By Torleif Sorenson on 7/17/13

The Royal & Ancient are one of golf's two rule-making bodies, along with the United States Golf Association. R&A chair Peter Dawson has come under tremendous fire from, well... almost everyone for the R&A refusing to have women as part of their organization.

At a 40-minute press conference earlier today, a traditional event before the start of the Open Championship, R&A chair Peter Dawson finally allowed that it was a "polarising issue" and began cratering to the outside pressure:

"We will have a good look at what people are saying and try to take a view about all of this and find the most sensible way forward."

The pressure has also been applied toward the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, a.k.a. Muirfield - the site of the Open Championship. While women are permitted to play Muirfield as visitors and to use the clubhouse, the "Honourable Company" itself continues to be men-only. A number of writers, politicians, and ordinary people have ratcheted up the pressure on Muirfield to begin welcoming women as members, not just as visiting golfers playing the course. And as we reported on Tuesday, this may happen shortly after the Open Championship has concluded.

It is quite legal under both American law and UK legislation to have gender-specific private clubs. This writer does not wish for judicial activists to overturn that part of the law. But it is this writer's opinion that it is quite disgraceful that one of golf's two rule-making bodies is still men-only.


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Image via Flickr, R&A

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