Murifield golf club have been taken off the Open rota after the vote to allow female members in the club was defeated.
The R&A, who control where the British Open is played, acted swiftly following the member's vote to take the course from the rota. The Edinburgh venue last hosted the Open in 2013, when Phil Mickelson claimed the claret jug.
The vote was somehow defeated by a majority of 64-36; and a letter circulated from the 'no' campaign arguing some of the stupidest points we've ever seen. The letter, which has already been branded as an embarrassment to golf by Ewan Murray, begins by emphasising the importance of the club and it's lunch, before ending with how the introduction of ladies into the club could threaten that:
We are not an ordinary club. Our special nature; ‘a gentleman’s club where golf is played’ is quite unique with its fraternity built inter alia on foursomes play with a round taking only the same time as lunch and leaving enough time for a further round after lunch (even in mid winter). This is one of the miracles in modern day play and is much admired. Our foursomes and speedy play would be endangered.
We are criticised by some for being ‘elitist’, but if we are that is entirely due to a membership selection process which emphasises an overriding requirement that prospective members appreciate and accept our traditions.
The introduction of lady members is bound to create difficulties. Regardless of the conventions when they first join they are likely over time to question our foursomes play, our match system, the uncompromising challenge our fine links present, our lunch arrangements. It will take a very special lady golfer to be able to do all the things that are expected of them in the template which is suggested and the ladies’ membership as a whole may not meet this standard.
It seems very strange to take a step to fundamentally change a strong institution with real risks to that strength in order to retain a ‘one off’ event that happens rarely. This is made even more strange when it is possible that the change may not work.
It's hard not to be surprised by something like this in 2016, but perhaps we shouldn't be. When Muirfield hosted the 2007 Senior Open, a female executive of the European Tour was forced to eat in the kitchen - because she wasn't permitted in the clubhouse, via the guardian.
It's a strong move from the R&A, who only recently allowed female members themselves - but that excuse for not wanting to permit women is laughable.
[The Scotsman]
