Equality By Accident And Unintended Consequence

Sylvia Marshall (left) of England and Manette Le Blan of France during the 1928 Ladies Open Championship at Hunstanton Golf Club Photo: E. Bacon, Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Does it matter that there are still a few single-sex clubs both in the UK and in the States? Probably not.

When the Equality Act was introduced in the UK in October 2010, most peoples’ focus was on how the major championship venues would react. None among these establishments was in any great hurry to go along with the concept of equality but, from the moment Augusta took two women on board, the rest were under pressure to do the same. It took two special ballots for Muirfield members to agree. But agree they did when they realized how much the Open meant not just to the club but to local businesses.

Ironically, all these Open rota clubs have adapted pretty well to being mixed establishments.

Women have hardly been hammering at their doors, but there is no question that the lower-handicap women have enjoyed being allowed to play among men on some...