LONDON (Reuters) – After 260 years of exclusion, women will be allowed to join the Royal and Ancient golf club after an overwhelming members’ vote opened the doors to the famous St Andrews clubhouse and paved the way for them to play a role in the governance of the game.
More than 75 per cent of the club’s 2,400 worldwide members, voting in person and via proxy and postal votes, took part and 85 per cent were in favour of the change.
“This vote has immediate effect and I can confirm that The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is now a mixed membership club,” R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said in statement yesterday.
“This is a very important and positive day in the history of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.”
Founded in 1754, the Royal and Ancient’s members play on the St Andrews links course regarded as the “home of golf” and host to the British Open a record 28 times.
Although women have been able to play on the course, which staged the women’s British Open last year, they were, until yesterday’s vote, generally not allowed in the clubhouse and played no significant part in the sport’s rulemaking arm, the R&A.
That body, separated from the club 10 years ago, controls golf around the world apart from in the United States and Mexico, runs the British Open and is made up almost entirely of R&A club members.
As recently as last year Dawson said he did not feel there was a need for change but, in the face of sustained criticism and rising concern from sponsors, the R&A announced in March that it would ballot its members and recommend a yes vote.
“I think it is great news,” Laura Davies, Britain’s most successful female golfer, told Reuters.
“Back when I turned pro I would never have imagined that this could ever happen. I think it is a huge step forward for the R&A and women’s golf and everyone will be delighted with the result.”
Leading Scottish player Catriona Matthew was also happy with the outcome of the vote, held on the same day as the referendum on Scottish independence which is expected to produce a much closer result.
“This was certainly an easier result to predict than the other vote going on up here today,” she told Reuters.
“I think it is brilliant news and a great start to such an important day in Scotland.”
