Question for the Northern Irish

[the_scrambler]

Fantasic win by Stephanie Meadow in winning the British Ladies' Championship at Carnoustie today. Anyone who followed the Curtis Cup recently would have already known she was instrumental in sealing victory for GB&I.
However, I am a bit confused as to her m'ship status in Northern Ireland. Any reports I have read have stated that she plays out of Royal Portrush Golf Club. Surely this can't be correct? Isn't Royal Portrush male only? There is a separate club for the ladies and it is described as the Royal Portrush Ladies' Golf Club. I'm given to understand the ladies play mainly over the Valley course. From what I can gather, both courses are owned by the Royal Portrush Golf Club but who owns the Royal Portrush Ladies' Golf Club?

 

[JT77]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but the ladies at portrush have their own club house but can still play the dunluce course.

 

[the_scrambler]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but the ladies at portrush have their own club house but can still play the dunluce course.

I'm sure they will have limited access (as will the other club existing in Portrush) but what I'm trying to establish is whether or not the ladies' club is attached to the Royal Portrush Golf Club for, if it isn't, I don't see why it should be getting credit for her success.

Alan Dunbar recently won 'the British' and with Stephanie's win, this 'double' is being credited only to the Royal Portrush Golf Club.

 

[malek988]

from what i know its the valley the women are "pushed onto" as described by a few colleges i know who have tried to play the dunluce course, common joes and women are on the valley, big spending tourists/millionaires are on the dunluce.

women are allowed on the dunluce in special circumstances

Sick

 

[muttleee]

from what i know its the valley the women are "pushed onto" as described by a few colleges i know who have tried to play the dunluce course, common joes and women are on the valley, big spending tourists/millionaires are on the dunluce.

women are allowed on the dunluce in special circumstances

Sick

Anyone (male or female) can play the Dunluce course as long as they are members of a recognised club and have a handicap certificate (maximum 18 for men and 24 for ladies).

 

[the_scrambler]

Hmm, thanks for the responses guys but it's clear I haven't made myself clear. What I'm trying to establish is whether or not the ladies club itself is completely separate to the Royal Portrush Golf Club rather than who gets to play on which course and how often.

 

[garyinderry]

g-mac was a member of rathmore golf club in portrush and not royal portrush. i only found this out on thursday.

 

[the_scrambler]

Ok then, may have (sort of) solved the mystery of m'ship structure at Royal Portrush. It would seem that females (at least technically) are full members of the Royal Portrush Golf Club. The fact they still use the ladies' club is probably down to the fact they mostly play the Valley course (a hidden gem, I'm given to understand) which is shorter than the Dunluce course. Most female golfers don't hit the ball very far and the Dunluce is really too big a course for the majority of female golfers. The downside is that with the ladies' section mainly using the Valley course for their competitions, where does this leave aspiring female juniors? Perhaps this is one reason why Stephanie Meadow's parents moved the family to the USA seven years ago?

 

[muttleee]

Most female golfers don't hit the ball very far and the Dunluce is really too big a course for the majority of female golfers.

Isn't that why we have ladies' tees..?

 

[the_scrambler]

Isn't that why we have ladies' tees..?

Fair question muttleee and glad you asked it.

Have you ever stopped to notice where ladies' tees are usually positioned? Basically to one side (so as the men don't have to walk around them) which usually means means we're lined up on bunkers either side of the fairway (usually necessitating a carry in itself). If that's not bad enough then consider this; golf courses and, in particular, the classic links courses were never designed with females in mind.

To put this another way, our (collective) lack of length from the tees generally results in having to take 'bigger' clubs into the green. Undulating links courses provide a particular problem as it usually results in females not being able to carry the ball far enough from the tees to be able to take a male to female comparative shot to the green.


In essence, it all comes down to comparative differentials.

 

[the_scrambler]

Well ... you did ask!