By Torleif Sorenson on 3/4/15

Earlier today, Royal St. George's Golf Club announced that their members have voted to allow women to become club members.

This follows an extraordinary general meeting of members last month, followed by a vote of the club's membership. Club secretary Tim Checketts released the news in the following statement:

The Royal St George's Golf Club is pleased to announce that, following an extraordinary general meeting held on 14th February 2015 and a subsequent ballot of the full members of the club, a resolution to alter the club's rules to make ladies eligible for membership has been duly passed.

Under the club's rules, the resolution would only be passed if it obtained the support of three-quarters of the votes cast on the ballot. More than 81 per cent of the full members took part in the ballot and a decisive 90 per cent voted in favour of ladies being eligible for membership.

The alteration of the club's rules has immediate effect and the club looks forward to welcoming ladies as junior and full members.

Of the courses on the Open championship rota, only two remain that do not have women as members. One of them, Royal Troon, already shares its course, clubhouse, and other facilities with the Ladies Golf Club, Troon. Furthermore, the men's and women's clubs will have joint responsibility of hosting the Open Championship in 2016.

Even then, the men's club is undertaking what they call a "comprehensive review" of their membership policy.

Meanwhile at Muirfield, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers also are reviewing their membership criteria; they are expected to release a report later in March.


Have you seen an interesting golf story? Tell us about it!