It seems Jerry Tarde, Editor-in-Chief of Golf Digest, has listed his five sacred rules for private clubs. (I know Jerry, I like and respect Jerry, and I know he belongs to more than a few private clubs.)

His rules are, and I quote:

1. The most important: Never throw a club in anger.
2. Do not change your shoes in the parking lot. (Perfectly OK at a public course, but the locker room at private clubs is preserved as the last bastion of golfing ablutions.)
3. No blue jeans, even the expensive kind.
4. Take off your hat when you go indoors or when sitting down to eat.
5. No cell phones on the course or in the clubhouse. (One club I know is very tough on this: Mobile phones are only permissible sitting in your car in the parking lot with the windows rolled shut. A friend of mine adheres to this rule with his convertible top down.)

His entire editor’s letter can be seen in the November issue of GD or at http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2009/11/jerry_tarde_rulesofgolf

Seems these rules are stirring up some interesting debate, certainly on Geoff Shackelford’s great golf blog. Take a look and feel free to comment either here or at Geoff’s site. (http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2009/9/30/do-not-change-your-shoes-in-the-parking-lot-perfectly-ok-at.html#comments).

As for me…

I find it amusing that we need these rules, that anyone thinks they’re all that important, that normal, sane human beings can’t figure them out—or their moral equivalents—for themselves.

Plus, it is worth noting that at some point in my long golf career, I’ve seen every one of them broken by at least one PGA Tour player.