Open Championship venue Royal St George's has voted to allow women members for the first time in its history.
A statement from the club on Wednesday read: "The Royal St George's Golf Club is pleased to announce that, following an extraordinary general meeting held on 14th February 2015 and a subsequent ballot of the full members of the Club, a resolution to alter the Club's rules to make ladies eligible for membership has been duly passed.
“Under the Club’s rules, the resolution would only be passed if it obtained the support of three-quarters of the votes cast on the ballot. More than 81 per cent of the full members took part in the ballot and a decisive 90 per cent voted in favour of ladies being eligible for membership.
“The alteration of the Club’s rules has immediate effect and the Club looks forward to welcoming ladies as junior and full members.”
Royal St George's had been one of three clubs on the Open rota with a male-only membership policy. The club last hosted the Open in 2011 when it was won by European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke.
Muirfield and Royal Troon are the other two courses to have male-only membership policies. Muirfield, which is owned and run by The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, is reviewing its membership criteria with a report due to be completed this month, while Troon announced in January its intention to undertake a "comprehensive review" of its membership policy.
Troon has always considered itself a special case in this respect as it shares facilities with the Ladies Golf Club, Troon. And the club also confirmed in January it will share the responsibility of hosting The Open in 2016 with the Ladies’ Club, with the formation of a joint Championship Committee.
Royal Troon Captain, Bob Martin said: "Royal Troon Golf Club has hosted The Open on eight occasions since 1923 and in 2016 we will share this responsibility with The Ladies' Golf Club, Troon as joint hosts of the 145th Open Championship.
“The clubs enjoy a close working relationship and we look forward to hosting a successful Open here in 2016.”
In a statement, Troon said it will ”undertake a comprehensive review to consider the most appropriate membership policy for the future”, adding: “The recommendations from this review will be presented to the membership for their consideration.”
Scrutiny of the clubs intensified after the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews voted to end its 260-year-old male-only membership policy in September.
