ON A sunny Saturday afternoon, the car park at Cowglen Golf Course in the southside of Glasgow is unsuprisingly packed out.

Andrew Blackwood, 44, from Rutherglen, who has been a member for six years, said he does not have a problem with female members, as long as the fees are equal for all.

"Those who have a problem are just dinosaurs who have failed to move with the times," he said. "They are stuck in the 19th century."

He said he hoped the policies of clubs such as the Royal and Ancient (R&A) will change in time and take heed of the example of Augusta.

"The US Golf Association tends to take the lead – I am hoping the R&A will follow it," he added.

Brian Beech, 36, from Partick, also believes women should be allowed to be members of any golf club.

"I think it is some of the older and stuffier golfers that have an issue with it," he said.

But when two female golfers come off the course after finishing, Pam Harvey, 66, from Ralston, says she is probably the "wrong person to ask", as she has relatives who are members of all-male golf clubs.

She added: "I don't have anything against all-male clubs if they are an established club. As long as the lady guests have equal rights."

Her playing partner, Lesley Cosh, 20, from Giffnock, thinks a bigger issue is when women are members but do not have the same rights as male members.

This type of associate membership – which involves paying reduced fees but also having restrictions around teeing-off times – is no longer permitted under equality laws.

Another two female members, who declined to give their names, hold more critical views.

One said: "I think golf clubs lose something when they don't have female members. You have to ask: what are they hiding if they don't let women in?"

Her friend said she found it "irking" not to be treated as an equal, but argued it was preferable that any change was instigated by the clubs themselves.

She said: "They really need to come to it on their own, rather than having it dictated to them by legislation."

It was then off to Pollok Golf Club – an all-male club – to discuss the issue.

One member, who wanted to stay anonymous, said he believed Gordon Brown was "publicity-seeking".

"I don't think this is a big issue within golf," he said. "You can have male clubs, ladies' clubs or mixed clubs.

"In St Andrews, there are three all-male clubs, but there are also three all-female clubs."

He argued it was "more honest" to have male-only membership in comparison to clubs which had allowed women in, but only as associate members.

He added: "It is not like women cannot play here – they can go on the course as guests and are, of course, allowed into the clubhouse."