Oldest golf club to allow female members
THE world’s oldest golf club has voted to allow women to be members in a historic vote.
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society passed a resolution to open its membership to women at its AGM on Thursday, a vote that saw 83 per cent of members back the change.
The club, which is based at a championship course in Edinburgh, was instituted in 1735 – 19 years before the golf club at St Andrews, “the home of golf” – and has welcomed visitors in the past despite being members-only.
In a statement yesterday, the club society said it was looking forward to “welcoming an open and diverse membership, affording everyone the chance to be part of its ongoing success”.
The club has come under increasing pressure from campaigners, after other major male-only clubs agreed to welcome women last year.
Muirfield in East Lothian began allowing female members last June, after voting to change the rules in 2017.
It had been temporarily removed as a host of the Open Championship. In 2013, Alex Salmond, then Scotland’s first minister, boycotted the tournament because of its membership policy, and David Cameron, the prime minister at the time, said it “looked more to the past than the future”.
In October last year, Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society in Edinburgh, another leading men-only club, which was founded in 1761, followed suit and opened its application process to women following a vote.
Bill Mattocks, the Royal Burgess Golfing Society captain, said: “This historic decision demonstrates the club’s recognition of the importance of embracing equality.
“We look forward to welcoming many new members over the coming years and to share what our fine society has to offer with them.”
James Ross, who represents the club in the professional ranks, told The Scotsman he welcomed the decision.
“It’s obviously great news and about time it happened,” he said. “With the number of golf clubs closing back home these days, it’s brilliant to hear of additional members coming into a club and not the reverse.”
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society gained its Royal status in 1929 under King George V. The then-prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, accepted the society captaincy in 1935.
The Duke of York, who announced he was stepping back from public duties “for the foreseeable future” in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, accepted an honorary membership at the club in 1991.
The world’s oldest golf course is St Andrews, where the game has been played since the 15th century. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews was founded in 1754.