March 26, 2014: The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, St. Andrews will soon lose its ‘exclusively for men’ status. In a historic move, the club management has decided to initiate vote on a motion to admit women as members for the first time. Women are expected to become full-time members of the club after a wait of almost 250 years.
A spokesperson for The Royal and Ancient Golf Club said in a statement, “Members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the founding club of The R&A, will vote on a motion to admit women as members. The Club’s committees are strongly in favour of the rule change and are asking members to support it. The vote is scheduled to take place in September of this year.”
After a long wait for 250 years, women will finally have the privilege to enter as members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, one of the oldest and most prestigious golf clubs in the world. It is based in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, and is regarded as the worldwide “Home of Golf”.
The move comes after an outrage over its ‘only for male members’ status, which was opposed by various groups including politicians. This move will also ensure that henceforth The Open Championship will be held only on mixed member golf clubs.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews holds a unique position in golf. Established in 1754, it evolved through two and a half centuries as a leading authority in the world game.
As the Club celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2004 it devolved responsibility for the administration of the Rules of Golf, the running of The Open Championship and other key events, and the development of the game in existing and emerging golfing nations, to a newly formed group of companies collectively known as The R&A.
As a separate entity The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews remains as a private golf club with a world-wide membership of 2,400.
