Jun4 Women in golf clubs

Golf clubs will be barred from treating women as second-class members in a major rethink of equality laws.

The proposals, reported in today’s Daily Mail, cover other private members’ organisations, and will see an end to the practice of women being banned from certain dining rooms and bars and only being able to play golf on specific days.

Ministers have shied away, however, from an all-out clash with clubs that admit only men or women. These include golf clubs, eight working men’s clubs and a handful of ‘gentlemen’s clubs’ in London. All will be allowed to continue their single-sex admission policies.

Plans for a Single Equality Act, to clarify all existing discrimination legislation, are being drawn up by Ruth Kelly’s Department for Communities and Local Government.

The proposals are due to be unveiled within weeks. It is intended ‘to make it unlawful for private clubs with both men and women as members to discriminate on grounds of sex’.

Ministers claim they have ‘for many years encouraged clubs to address this issue voluntarily’ but say their calls have fallen on deaf ears.

The Government continues to receive complaints from women who experience ‘blatant sex discrimination’ at private clubs where they are members, a senior Whitehall source said.

Amateur golfer Bridget Malin became the target of a hate campaign after challenging her club’s decision to stop men and women socialising after a round.

A white line was painted along the middle of the bar at the Gay Hill Golf Club in Wythall, Worcestershire, to create a male enclave.

When the 53-year-old legal executive opposed the club’s liquor licence in protest, she received a barrage of abusive phone calls.

Public consultation is expected to begin later this month over the proposed legislation, which is intended to honour one of Labour’s manifesto commitments.