“Single sex clubs don’t do any harm”

R&A Secretary Peter Dawson dismissed the sexism row surrounding Muirfield and The Open by saying single sex clubs “don’t do anyone any harm.”

The return of The Open to male-only members club Muirfield has brought with it the inevitable scrutiny and condemnation that golf’s biggest and best event is being staged at venue where females cannot join.

And in his annual Open press conference as he was quizzed on the topic, an increasingly annoyed Dawson said: “The whole issue of gender and single sex clubs has been pretty much beaten to death recently. It’s a subject we’re finding increasingly difficult.

“Single sex-clubs are in a very small minority in the UK. Half of them are women only, half of them are men only. They’re perfectly legal. In our view they don’t do anyone any harm.

“We think the right of freedom of association is important. We’ve explained our view that we think they have no material adverse effect on participation.

“On the other hand, the media are, with seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm, are giving out the message that this is an issue, and the such clubs should be condemned to extinction, and we shouldn’t be using one to stage The Open Championship.

“We’ve got politicians posturing, we’ve got interest groups attacking the R&A, attacking The Open, attacking Muirfield. To be honest, our natural reaction is to resist these pressures, because we actually don’t think they have much substance.

“The Open brings huge benefit to golf and the local area. In the last ten years we’ve put about £30m into women’s golf. So I think we need to get behind it now. Let’s make it the success it deserves.

“We’re aware of the issue and the view. I understand the points being made. But what I dispute is the fact of the matter that it harms participation and the game. It would do great harm to The Open, to not play it here and reduce the number of venues from nine to six in the UK.

“What’s the difference between men only and whites only? That’s a ridiculous question. There’s a massive difference between racial discrimination, anti-Semitism, where factors of society are downtrodden and treated very, very badly indeed. To compare that with a men’s golf club I think is frankly absurd. There’s no comparison whatsoever.”

Along with Muirfield, Royal St George’s and Troon are the male-only member clubs on the Open rota.

And Dawson added: “I’m not able to say anything more about the gender issues. We believe that membership policy is a matter of the club’s. And it will take a long way, to be a hard push, to push off that position. We happen to believe that very strongly.”