Many golf courses do have dress codes.

Most municipal golf courses do not have dress codes - except, of course, in the sense that you must be dressed! (No shirt, no service.)

Dress codes vary in strictness depending on the price range of the course to which you are going. The higher the price, the more likely there is a dress code.

In general, a collared shirt and Dockers-style shorts will get you onto 95-percent of golf courses. And most of those will allow denim shorts.

The most upscale courses -- or the ones that take themselves too seriously -- will require collars and have a no-denim rule. A small number will even have a no-shorts rule, requiring golf slacks.

It's always a good idea to call ahead and inquire about a dress code before heading to a course you haven't played before. A collar on a shirt doesn't sound like much, but if the course requires collars and you show up in a t-shirt, you'll either be buying a collared shirt in the pro shop or heading home.

The other rule most courses have these days is no metal spikes on golf shoes. It's difficult to buy shoes with metal spikes anymore, so if you have recently purchased golf shoes you should be OK. If you are using ancient shoes that still have metal spikes, it's time to trade them in.