Cold Open
The Memorial Day rainstorm sits directly overhead. I'm staring at my clubs in the corner.
While I find peace and solace on the golf course, it’s the absence of the game which makes my reflections come into focus with a sharper clarity.
Happy Birthday, TTC.
Why I Started Writing About Private Club Golf
My Twitter account was, at least initially, a purely recreational outlet to share my unfiltered thoughts on the current state of golf.
Golf media stopped speaking to me. It is replete with professional golf discourse, architecture deep dives, and “bro” YouTube content, yet the country club stuff was nowhere to be seen. The audience didn’t disappear, it was simply ignored.
After a few of my tweets re: club culture and attire gained some traction, I decided to set up a newsletter on beehiiv on a whim and write long form.
I wrote a few hundred words on what makes for proper golf attire, and the publication was off to the races. An apropos start to this little journey.
This post alone brought in a few hundred followers, which led me to believe that I may be onto something…
I started writing about topics that came naturally to me and were somehow forgotten (or intentionally ignored?) by the new-age golf media. In a day and age where sloppy dress and mass inclusivity are prevalent, I thought taking a slightly stronger stance on attire and etiquette would stand out from the heavily optimized drivel spewing from once-great outlets like Golf Magazine and Golf Digest.
How Writing Rewired the Way I See the Game
I typed the first post to zero subscribers. Somewhere in the middle of that, something shifted. Consumer to creator.
Suddenly, my entire life on the golf course revealed itself as a built-in content library. Nothing is off limits. Every round, lesson, and trip is a story. My name isn’t on the masthead, for now…
At a macro human psychology level, it is an interesting change. If you've ever built something from scratch, you know the sensation.
My brain has been rewired to look for content in everything. I'm always thinking about the next edition. A year ago, these same thoughts would pass through my head and disappear. Now they end up here.
The Best Advice I Got Before I Started
I received some excellent advice from a trusted confidante early in the process of writing. He said something to the tune of: “You want haters”.
Writing on the internet, colorized, circa 2026
He said it much more elegantly and politely, but the point remains. I didn’t think I had much of a chance to generate real vitriol on the internet, but as it turns out some people want to experience the game of golf in a different way than I do.
Diversity of thought is a critical element of the human condition. I welcome all viewpoints and disagreements, as they are what make life interesting. While I hold strong beliefs about the game and the behavior and culture which makes it unique, I like to think that I hold those beliefs looser than most internet trolls.
What Keeps Me Writing Every Week
I get the most joy not out of writing each post, but out of the feedback from the readership. The best part of my Wednesday mornings is checking the BTG inbox to see which part of the column resonated.
Some come in the form of short compliments, or the occasional “insider” correction, but most come in the form of stories or invitations to play golf.
If you have thoughts/comments/questions about the publication, either reply to this email or just shoot me a note here: [email protected]
The People You Meet Writing on the Internet
I’ve met more like-minded folks via this little project and on Twitter than I have in years of playing golf at country clubs.
I’ve teed it up with complete strangers, who, in a few short hours, have turned into lifelong friends.
I had no expectations upon pressing “send” a year ago, the people I’ve met have been a huge added bonus.
Where The Tuxedo Collective Goes From Here
I felt like a kid again as I wrote each edition this past year. There's a child-like element to creative expression that gets suppressed as we get older. I'm not letting that happen.
The goal for the next year is to grow from ~6,300 subs to 20,000.
At 20k, we can begin to build real momentum as we fight against the tide of lax dress codes, slow play, and the demonization of private club golf.
There’s a reason I don’t run paid ads at the moment. I think we have the network to get to 20k organically in the next 12 months. Word-of-mouth is sticky, and I like sticky.
If you enjoy the publication, you don’t even have to use the referral link, just mention it to a friend as you walk 18 in 3:50 this summer. A casual comment and a quick reassurance that I’m not a complete lunatic should do the trick.
I appreciate you all more than you know. See you at the bottom.
3 Things I Know I Know
Sunday was 55 degrees, raining, with 25 mph winds. The home course saw zero rounds, a rarity. I think if it were 65 degrees I might have played. A warm rain isn’t too bad, a brisk windy day isn’t too bad either. The combination of all three makes the thought of teeing it up untenable. Which begs the question, at what point is the weather too much for even the biggest of addicts?
Invitational season is upon us. I will publish an updated version of last year’s guide, but for now, you can find it here The BTG Member-Guest Guide
Simple “Layering” advice: White polo, light gray sweater, navy vest.
What’s in My Golf Bag
Driver - Taylormade Qi4D LS 10.5 (Weights moved forward)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD FI 7x 45.25 Length
Grip: Golf Pride Z cord Midsize + 3 Wraps
3 Wood - Qi10 HL (16.5)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8x
Grip: Golf Pride Z cord Midsize + 3 Wraps
Driving Iron - Titleist T200 2 iron
Shaft: Project X HZRDS 80g
Grip: Golf Pride Z cord Midsize + 3 Wraps
Irons - Mizuno S1 + S3 Combo
S1: P-6
S3: 4,5
2 Degree up lie angle (for Mizuno)
Shaft: Dynamic Gold X100 + 1/2 inch
Grip: Golf Pride Zcord Midsize + 3 Wraps
Wedges - Vokey SM11
Vokey SM11 50.08F, 54.10S, 58.08M
Standard Titleist Lie Angle
Shaft: Dynamic Gold S400 + 1/2 Inch
Grip: Golf Pride Zcord Midsize + 3 Wraps
Putter - Paradise
Heron Prototype, 36 inches
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Alignment Sticks
Bubba Whips. As seen in The Final Buyer's Guide: Accessories
Bag
Titleist Players Carbon 4.0 in Navy. As seen in Bags for the Modern Gentlemen
The Old Clubs
Playing golf at a place that hosted multiple US Opens or US Ams in the early 20th century is special. Treasure those rounds, as it will feel like walking in a time machine.
John Barton on Etiquette (Golf Digest, 2006)
This week's archive pull: a 2006 piece by John Barton that holds up better than most things written about golf in the last twenty years.
“Etiquette” is a miserable word. It conjures up horrific childhood memories of a strict aunt scolding you for putting your elbows on the table or using the wrong fork. Etiquette is one of the major reasons golf is so intimidating to beginners:
Newcomers to the sport, already rigid with fear at the prospect of hitting a duff shot off the first tee, are terrified of standing in the wrong place, saying the wrong thing, or wearing the wrong clothes. Hey, relax! Etiquette is nothing more or less than common sense.
Etiquette is the very first thing in the golf rule book. It can be boiled down to three main areas of concern:
• Care for the course: The old leave-the-bathroom-as-you’d-like-to-find-it rule. Rake the bunkers, repair your pitchmarks, replace your divots. Don’t play javelin with the flagstick.
• Care for the golfers: Whenever ambulances are involved, golf really is a good walk spoiled. Don’t hit into the people ahead of you, and always shout “fore” if someone’s in danger. And if you hear someone else shout “fore,” cover up your most important bits, which may or may not include your head.
• Be courteous: Do unto other golfers as you’d have other golfers do unto you. Don’t make the group behind you wait all day. However much you dislike that irritating guy in your foursome, there’s no excuse forgiving him the old coughing routine at the top of his backswing. On the green, give players room to play (and watch where your shadow falls). Don’t tread on their putting line, and do not storm to the next tee, Montgomerie style, when you miss a tiddler and they’re still putting out. Play by the rules. Be a good sport.
Finally, if someone has lousy etiquette, it’s your duty to educate. The rule book says you’re supposed to tell “the Committee,” too, which has the right to take “disciplinary action” and, in a competition, “disqualify a player under Rule 33-7.” But nobody likes a snitch. Golfers are a reasonable bunch. We can settle our disputes ourselves, thank you. Like I say, it’s called common sense. Only it’s not that common.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Talk soon,
BTG
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