Portmarnock gains more clarity on women's issue - 50 percent of members in favour
Portmarnock Golf Club
Rory McIlroy may soon get his wish and see Portmarnock Golf Club making a decision on potentially changing its men-only status.
Members met this week to be informed of the results of a recently commissioned survey revealed that just 20 per cent of members are opposed to admitting women members with 50 per cent of respondents in favour and 30 per cent undecided.
Given that 78 per cent of members responded to the detailed questionnaire, the results were considered an accurate reflection of their views on an issue that directly affects the club's future as a championship venue.
According to members present at the meeting, 70 per cent of the members feel that they now possess sufficient information to vote on the rule limiting membership to "gentlemen properly elected..."
The Irish Independent understands that only a 51 per cent majority is currently required to ratify a change in that rule.
However, according to one source in attendance on Wednesday, the survey revealed that when asked what sort of majority would they like for a vote of this nature most said 51 per cent, a third said 66 per cent and some said they'd need 76 per cent approval.
While a club spokesman did not immediately respond to request for comment, it appears that the club committee has decided to look more closely at how a female membership would work and revert to the membership in the coming months.
The issue of female membership has been a thorny question for Portmarnock Golf Club for the past 20 years, culminating in legal action by the Equality Authority that led to Supreme Court to rule in November 2009 that Portmarnock Golf Club is not a "discriminating" club under the Equal Status Act.
By a majority of three to two, the Supreme Court upheld a 2005 High Court decision that the club, while refusing to admit women as members, is not a "discriminating" club under the Act because it fell within exemption provisions in Section 9 of the Act.
The case arose from a 2004 District Court ruling, given in proceedings brought by the Authority that Portmarnock was a "discriminatory" club not exempt under Section 9 on the basis its "primary purpose" was to play golf and not to cater for the "needs" of male golfers.
Portmarnock celebrates its 125th-anniversary this year at a time when there has been a sea change in attitudes to single-gender clubs across world golf.
Augusta National, the home of the Masters Tournament, began to accept women members in 2012 while the Royal and Ancient, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield), Royal Troon and next year's Open venue Royal St George's have all followed suit.
Clubs affiliated to the GUI and the ILGU also voted overwhelmingly this year to form a new single governing body for golf on the island of Ireland, Golf Ireland, which will come into being in 2021.
The R&A no longer allows its championships to be played at single-gender clubs and only allowed Portmarnock to host this summer's Amateur Championship because it was awarded the event before the ban was put in place.
The Irish Open has not been staged at Portmarnock since 2003 given that public money is injected into the running of the event.
Portmarnock, which has staged 19 Irish Opens, the 1991 Walker Cup and two editions of the Amateur Championship, is considered a venue that could one day hope to follow in the footsteps of Royal Portrush, which hosted The Open in July.
Muirfield members voted against accepting women as members in 2016 and was swiftly dropped from The Open rota only to reverse its decision the following year.
The issue provoked much comment from the current crop of world stars with McIlroy lamenting Portmarnock's single-gender status.
"I've always thought that Portmarnock was one of the best venues for the Irish Open because of its proximity to Dublin and its proximity to the airport, but obviously that issue is holding them back as well," McIlroy said at the 2016 Irish Open.
"We've had conversations about it, and they are in the process of taking the first few steps of maybe changing that rule, and I'm going to put as much pressure as I can on them to change it.
"I'd love to have the Irish Open there, but at the same time it's 2016, and these things have to change eventually."
Pádraig Harrington said he would also like to see a change, commenting in 2016: "I am an honorary member of Portmarnock. I don't have a vote, but put it like this: If I had a vote, I would be voting for lady members, absolutely.
"I don't see any issue with it nowadays, none whatsoever. If you want to host a big event, you've got to fit in with modern society."
Portmarnock's Hon. Secretary, Eugene Kelly, remarked on the issue in June, shortly before the hugely successful Amateur Championship at the north Dublin links, which was won by Mallow's James Sugrue.
"The R&A has made it very clear to us that while we are a single-gender club, this will be the last major championship we are having," Mr Kelly said. "And they have been very clear about that.
"As you can appreciate, this is a very sensitive issue for the members, but we have started a consultative process with them which will go on throughout the summer before we go back to the members towards the back end of the year."
