Bunker mentality: the women's view 'They're very out of touch'

Senior politicians including Prime Minister David Cameron, First Minister Alex Salmond and Culture Secretary Maria Miller are among those who have lined up to criticise the East Lothian golf club's men-only membership rule, which means women can only attend as guests.

Yesterday, many female residents in Gullane – the town where The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the formal name for Muirfield – is based, also branded the 269-year-old ban on female members as "out of date".

Pam Kirkwood, 71, who has lived in Gullane for 40 years and knows some members of Muirfield, said: "Nowadays, everything is becoming more equal between men and women. And I think Muirfield needs to move with the times.

"More and more pressure is being put on them to change the rules, and I think that's quite right. Women should be allowed to be members."

Local hairdresser Julie Readie, 37, believes progress has been made in many other fields by women, and golf should follow suit.

She said: "Everything else is in the world is changing, so why not this too?

"I'm sure as more younger men members come through, women not being allowed to be members will put them off. Golf is much more social now, and couples will want to play and enjoy the sport together.

"They need to realise, things are different now, wives just don't stay at home any more."

However, another resident, Patricia Dickson, said: "It's been this way for so many years, I just accept it. I've lived here for 35 years now, and if the gents want to play on their own, let them.

"It's not just Muirfield, there are plenty of clubs that have remained all-male. After all, women can still play the course."

Senior politicians on both sides of the Border have criticised Muirfield golf course's male-only membership policy.

Salmond ignited the row last month when he said he would not attend the Open due to the rule, saying: "I just think it's indefensible in the 21st century not to have a golf club that's open to all."

Last week, Miller also said she was boycotting the event because the club refuses to admit female members. And the Prime Minister said he believed that men-only clubs belonged "in the past".

Downing Street said Cameron was giving his full support to Miller, saying: "The Prime Minister has a great deal of sympathy with the view that exclusive memberships of this sort look more to the past than they do to the future."

And Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: "I find it so out of step with everything else that's happening in the rest of society. It just seems so old-fashioned and so anachronistic to just have a golf club saying that just because you are a woman you can't be a member of that club.

"I think many people will just shake their head and say, 'How on earth is this still possible in this day and age?'"

Labour MP Harriet Harman, the shadow culture secretary, called for golf clubs to be ordered to admit women by law.

She said: "After the recent successes of female sport, it's an embarrassment that this year's British Open, a world-class sporting event, is being held at a club which does not admit women members.

"It's time that Muirfield dragged itself into the 21st century and let women in. It's time to ban men-only sport clubs."

Voices from the sporting world have also added to the chorus of disapproval.

Tennis star Andy Murray's mother, Judy, said: "I think it is bad for the image of sport - I think clubs that host major sporting events should be seen to be all-inclusive."

However, Shona Malcolm, chief executive of the Ladies' Golf Union, was less critical. She acknowledged that having men-only clubs was a "bit of an anachronism" but said the sport was in an "evolutionary process".

Broadcaster and journalist Lesley Riddoch, who helped found now-defunct Scottish feminist magazine Harpies & Quines, argued the row could have a damaging effect on the nation's reputation in the world, particularly with the Commonwealth Games taking place in 2014.

She said: "I think we'll have a tough time trying to lay down the law to Commonwealth countries about the importance of sending women's teams next year to Glasgow if inequality is seen to reign in our own backyard.

"Now that Alex Salmond has highlighted the problem it has to be sorted, or Alex Salmond looks powerless, Scottish golf looks elitist and the Scots men are portrayed as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals when most aren't."

The battle of "women v golf" has a long history, dating back to the suffragette movement when the "elitist" game was widely targeted, with campaigners carving "Votes for Women" on manicured greens.

Last year, the issue came into the spotlight once again after an announcement from America's Augusta National Golf Club that it was ending its 80-year gender barrier by admitting its first two female members – former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and businesswoman Darla Moore.

In the wake of that, former prime minister Gordon Brown attacked Muirfield and the sport's governing body, the Royal & Ancient (R&A) Golf Club in St Andrews – which also refuses to admit women members – calling the stance an "unacceptable blot" on Scotland's traditions of justice for all.

He said: "I think we've got to think hard and long about issues of discrimination in our own country where we've got to tackle inequality and tackle that injustice."

Last week, the R&A gave a cautious signal that it might be prepared to look again at the men-only membership policy.

But Peter Dawson, the R&A's chief executive, said it would take a "hard push" for it to change its mind.

He said: "For some people it's a way of life that they rather like. If, on a Saturday morning, a guy gets out of the marital bed and plays golf with his chums, that is not on any kind of par with racial discrimination, anti-Semitism or any of these things. It is just what people do."

Meanwhile, Muirfield is defiant about remaining one of the last bastions of all-male traditions, insisting that the club complies with equality legislation.

The Equality Act 2010 contains an exception for organisations whose main purpose is to bring together individuals with a certain shared characteristic, such as gender, which includes men- or women-only golf clubs.

The legislation does means membership terms for mixed-sex golf clubs must be the same for all members – so, for example, female members could not be restricted to playing only on certain days if male members are allowed to play every day.

A spokesman for Muirfield said there were no plans to change the male-only membership rules.

He said: "The club welcomes women to play either as visitors or guests year round with full use of the facilities, as will be the case throughout the Championship.

"We are disappointed that some individuals feel unable to attend this year's Open staged by the R&A at Muirfield.

"As a club we conform to the Equality Act 2010 and any change in the membership would be for the members to decide. At this moment, there are no plans to change the current membership status."

But back in Gullane, many feel women "being allowed" to play at the club does not go far enough.

Danielle O'Kane, 21, from nearby Longniddry, said: "It's not about being allowed, we should just be able to choose where we want to join and play golf. I think it's definitely time for change."

Jessica da Costa, 23, who works in a small shop in the town, believes that even with the status quo, the crowds will still flock to the Open.

She said: "It's mostly men that come here for the golf anyway, so I don't think it will have a real effect on the businesses here, if they change their policy or not.

"I know the Open will return to Muirfield in 10 years, but whether they change the rule or not, people will still be back here in 10 years."

However, she added: "I admit I don't know much about golf, but equality is very important. This all-male rule is definitely something the club should, at least, be considering changing."

For Anne Beech, 52, who was visiting the area for the day, Muirfield's policy is wrong, as it means women are not being treated as equals.

She said: "I think these all-male clubs are missing out by not having women members. The clubs lose something by excluding women as members.

"But above all that, and more importantly, it's wrong for us not to be treated as equals.

"I really do believe women should have the right to be members of any golf clubs that they choose."

She added: "In all honesty, we shouldn't even really be having this discussion. The men at these all-male clubs should realise, on their own, that it's well beyond time for change.

"We, the politicians, and everyone else, shouldn't have to be telling them. They're very out of touch."