Royal Troon male-only membership under review

2016 Open venue, Royal Troon, has announced that its male-only membership policy is under review

2016 Open venue Royal Troon has announced that it's male-only membership policy is under review
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf


Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)

Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response