Should Muirfield host the Open?

In my opinion there is a duty among the governing bodies to move the game forward. Holding the Open at a club which would not welcome half the population as members in my mind does not send out the right image.

Absolutely smack on!! :thup: Let their me male and female clubs if that's what people and the members want... I have no real problem with that (although not for me) If you want to hold the only major in this country and have the whole world watching and visit, in order to portray the sport positively and help move it forward from its pompous, out dated image, you have to toe the correct political line or face vast criticism and potentially loose it all together. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your point of view, its the way of world.
 
Absolutely smack on!! :thup: Let their me male and female clubs if that's what people and the members want... I have no real problem with that (although not for me) If you want to hold the only major in this country and have the whole world watching and visit, in order to portray the sport positively and help move it forward from its pompous, out dated image, you have to toe the correct political line or face vast criticism and potentially loose it all together. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your point of view, its the way of world.

I'll make a couple of comments on your post. When you say 'toe the correct political line' your post may have had more credibility if you had said 'do the more socially responsible thing.

Could you please point me in the direction of this vast criticism please? Or is it just a few journalists with a lack of ideas and a couple of posters on here?
 
Mike I know quite a few Muirfield members and I can assure you that they are anything but pompous twits. Like your own club there are always a few who are 'not quite there' but your generalisation of several hundred men is quite astonishing.
I think you have a class problem.

I do, your absolutely correct. :) What class do you have to be to be pompous anyway? I live in a village full of them and actually play golf with a few!! :) I will make another generalisation on that one perhaps... Seriously I apologise if I upset any of them or anyone else who thinks of themselves in the "pompous" sector. I actually might be classed as somewhere in the "middle" myself if I actually really gave a damn.... I guess I think all men, women should be treated equal....on and off the golf course. If people have got a few quid then fair play to them, you have no doubt earn't it and worked hard. I'm not sure however it gives you the right to look down on others nor does it if you have come from a decent inheritance and done jack all your life but live off mummy and daddy. :rolleyes:

Any way enough of class thing and back on topic - I do think the Open should be played at more/different golf clubs around the country. I also think they should be ones that show and attempt to promote the game in a fair, positive and more modern, updated light. :) I'm sure the R&A have considered this and made selections accordingly now and in the future.
 
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I'll make a couple of comments on your post. When you say 'toe the correct political line' your post may have had more credibility if you had said 'do the more socially responsible thing.

Could you please point me in the direction of this vast criticism please? Or is it just a few journalists with a lack of ideas and a couple of posters on here?

I agree with you, that was not the best description and I should have put something like "do the more socially responsible thing."

There's an article written by the GM Editor recently where he describes the backlash form the Sergio saga, covers the whole problem with the ET CEO at Wentworth and touches on the fact that there are invites from Government ministers etc being declined based on the membership policy at Muirfield. The perception is that we should be doing more to improve the games image. I think of him as someone who offers a fair and experienced overview of our game and more than a tabloid hack out to get some cheap coverage. I have also been involved in various conversations with other golfers locally who have heard and seen similar comments being made from strong sources. I'm fairly positive its not something that is being taken with a pinch of salt.
 
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I agree with you, that was not the best description and I should have put something like "do the more socially responsible thing."

There's an article written by the GM Editor recently where he describes the backlash form the Sergio saga, covers the whole problem with the ET CEO at Wentworth and touches on the fact that there are invites from Government ministers etc being declined based on the membership policy at Muirfield. He also quite clearly offers his thoughts on the matter and what we should be doing to improve the games image. I think of him as someone who offers a fair and experienced overview of our game and more than a tabloid hack out to get some cheap coverage. I have also been involved in various conversations with other golfers locally who have heard and seen similar comments being made from strong sources. I'm fairly positive its not something that is being taken with a pinch of salt.


I think you'll find it is. After about 6:30 pm on Sunday 21st July you will hear nothing else about it, until the next Open that is held at a course that is the home of an exclusively male club.

It does nothing to harm the game at all; If the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and many other clubs changed their policy tomorrow there would not be rejoicing in the streets to the sound of ringing church bells. Club secretaries would not be working 20 hour days in order to process the membership applications from under represented minorities.

It really is a non story, the only people who make anything of it are under employed hacks and those who are desperately queuing for the next offended bus.
 
I think you'll find it is. After about 6:30 pm on Sunday 21st July you will hear nothing else about it, until the next Open that is held at a course that is the home of an exclusively male club.

It does nothing to harm the game at all; If the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and many other clubs changed their policy tomorrow there would not be rejoicing in the streets to the sound of ringing church bells. Club secretaries would not be working 20 hour days in order to process the membership applications from under represented minorities.

It really is a non story, the only people who make anything of it are under employed hacks and those who are desperately queuing for the next offended bus.

Quite right Steve.


People are not equal, they never will be.
Some are born with advantages of wealth, brains, skills and many other abilities but they never will be equal.
You only have to look at a list of the parents of British Prime Ministers to understand that.
 
Bottom line is, every year The Open or another major is held at a venue that has some descrimination in it's membership, some hack decides to make a point of it to make golf look bad. A few people jump on the bandwagon and for a couple of weeks, if that, people whinge about golf's perceived issues. We discuss it on here, people air their views and then once the tournament is finished it all goes away again.

The bottom line is, no-one really cares, it doesn't damage golf's image outside of those people for whom golf's image is already damaged and the only people listening to them are their peers and those people who will never play golf anyway, no-one else. It isn't really that much of a story - until next time.
 
I think you'll find it is. After about 6:30 pm on Sunday 21st July you will hear nothing else about it, until the next Open that is held at a course that is the home of an exclusively male club.

It does nothing to harm the game at all; If the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and many other clubs changed their policy tomorrow there would not be rejoicing in the streets to the sound of ringing church bells. Club secretaries would not be working 20 hour days in order to process the membership applications from under represented minorities.

It really is a non story, the only people who make anything of it are under employed hacks and those who are desperately queuing for the next offended bus.

Spot on.

Some of the crap that gets posted on here nowadays is part of the reason I don't post so much.

The offended folk must lie awake at night worrying about how they can possibly get into the various all female clubs that various sports and past times have around the world eh?:mmm:

I'll say it again......it amazes me how some folk manage to get through the day with all these offensive hurdles that seem to be in their way.:rolleyes:
 
I love the Open and the game but Muirfield, knowingly hosting the biggest Major in the world which is worth millions to them but has some old out of date male only members policy, is some what deluded and rather narrow minded imo. Why open yourself up for more pointless scrutiny? Their next AGM ... "should we allow ladies to join or loose the Open in a few years time???" Maybe then a decent course might get a chance!! :o Sorry ....

I dont think anyone at Muirfield would even bat an eyelid if they lost the open. In fact......
 
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