Muirfield decides it would rather have no women members than a British Open

A 10-time host of the Open Championship and one of the world’s great golf courses, Muirfield will no longer host the game’s oldest major.

The membership, operated by the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, voted down a proposal to open the club up to women members. A two-thirds majority in favor of the proposal was needed, and the final vote fell short with 66 percent of the membership in favor of admitting women and 34 percent against. There had been a recent and rather disgusting campaign by “traditionalists” of the club to maintain the male-only policy.

The captain of the club announced the results on Thursday morning on the front steps of the course. “The Honourable Company is a members club, and, as such, the members decide the Rules of the Club, including its membership policy,” said Henry Fairweather. “Women will continue to be welcome at Muirfield on the course and in the clubhouse as guests and visitors, as they have been for many years.”

The R&A, which owns and operates the Open Championship, responded swiftly with an announcement that Muirfield would no longer be one of the 10 courses on that major’s rota.

”We have consistently said that it is a matter for the Honourable Company to conduct a review of its membership policy and that we would await their decision.

”The R&A has considered today’s decision with respect to The Open Championship. The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and going forward we will not stage the Championship at a venue that does not admit women as members.

“Given the schedule for staging The Open, it would be some years before Muirfield would have been considered to host the Championship again. If the policy at the club should change we would reconsider Muirfield as a venue for The Open in future.”

Muirfield last hosted The Open in 2013, when Phil Mickelson won with that dramatic Sunday charge.

The R&A has been lauded for their instant announcement removing the course from its prestigious championship rota. And it’s a commendable response, for sure. But it was the obvious decision with this, you know, being the year 2016.

The host of this year’s British Open, Royal Troon, also has a male-only membership and will receive the same critique that Muirfield felt in 2013. Royal Troon shares its facilities with the Ladies Golf Club, Troon and the two are “jointly” hosting the 2016 Open.

After those sensible 2013 outcries about Muirifield’s anachronistic membership policy, the club started a consultation exercise with its members and Thursday’s vote was the conclusion of that. Troon has started a similar review with its members and a recent statement signaled that they will likely join the 21st century and admit women. “We care very much for the reputation of Royal Troon Golf Club and it is important that the club, much like the wider game, reflects the modern society in which we exist.” That announcement may well (and should!) come before mid-July and The Open.

Despite the fact that it’s a “special case” and this Open is hosted jointly with the Ladies Club of Troon, one would imagine that the R&A will also pull Royal Troon from the rota if they take the same objectionable stance to maintain their absurd membership policy.