When you are a golf pro, you have to dress the part. The image you portray is part of the sport. When people think about golfers, they think snappy pants and sweaters in the colder weather and logo polo shirts in the summer. I have been known to spot crisp white pants on more than a few golfers. Other sports don’t seem to have this same cachet. You can wear virtually anything to bowl or play tennis. However, tennis used to be a stylish sport in the good old days. I wonder what happened. Now I will have to rely on golf for my good example.

There are certain must haves when playing golf. I mentioned the clothing, but there is also the requisite shoes, sunglasses optional, and caps. For me, I add a Shinola watch with a leather strap to finish the look. I like the design and comfortable feel when I am out on the course. There are other brand, and I have tried more than a few; but I settled on this one as my favorite. No giant ugly black sport watch for golfing. I like the classic elegance of the Shinola. I will never regret making the decision to opt for quality and style. As I mentioned, dressing for golf, which includes all the accessories, is all about appearance. I don’t like to see teenagers playing looking like bums in torn jeans and logo tees with nasty sayings. I have appealed to the board that manages the course to outlaw such attire. I expect positive results from the vote in a few weeks. Who wouldn’t want to rule against outlandish behavior? Golfing isn’t meant to be for slobs.

Some weeks later, the board did in fact vote to have a dress code. The young players who were used to wearing unsightly clothing rebelled. They mounted a protest in front of the club room, complete with giant signs that said “unfair rules.” It was embarrassing for the club staff and members and they almost acquiesced and repealed the clothing standard. With support from members like me, they stuck their ground. I was so thankful that I addressed the next protest wearing my best golf outfit and Shinola watch. “Here’s what golf attire looks like,” I shouted. I got back a lot of boos. So here is what I did. I convinced the golf shop to offer free clothing, one to a customer. Oddly enough, this action got a favorable response from the crowd. One by one, the teens entered the shot and were outfitted in new clothing. After about an hour, the last one was done. I asked to take a photo of them for the Golf Club newsletter and they agreed. I had pulled off a major coup. It was genius public relations. You have to understand teen psychology to get why it worked.

Since that day, the golfers of all ages have never looked better. The board silently thanked me for my help and granted me an extended membership to include family and friends.

The lounge at the golf course form premier members has a large wine refrigerator full of the best domestic and imported brands. They also have a full bar for those who want beer or mixed drinks. It is a comfortable and casual place where people can relax and enjoy some golf conversation. I have always liked the lounge and often take my students there after a lesson. It is a popular spot for people before and after a round of golf. The course is very social in orientation and also has a dining room for all meals.

I took notice of the large wine refrigerator because I have a rec room in my basement at home that I want to turn into a kind of mock lounge. There is plenty of room to put in a wet bar, some bar stools, and a home entertainment center. I will include a small version of the wine fridge at the course to class up the place. I will start making an effort to buy some cases of good wine. I can store at least one so each bottle will be properly chilled if it is white. There is a special section for reds that has a different temperature control. It will be a modest version of the fabulous wine cooler in the public lounge.

I hired a contractor to draw up some plans and he made suggestions where to install the bar and gave me some wine refrigerator reviews to look over, so I could choose which one would suit us best. We wanted it under counter to save space along the walls. The entertainment center was going to take up a lot of room. I needed to order a half dozen upholstered chairs for TV viewing and a card table and small chairs for when we wanted to indulge in a round of poker. I had some great professional golf photos enlarged and framed to decorate the many empty walls. It was going to be efficient, comfortable, and fun.

The first party I had in the rec room was a big success. I stressed a wine and cheese concept so I could focus on the contents of the wine fridge. People noticed and many commented that all they could do at home was use a conventional refrigerator that had no separate temperature controls for whites or reds. A wine fridge is indeed a touch of luxury. If class was what we wanted, we got it. People enjoyed looking through our wine collection to see if it merited such special attention. Maybe I should I have bought a larger size, but I was a bit intimidated by looking too ostentatious. After all, if you can cool a case of wine, that ought to be enough for one party. I had a few more cases of both whites and reds in a cabinet next to the wet bar’s sink. My parties are on the small size, so I could accommodate everyone. I love having my own version of the gold course’s lounge.