This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/19/men-only-clubs-bad-banning-worse-golf

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Men-only clubs are bad, but banning them would be worse Men-only clubs are bad, but banning them would be worse
(2 months later)
For the benefit of any Orwellian thought police who might be reading (yes, I know, this is the Guardian), I am quite clear about the design of my own personal Room 101. Skip the rats, the torture machines and the fire-pits and drop me straight into the golf club members' bar. By the time Nigel from Wilmslow has run through his quarterly sales bonus and the surprisingly economical mileage on his new Jaguar XF, I would be screaming my love for Big Brother and insisting that 2+2=5, however badly it might mess up the best two holes on my morning's scorecard.For the benefit of any Orwellian thought police who might be reading (yes, I know, this is the Guardian), I am quite clear about the design of my own personal Room 101. Skip the rats, the torture machines and the fire-pits and drop me straight into the golf club members' bar. By the time Nigel from Wilmslow has run through his quarterly sales bonus and the surprisingly economical mileage on his new Jaguar XF, I would be screaming my love for Big Brother and insisting that 2+2=5, however badly it might mess up the best two holes on my morning's scorecard.
For the benefit of any vengeful Dantean demons who might be reading (yes I know, this isn't the Telegraph) I am also quite clear about the design of my own personal seventh circle of hell. Just take my Room 101 and then ban all the women.For the benefit of any vengeful Dantean demons who might be reading (yes I know, this isn't the Telegraph) I am also quite clear about the design of my own personal seventh circle of hell. Just take my Room 101 and then ban all the women.
I've always hated male-only groups and social occasions, for reasons I struggle to express. I like people, at least in theory, and men definitely qualify as people. Contrary to stereotype, male groups do not inevitably descend into lascivious ogling and competitive farting, at least not for the first couple of hours. Nor do we spend such opportunities plotting the continued subjugation of women and the perpetuation of patriarchy. We do most of that by Skype nowadays.I've always hated male-only groups and social occasions, for reasons I struggle to express. I like people, at least in theory, and men definitely qualify as people. Contrary to stereotype, male groups do not inevitably descend into lascivious ogling and competitive farting, at least not for the first couple of hours. Nor do we spend such opportunities plotting the continued subjugation of women and the perpetuation of patriarchy. We do most of that by Skype nowadays.
It is not a fear of machismo or boorishness that troubles me, it is more that a male-only group feels incomplete, unfinished. I once heard of a neurology patient who, due to brain damage, could only perceive the right half of anything he looked at, the left half simply wasn't there. That is how a stag party feels to me.It is not a fear of machismo or boorishness that troubles me, it is more that a male-only group feels incomplete, unfinished. I once heard of a neurology patient who, due to brain damage, could only perceive the right half of anything he looked at, the left half simply wasn't there. That is how a stag party feels to me.
Membership of Muirfield Golf Club would not be my G&T, and it seems I'm not alone. On the first day of the British Open, David Cameron was quoted as saying he has sympathy with the view that such policies "look more to the past than they do to the future." This is a wonderful example of the political pseudocensure – it looks like condemnation, it sounds like condemnation, it just doesn't actually condemn anything. You could say much the same about Arsenal supporters or Mary Beard, and nobody wants to abolish them.Membership of Muirfield Golf Club would not be my G&T, and it seems I'm not alone. On the first day of the British Open, David Cameron was quoted as saying he has sympathy with the view that such policies "look more to the past than they do to the future." This is a wonderful example of the political pseudocensure – it looks like condemnation, it sounds like condemnation, it just doesn't actually condemn anything. You could say much the same about Arsenal supporters or Mary Beard, and nobody wants to abolish them.
Harriet Harman who, let's not forget, was personally responsible for introducing the Equality Act that explicitly excluded sports clubs, has suddenly had enough: "It's time that Muirfield dragged itself into the 21st century and let women in. It's time to ban men-only sport clubs."Harriet Harman who, let's not forget, was personally responsible for introducing the Equality Act that explicitly excluded sports clubs, has suddenly had enough: "It's time that Muirfield dragged itself into the 21st century and let women in. It's time to ban men-only sport clubs."
I'm not a big fan of banning things, and I struggle to see how one could justify blocking men-only sports clubs while allowing women's facilities to continue unchallenged. It seems to me the problem is not that Muirfield is a men-only club, but that the organising body, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, has chosen a gender-segregated venue to host the event. We can allow private members' clubs to set their own rules if they must, but that should exclude them from reaping the prestige and income from international showpiece events that are beamed to the world by our publicly funded state broadcaster. Anyone would think the Royal & Ancient itself was a sexist male-only … oh.I'm not a big fan of banning things, and I struggle to see how one could justify blocking men-only sports clubs while allowing women's facilities to continue unchallenged. It seems to me the problem is not that Muirfield is a men-only club, but that the organising body, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, has chosen a gender-segregated venue to host the event. We can allow private members' clubs to set their own rules if they must, but that should exclude them from reaping the prestige and income from international showpiece events that are beamed to the world by our publicly funded state broadcaster. Anyone would think the Royal & Ancient itself was a sexist male-only … oh.
Golf is big business, and like all big business depends upon maintaining an array of relationships with all tranches of government. If British golf has sex discrimination woven into its very fabric, there must a variety of subtle but persuasive pressures that could be brought to bear to encourage engagement with the 21st century, without pulling the ban-hammer out of the bag.Golf is big business, and like all big business depends upon maintaining an array of relationships with all tranches of government. If British golf has sex discrimination woven into its very fabric, there must a variety of subtle but persuasive pressures that could be brought to bear to encourage engagement with the 21st century, without pulling the ban-hammer out of the bag.
It is probably not surprising that the traditionally elitist and conservative world of golf offers one of the remaining bastions of male exclusivity. There was a time within living memory when most men could guarantee that their workplaces, pubs, clubs, football terraces, almost their entire lives outside of the home, would be untroubled by the presence of a uterus or a dinky larynx. Those days have all but gone, and one of the reasons is that most men have realised we actually prefer having women around. This is a good thing. Well done us.It is probably not surprising that the traditionally elitist and conservative world of golf offers one of the remaining bastions of male exclusivity. There was a time within living memory when most men could guarantee that their workplaces, pubs, clubs, football terraces, almost their entire lives outside of the home, would be untroubled by the presence of a uterus or a dinky larynx. Those days have all but gone, and one of the reasons is that most men have realised we actually prefer having women around. This is a good thing. Well done us.
Nonetheless, there has to be the option to choose our own company. Perhaps one of the niggling anxieties underpinning concerns about crises of modern masculinity is the lack of that space to be men among men. Let us not go down the route of forbidding men from creating their own exclusive spaces. Just don't bother inviting me to the launch party.Nonetheless, there has to be the option to choose our own company. Perhaps one of the niggling anxieties underpinning concerns about crises of modern masculinity is the lack of that space to be men among men. Let us not go down the route of forbidding men from creating their own exclusive spaces. Just don't bother inviting me to the launch party.
Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning.