Tradition

Just under 2 weeks ago, Wall Street Journal columnist Daniel Henninger made a complete fool of himself on Fox News (where else) by arguing that gay marriage was the slippery slope to people being able to marry snakes. Really. The argument was skewered by Stephen Colbert [see the item Marrying Snakes]. Anyway, back in his regular Friday slot (subs. req'd; alt. free link) he writes of the importance of tradition, specifically: golf. Here are the key paragraphs:

These clubs are famous havens of fustiness. Most still ban denim and only recently, as at Baltusrol and Winged Foot, allowed shorts anywhere. But there is purpose here too. "When the children of new members come to Winged Foot," says Bill Fugazy Jr., a member for 30 years, "they learn club etiquette, attire, the rules of golf and then how to hit a golf ball." When a junior team showed up at Washington's Congressional in cargo pants several years back, the club refused to let them play. This code in turn ensures civility on the masterpiece courses, such as A.W. Tillinghast created for Winged Foot. It deters, says San Francisco's Butch Berry, "people who don't uphold the traditions of the game: a cheater, a bad sport, a club thrower, a vile character."

To Doug Steffen, the head pro at Baltusrol, golf's social contract is clear cut: "When people join one of these clubs, they know what the rules are; then they join the club or they don't."

Take a second to ponder what's missing from his list of things that golf clubs have banned for most of their existence. Although snakes (heterosexual ones only) could probably get in on their own.