Champika Sayal

R&A and the female factor

R&A plans to induct women in a decision expected to taken in September - here's a take from Champika Sayal

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R&A and Women

Back in December of 1981, a 23 year old young just married girl set foot on the world’s 2nd oldest Golf Course – the Royal Calcutta Golf Club. Everywhere signs were common place – Men Only. Of course that got me pondering given that such boards were peppered all over strategic locations at the course. This was after all the country’s heritage colonial “Burra Sahib Golf Club” or the Elite Man’s Golf Club. For me, a hard core golfer having played Championship Golf at some of the leading Golf Courses in the Asia-Pacific Region, this was indeed a surprise!

 

If this signage had just remained placards, that wouldn’t have been a problem but the actually came in the way of a woman’s game on the course. Practising for the All India Ladies Amateur Golf Championship in February 1982 became an ordeal. One had great difficultly finding the route to the Ladies Room through these boards which because practically nothing showed me the way. It would be hard for me even though I was a good player of those times and often got the gentlemen who would invariably sit for a cup of tea after the game to square the score. The charm of the front lawn of a covered patio was short given my only-female ordeals.

 

But change was soon to come. And I can thank dark clouds for that. One overcast afternoon, thanks to the pouring rain I was allowed into an area called the ‘Men’s Shamiana.’ On a normal day no female was allowed any where near. The quality of my game and the fact that I could take on the boys finally got one of these gentlemn thinking. Just how could they desert a young lady outside in the rain just because the club only had a men’s sitting section? This led the course to fix somethings, even if out of sympathy for a rain day.

 

The definitions started changing. It went from Gentlemen’s Only Ladies Forbidden to how I perceived it: GOLF as “Gracious, Optimistic, Life Fostering.” Taking away the gender bias the world’s second oldest course (2nd to the Old Course at St Andrews) on the gender map. As R&A and St Andrews consider a transformational decision to allow women in the club, I can help but reckon this story that left a golden moment in my mind and of course changed the way I played golf 32 years ago.

 

At the RCGC it took the very noble, lively golfing aficionado nick named “Daddy Mazda” around the course to write a letter to the President of Club requesting the committee to remove all signage’s depicting “MEN ONLY” so that his co players (in this case a female me) could enjoy a hot cup of tea without having to get drenched.

 

Few months later Ms Basant Singh a longstanding independent Lady member of Calcutta Ladies Golf Club was elected to be the first female member of Royal Calcutta Golf Club. The club’s history was etched for betterment for the fairer sex.

 

Given this backdrop I am proud of the gender sensitivity displayed by RCGC. Now it’s the turn for R&A. A letter has been sent out to almost 2500 members worldwide for a ballot few days ago. The ballot results to be announced on 18th September 2014. For 260 years R&A being a completely male dominated organisation with over 5 million GBP spending on worldwide golf development may well have something to celebrate with the LADIES. So let’s get set for D DAY – Golfing Indian Ladies this will indeed be a day to remember-join the campaign with all the R&A male members you know worldwide to ensure a positive result for the fairer Sex!

 

Champika Sayal is the Secretary General of WGAI

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