History-makers /First batch of women members welcomed at Royal Burgess
History was made in Edinburgh yesterday as one of the oldest golf clubs in the world welcomed its first batch of new women members, writes Martin Dempster.
Royal Burgess Golfing Society, which was founded in 1735, has added eight females to its membership ranks in the first instance.
It follows 83 per cent of the Barnton club’s male members voting in favour of its doors being opened to women at the agm earlier in the year.
The decision was made just over six years after the same proposal was scrapped due to less than a third of the club’s membership supporting it in a referendum.
Seven of the new members were welcomed at the club yeesterday by captain Bill Mattocks before heading out for their first game.
“This is a momentous occasion for our Society and marks an exciting new chapter for the oldest golf club in the world,” said Mattocks. “I was delighted when the decision was made to open our membership at our AGM this year. And I am even more so now that we are able to welcome our new members so soon, despite the current restrictions on all golf clubs as a result of the corinavirus.”
The new members will be eligible for all competitions at the club while two are to be invited to join a sub-committee that will oversee an integration process.
“A sub-committee has been working for the past couple of years to make today happen and we will be liasing with our new lady members to make them feel welcome,” said general manager Graham Callander.
Equally encouraging for the historic club is the response from girls since the membership officially opened up on 1 April following that AGM vote. Eight mini junior girls, aged between 7 and 11, and six junior girls, aged 12-17, have joined the junior section over the past three months.
Royal Burgess joins a number of clubs, including neighbouring Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and Royal Troom in opening up doors to women members in recent years since the first step was taken by The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.