THE bosses behind St Andrew’s Old Course have defended American country music star Luke Combs after the singer received backlash for wearing a hoodie and trainers while playing golf.
The singer shared pictures of himself playing a round on the world-famous course on Wednesday, days after he played two sold-out shows at Murrayfield.
“The Old Course at St. Andrews. Can’t beat it," Combs wrote.
However, the 36-year-old singer faced heated criticism from golf fans online who said his informal attire was “massively disrespectful” to the Old Course’s legacy and that he should have been “turned away”.
Combs appeared on the course in a black West Virginia Mountaineers American Football hoodie, beige chino shorts, bright Nike Air Jordan trainers, and a brown-trimmed baseball cap.
Don’t care who you are, if you turn up to play the Old Course dressed like you about to do some work around your back garden then you should be turned away. https://t.co/5poWxNnNff
— ScottishLinksCulture (@ScottishLC) July 29, 2026
One person shared the pics of Combs playing the St Andrew’s course along with the caption: “Don’t care who you are, if you turn up to play the Old Course dressed like you about to do some work around your back garden then you should be turned away.”
The post received thousands of interactions with some people saying that the “rules don’t apply to famous people,” with many seemingly mostly upset that Combs wore trainers instead of soft-spiked golfing shoes.
One person shared a screenshot of the St Andrews Links website that states that “appropriate footwear must be worn on course,” adding that golfers are asked to wear plastic cleats or soft spikes as they do “minimal damage to the greens”.
However, despite Combs facing the ire of some Scottish golfers, a spokesperson for the St Andrews Links Trust, the organisation in charge of the prestigious course, said the singer was free to wear what he wanted as there are no strict dress codes.
“We ask golfers to wear clothing which is appropriate to the game, not scruffy or torn and comfortable to play in,” the spokesperson said, according to The Courier.
“We do not require golfers to adhere to strict dress codes.”
The spokesperson added: “We were delighted to welcome Luke Combs to play the Old Course during his time in Scotland.
“He was engaging with our staff and other golfers and clearly has a love of golf which can inspire others who haven’t considered golf as a game for them.
“We would be delighted to welcome him back any time.”
Official and unofficial dress codes have long since been a controversial subject in the world of golf, with the PGA arguing that relaxing dress codes at courses around the world has encouraged more players to take up the sport.
Amid the online stooshie over Combs's attire, one golfer claimed he played the course at the same time as the singer and praised him for being a “nice guy”.
He said: “I played in the group in front of him. He left after nine. So many fans lined up near the end of the back nine.
“Nice guy. I waved at him on hole four green while I was on hole five. Didn’t want to bug him with a picture or any small talk.”
