04/19/24
May 19, 2016
British Open Drops Muirfield for Not Admitting Women: Muirfield has been dropped from the rotation of British Open courses after the club that owns it refused to end its ban on female members. A vote that could have allowed women to join the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers failed to get the necessary two-thirds vote, so when Phil Mickelson lifted the Claret Jug three years ago at Muirfield, it could be the last. A group that defeated the vote said, "A traditional resistance to change is one of the foundations of our unique position in golf and our reputation." Only one of the other nine courses that gets the Open has a gender restriction. Royal Troon, this year's site, has separate men's and women's clubs.
I was actually watching the Golf Channel when this broke (the baby likes green and soft, soothing voices), and over the next hour or so, I was struck at how they seemed totally incapable of finding anyone who would publicly defend the restriction. Every time another middle-aged white guy popped up on the screen, I'd think, Okay, here we go..., but nope, the sonofabitch would talk about how it's 2016 and how are we still talking about this and look at how many women play golf and this makes golf look like a bunch of middle-aged white guys.
posted by Etrigan at 01:37 PM on May 19, 2016
This looks like another Augusta-style "we'll do it, but not now because you pressured us" maneuver. You're not the boss of me! Such a waste of time forestalling the inevitable.
posted by rcade at 05:10 PM on May 19, 2016
What bold Scot wouldn't want to have a long lunch with Condi Rice in the comfort of the clubhouse whilst gazing out at the untamed sea?
As Rogers of Glenburn pointed out, they'll likely let women join the Club at some point. That's not where the critical, unwavering line will be drawn.
It's the distillery that will be the firm and final bastion of manhood. As the gods intended.
Immortalized in a more adventurous vein here.
posted by beaverboard at 07:07 PM on May 19, 2016
Hopefully the loss of Muirfield won't create an opening for the Donald to push to have his new course up near Aberdeen added to the Open rotation. Seeing the documentation of the creation of that course angered me on an almost Monsanto level, and that is saying a lot.
Trump also owns Turnberry, so he's already in the rotation, for what that's worth.
If he hears that a shortage of women is the central issue, he'll see to that forthwith, one way or another.