Lady golfers unhappy about law to end sex discrimination

Article here. Excerpt:

It was meant to put women on a par with men.

Women golfers have long faced restrictions at their local courses on what times they could play and which bars they could drink in. Often they were blocked from becoming club captain.

So when Harriet Harman introduced the Equality Act to give women more rights in work places and social settings, golf clubs were seen as ripe for reform. But the drive by Labour’s leading feminist seems to have landed in the bunker. Many women golfers say that, following the changes, which have brought an end to men-only tee-off times at many clubs, they now have to pay more for membership.

Although the legislation was passed by Parliament just before last year’s election and came into force in October, many of its effects are only now being felt, with golf clubs forced to rewrite their own rule books. As well as allowing ladies to play on whatever day they want, clubs are also having to admit women to “men only” bars and restaurants in clubhouses, and some are abolishing the traditional post of club captain. Others are even planning to scrap “husband and wife” contests, replacing them with “mixed competitions” in which civil partners can also compete.

Kirstie Thirde, from the English Golf Partnership which incorporates governing and professional bodies, said many women were unhappy that they must now have the same unrestricted membership terms as men, meaning that they lost their ladies’ discount.

Mrs Thirde backed the Act but admitted: “Many golf club ladies don’t want equality."