Organizers of the British Open will look into the issue of men-only golf clubs after being criticized for holding this year’s tournament at a club that does not allow women as members, but have ruled out any immediate changes.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A), the body that governs golf outside the United States, has faced growing pressure to take action against single-sex clubs with the 142nd British Open starting tonight at Muirfield, one of three men’s-only clubs entered in the tournament.
Several politicians refused to attend the event because of the single-sex policy and women’s groups described it as embarrassing that Britain was the only country to host a major golf tournament at a club that banned women.
R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said it was a controversial issue but pointed out that only around one per cent of Britain’s 3,000 golf clubs were single-sex, with some allowing only men and others only women.
Dawson, however, said the issue of single-sex clubs was becoming increasingly difficult and the R&A would discuss the situation again after the tournament.
“We’re going to take a hard look at what people are saying and try to take a position on all of this and find the most reasonable path forward,” Dawson said during a 40-minute news conference in which about half the questions were about single-sex clubs.
“I’m absolutely not going to anticipate what’s going to come of this. I wouldn’t even want to call it a review, but we are very aware of the disparity of views on this topic.”
Outdated and disconnected
Single-sex clubs are not illegal in Britain and exist in golf and other sports and social settings, but opponents accuse them of being outdated and out of touch with reality.
A government spokeswoman said the Equality Act 2010 allowed private clubs to restrict membership to women only or men only, with private clubs being able to decide their membership criteria.
But the Women’s Sports and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) said research showed 55 per cent of golfers believed hosting major championships at single-sex clubs was damaging the reputation of golf, which is struggling with a decline in female players.
“Muirfield’s sexist membership policies are absurd in the 21st century, and holding the Open at a club that prohibits women’s membership is detrimental to the sport,” WSFF chief executive Sue Tibballs said in a statement.
“A number of golf organizations are working very hard to break down traditional perceptions of the sport and encourage a new generation of participants, and these clubs are doing nothing to help this cause.”
Women’s participation in golf on the decline
Ladies Golf Union figures show the number of female players in Britain and Ireland fell by 20 per cent to 177,000 last year, compared to 210,000 in 2004.
Dawson said the R&A’s view was that single-sex clubs were legal and did no harm, while acknowledging the storm of protests.
He would not know whether there have been discussions with Muirfield about a change in policy, or with Royal Troon and Royal St George’s, the other two men’s-only clubs on the list of nine British Open venues.
“We believe that membership policy is a matter for the clubs. We believe that very strongly,” he said.
When asked what the difference was between men-only and whites-only clubs, Dawson said it was “absurd” to compare gender policies with those based on racial or religious lines where sectors of society were “oppressed and treated very badly.”
He refused to comment on the fact that Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, Culture Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities Maria Miller and Sports Minister Hugh Robertson had rejected invitations to attend the 2013 Open.
Former world number one Rory McIlroy said he never really thought about the subject even though it was clearly an issue at some golf clubs.
“But in terms of life in general, I think men and women are mostly treated equally these days. And that’s the way it should be,” he said.
Reuters
