Tuesday 27 January 2015 16:27, UK
Royal Troon Golf Club, the host course for next year's Open Championship, has announced its intention to undertake a comprehensive review of its membership policy.
Scrutiny of the male-only stance of three courses on the Open rota - Troon, Royal St George's and Muirfield - has intensified after the Royal and Ancient voted to end its 260-year-old membership policy last September.
Troon considers itself a special case due to sharing its facilities with the Ladies Golf Club, Troon, which will share responsibility for hosting the Open next year 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."
Muirfield, which is owned and run by The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, is reviewing its membership criteria with a report to be completed by March while Royal St George's is also 'considering its position' as a
single-sex club.
A statement given to Sky Sports News HQ last September read: “At present, membership of Royal Troon Golf Club is open only to those of the male gender and we have no plans to change our constitution at this time although I must point out that we are quite different from many of the other single gender clubs in that we share our facilities with an active Ladies Golf Club.”
