Golf’s equality drive: R&A launches Women in Golf Charter

Chief executive of golf’s governing body
says ‘doing nothing is not an ­option’

One-Minute Read

It has long been viewed as the sport of middle-aged men, but
yesterday the R&A took a major step in giving golf a
much-needed makeover with the launch of its new Women in Golf Charter.

The Daily Telegraph’s James Corrigan calls
the R&A’s charter a “remarkable about-face for anyone with a
short memory”. 

Four years ago, the BBC
reported that The Royal and Ancient Golf Club voted to allow women
members for the first time in its 260-year history. Then last
March Muirfield golf club also changed its policy on women members,
says The Guardian, after it lost the right to be
included on the rotation to host The Open Championship because of
the policy. 

Attracting females, and families, to golf is a major
target for the R&A and CEO Martin Slumbers says that if the
sport does not look forwards then it must face the
consequences. 

Speaking to the Telegraph Slumbers said: “Doing nothing is
not an ­option. The majority of clubs are struggling because their
product is aimed at a target market which is shrinking. At best, we
are flat and that has to change. When you look at raw ­statistics,
it is women who bring children to play, not men.

“We want to make the R&A modern and relevant to
today’s society. If you spend your whole life looking backwards,
you never achieve anything.”

The Guardian’s Martha Kelner adds that the
charter’s aim is to “redress the gender imbalance in the sport”.
Slumbers
says that doesn’t just mean more female players on the course but
also more women working in the golf industry. 

“I see that the future development of our sport depends
upon achieving a change in the number of women working in all
levels of golf and particularly the senior positions,” he
said. “Clubs have a fundamental role to play in
changing this culture. If we can change, there is a huge
opportunity for golf, but we have to change and we have to change
fast.

“Creating a product that families together want to
experience from clubs will be the catalyst to take golf forward for
the next 50 years. If we don’t change, then we will suffer the
consequences. We have to encourage everyone involved in golf to
play their part in this change.”

Signatories of the new charter include the European Tour,
the Ladies’ European Tour, the European Golf Association, the
Professional Golfers’ Association, the European Disability Golf
Association, Golf Australia, Golf Canada, the Golfing Union of
Ireland, England Golf, the Irish Ladies Golf Union, Scottish Golf
and Wales Golf.

About the Women in Golf Charter

According to The R&A the aims of the charter are: 

• £80m investment in women’s golf over the next ten
  years 
• Strengthen the focus on gender balance 
• Provide a united position for the golf industry 
• Commit national federations and organisations to support
  measures targeted at increasing participation of women, girls and
  families in golf 
• Call on signatories to take positive action to support the
  recruitment, retention and progression of women working at all
  levels of the sport 
• Set individual targets for national associations for
  participation and membership and annual reporting of
  progress 
• Develop an inclusive environment for women and girls within
  golf