Royal Troon male-only membership under review

Royal Troon, the next male-only club to host The Open in 2016, has just announced that its membership policy is currently under review

As the next male-only club to host The Open Championship. Royal Troon will no doubt find itself increasingly under the spotlight as July 2016 draws nearer, especially as it will be the first male-only club to host the event since The R&A took the momentous decision last September to end its centuries-old male-only membership policy.

The male-only Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers found themselves under increased scrutiny when The Open last visited Muirfield in 2013, and it seems those still holding on to their male-only stance may find such a position increasingly untenable going forwards in the light of The R&A vote last year to end its longstanding male-only membership policy.

The R&A has been at pains to point out that it is not exerting any pressure on male-only Open Championship venues to reconsider their positions, but it seems the governing body's actions last September are certainly exerting indirect pressure on the three remaining male-only Open venues at Troon, Muirfield and Royal St George’s.

Royal Troon is in a slightly different position to the other two in that it already has a separate ladies’ club as well, and regardless of the outcome of the review, Troon has already taken a sizable step forward by announcing that the ninth staging of The Open over its famous links in 2016 will for the first time be co-hosted by both the men’s and ladies’ clubs via the formation of a joint championship committee.

Beyond that, the club also announced in a statement issued yesterday, that it will “shortly undertake a comprehensive review to consider the most appropriate membership policy for the future. The recommendations from this review will be presented to the membership for their consideration.”

Meanwhile, Muirfield’s male-only policy is also under review, with an initial report due out this spring, while Royal St George's is also considering its position on the matter.