A viral debate on whether a junior golf coach should have been criticised for letting his students play in tracksuit bottoms and hoodies has split golf enthusiasts down the middle. Around 50,000 members have the chance to vote on hot topics surrounding golf, and sometimes sport in general, in a weekly newsletter from Million Dollar Hole in One – a pan-European golf challenge company. Last week’s ‘Million Dollar Question’ on the newsletter was looking to settle the dress-code debate, which has been ringing round golf clubs, social media and news outlets over the last couple of weeks. It followed a junior golf coach’s proud tweet of some of his young students practising their putting with the words “You let children play in hoodies and tracksuit bottoms? Yeah, we do! It’s the playing that’s important”. The original post, from Thomas Devine, the director of Oulton Hall’s FUEL golf (FUture ELite) programme, received more than 400,000 views and many comments – but not all were in favour, with the image drawing criticism from traditionalists for ignoring the sport’s dress code. The Million Dollar Question continued to divide golfers on the topic with 51.3 per cent of respondents believing the kids should be able to dress how they want, while 48.7 per cent said they should follow the dress-code and maintain the ‘tradition’ of the sport – a view Devine had described as being “stuck in the 19th century”. MDHIO director Martin Tyrrell said: “It’s always interesting to see the results of the Million Dollar question as we have such a large database of golfers and golf fans – and they quite often give us valuable insight into people’s opinions on golf’s hottest topics. “But this week’s result was quite extraordinary. It clearly shows the split between traditional golfers who feel that golf is a game of etiquette and history, and people that feel that youngsters should play in whatever they feel comfortable in and don’t mind what they wear, as long as they are playing and enjoying the game.” Anyone can sign up to the newsletter, which not only allows you to have your say on golf’s hottest topics, but also includes the chance to access exclusive discounts and deals on top golf gear, enter prize draws, as well as a tip each week from PGA professional, Sophie Hunter. If you would like to sign up, click here Topics in recent weeks have included a debate about who will win more Majors – Koepka or McIlroy – where an overwhelming majority of nearly 83 per cent voted that Koepka will have the more successful career. Members also voted for Liverpool as their preferred Champions League winner in the week leading up to the final. The MDHIO challenge has been running since 1990 in the USA and since 2000 in Europe, and sees more than 50,000 people each year trying their luck at more than 40 par-three holes on courses across Portugal, mainland Spain and Mallorca. Each golfer pays €10 to enter and can also win a variety of golf-related prizes for landing on the green, with only the people that shoot aces invited to the trip and the MDHIO final. The current MDHIO season is underway across Europe, with competitors shooting for the chance to win a trip to the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.