Can You Wear Golf Shoes Off The Course Casually?

Golf shoes have gone through a tremendous evolution over the years, even during the 30 years that I have played the game. Golfers starting today have a much wider choice of footwear options than we did even in the late 1980s.

Long gone are the days when players were hammering nails into their shoes to give them some extra traction!

You may have wondered whether you can wear golf shoes casually, off the course. Let’s try and answer this question for you.

How Do Golf Shoes Differ From Regular Shoes?

A pair of golf shoes are designed to provide additional grip, support and often weatherproofing when compared with ordinary shoes or trainers. A round of golf will take approximately four hours and you’ll be traversing often difficult terrain which may be wet. Ordinary casual shoes won’t offer anything in the way of traction when you’re walking or hitting golf shots.

Modern golf shoes are designed to offer support to your feet, particularly during your swing. They are becoming increasingly lightweight which helps with fatigue during your round. High-quality golf shoes will also offer higher levels of comfort than most ordinary shoes. For those of you who don’t live in warm and sunny climates, you will also find many models that are waterproof. It is an important consideration as having soaking wet feet for four hours is not much fun.

What Is The Difference Between Spiked And Spikeless Golf Shoes?

Spiked golf shoes have either metal spikes or more likely plastic cleats that will give you improved traction both during your golf swing and just moving around on the golf course. While most spikeless golf shoes will have some form of sole design to offer better grip than sneakers ultimately I don’t believe they are as good as spiked shoes particularly when conditions are damp.

What Are The Benefits Of Spikeless Shoes?

One of the biggest benefits of playing in spikeless shoes is they tend to cause less damage to the golf course than their spiked cousins. They can often be used in other areas of the golf club without needing to change into normal shoes and depending on their design you can even wear them around town or while driving to and from the club.

Can I Wear Golf Shoes In The Clubhouse?

You would need to check the rules for the clubhouse you are visiting. A lot of golf clubs these days have what they call a spike bar where you are able to wear golf shoes. However, it’s unlikely you would be welcomed with open arms if you were to turn up in metal spikes caked in mud and grass.

As long as you wear spikeless golf shoes and you’ve given them a clean then you should be fine in most casual or spike bars. It’s unlikely you’ll be allowed in other parts of the clubhouse such as the restaurant or main bar in some golf shoes even if they are spikeless. Again depending on the club, they may expect you to wear some form of proper shoe before entering the clubhouse. Other clubs may be more relaxed and allow sneakers or trainers throughout especially for juniors.

Can I Drive In Golf Shoes?

It really comes down to the laws regarding driving in your location. I think anyone driving in spiked golf shoes that got stopped by a police officer is likely to get, at the very least, a warning and may well earn themselves a ticket or fine if they have breached local laws.

Spikeless shoes would be less likely to cause you to shoes although it could definitely be argued that the bumps and ridges on the bottom of some spikeless shoes would make it more likely that your feet may slip from pedals causing you to lose control of the vehicle.

My advice would be to avoid driving in golf shoes unless they are flat-soled. If you are in the UK then the RAC has covered the subject of driving footwear.

Can I Wear Spiked Shoes At A Driving Range?

Ultimately you would need to double-check with the range you are planning to visit. Some facilities won’t want you turning up in a pair of spiked shoes because they may cause more damage to their floor surfaces than a pair of trainers or ordinary shoes. They probably wouldn’t you dragging a load of mud and grass and messing up the place either.

Ideally, you’d be better off with a pair of spikeless golf shoes. This will give you the best grip without damaging the facility.

If you’re lucky enough to be using a grass range then of course you can wear spiked golf shoes either soft plastic cleats or metal if you still have some.

Are There Different Types Of Golf Shoes?

One way of splitting up golf shoes is whether they are spiked or spikeless. Another way would be the style of shoe. For many years golf shoes were often in the brogue style but over the past 20 to 30 years golf shoes have morphed into increasingly more athletic and stylish designs.

In fact, a high percentage of golf shoes on the market now just look like running shoes. These same shoes would probably have been unacceptable at many golf clubs 25 years ago they just appeared to be like trainers or tennis shoes.

Do I Even Need Golf Shoes?

Whether spiked or spikeless, golf shoes are designed to give you a number of advantages over regular shoes or sneakers.

The main advantages of playing in golf shoes are as follows:

• improved grip
• improved support
• improved stability
• more comfortable
• many golf shoes are waterproof

If you want to play golf for the long run and play to the best of your ability then you should consider buying some golf shoes which should help you maintain solid footing and allow you to swing fully.

Many golf facilities will expect you to wear golf shoes and won’t allow you to play otherwise. Although the difference between sneakers and spikeless golf shoes is pretty small these days certainly in terms of looks.

If you are now convinced of the need for golf shoes you might want to consider some of these models of golf shoes.

Can You Wear Golf Shoes Off The Course Casually: Conclusion

If you’re careful about the style and design of spikeless golf shoes that you buy then you’ll be able to wear them in almost any situation. This will give you the advantage of not needing to carry extra shoes with you when you are playing golf.

Any spikeless model will be suitable for many situations, basically anywhere that a sneaker or training shoe is acceptable. If you need something for more formal situations then pick a pair with a more brogue-like upper.