted, in honour of my heritage and homeland.

"I played Turnberry the first day kilted and had a blast. The second day I played at Royal Troon. I showed up properly kilted and was denied permission to play at a pre-arranged and pre-paid tee-time because there is a rule against men playing in shorts. The official of record at Royal Troon equated my kilt to shorts.

"If I refused to change into pants (trousers] I was told I would be refused admission to the course, and that our foursome would forfeit its tee-time and pre-paid monies, thus none of us would be allowed to play. Our driver had to race me 20 minutes back to the hotel to change into pants and I barely made it back to the course just as our group was teeing off the first tee."

Foster was on an eight-day golfing tour of Scotland last month with three friends.

The club's information for visitors on its website states only that "denim jeans, shorts, tee-shirts and training/sports shoes are not permitted in the clubhouse or on the courses.Ladies are permitted to wear tailored shorts."

Foster said he was given short shrift by club officials: "The caddiemaster was less than cordial when I attempted to lodge my complaint with him, saying that men were not allowed to show bare leg on the course, period.

"I am most distressed the club did not make it clear a kilt was not considered proper golf attire prior to my arrival."

Foster said some of the other courses he had played, including Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, had welcomed him playing in a kilt.

He said: "They thought it more than appropriate, seeing as Scotland is the birthplace of the game of golf and the home of its original set of rules governing play." An official at Muirfield Golf Club in East Lothian "was as pleased as punch to see me kilted and coming in to play Muirfield in a traditional kilt", he added.

Colin Farquharson, editor of the online magazine Scottish Golf View, said: "It sounds ridiculous. Royal Troon has been stuffy back to the days when Colin Montgomerie's father was secretary.

"As long as kilted golfers wear pants underneath I cannot see any problem."

Ayrshire Golf Association president Alasdair Malcolm defended Royal Troon's stance but said most major clubs now permitted players to wear "tailored" shorts.

He said: "As with any club, people need to be aware of its rules regarding dress."

However, Royal Troon's secretary claimed its dress rules were the norm. David Brown said: "In keeping with many organisations in golf, including most amateur and professional organisations who stage major championships around the world, long trousers are the accepted form of dress on the golf course. Royal Troon adopts a similar approach.

"We greatly respect, however, the traditional dress of Scotland and welcome full ceremonial kilt attire being worn within the clubhouse."

He told Foster: "I regret that you felt aggrieved by being asked to change from your kilt into trousers to play golf. Royal Troon wants guests to have an enjoyable experience when they visit us and indeed we have a large volume of correspondence thanking us for our hospitality."