Prestigious Victorian golf club , famed for award-winning courses and , has found itself in the middle of a controversy.
Authors
Michelle O’Shea
Senior Lecturer, School of Business, Western Sydney University
Christopher Yorke
Lecturer in sports management, Western Sydney University
In a bid to bolster membership, diversity and revenue, the club has introduced additional membership categories for women. These memberships form part of a dedicated campaign to get , following a member and board supported strategic plan to grow women’s membership from 18% to 30% by 2027.
Despite the club’s commitment to gender representation, its status as a signatory to The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and recognition as a by Golf Australia for its “whole-club approach to gender equity”, support among some members remains wanting.
A stunt that made waves
Controversy erupted at 13th Beach after its new women’s memberships were launched.
, wearing a blonde wig and skirt, was captured approaching club staff to inquire about the new women’s membership options, remarking:
I’m identifying as a female now and I’m just about to inquire about the new membership deal.
The male member, and two others who filmed and shared the footage, were temporarily suspended from the club.
A key element to the controversy is the discounted membership compared to male golfers.
After the stunt, some :
[The club] openly discriminates against males […] it is both fair and just for female members to pay the same subs as their male counterparts, as equality is a fundamental principle that we should uphold.
However, this statement conveniently denies the sport’s current and past issues with gender, race and class.
Historical and current barriers
Globally year-on-year, the growth of male golf participation outnumbers women, with of adult registered golfers worldwide.
In Australia, golf . Among women and girls, Golf Australia reported a from 2022-23.
Despite this rise, access issues and barriers to full participation for women and girls run deep.
A lack of visibility of female golfers can reinforce stereotypes of golf as a men’s game, while women can struggle with designed for men.
Golf is steeped in , and was traditionally a sport for .
Women were confined to secret games or putting activities, away from the .
Women were banned from golf’s spiritual home, St Andrews in Scotland, for 260 years – until a 2014 vote when .
Two years earlier, premier United States course welcomed its first women members.
An uneven playing field
Despite recent improvements, women’s golf participation and membership access frequently remain conditional.
Traditionally in Australia, restricted to “associate” or “lady” memberships – which often have lower status and fewer benefits.
Course access can also be problematic, with Saturdays often reserved for male players.
At many Australian clubs, Tuesdays are often referred to as “ladies day” which assumes women don’t have work or other commitments.
Women members are often allotted while overall, some club cultures can render golf courses .
Being scrutinised and surveilled on the greens by male golfers is reported by women as a barrier – feelings of hyper-visibility, being mocked for their play and their bodies .
At the professional level, while the women’s game is increasing in prize money, media coverage and sponsorship, there is .
For female professional golfers, a male-dominated and “sexist environment”.
Inclusivity is good for everyone
In a bid to increase participation among more diverse groups, to “go play and enjoy golf in their own way”.
As part of its “,” programs have been designed for seniors, women and disabled players.
Recognising how differences such as race and culture shape golf participation, more community-facing programs are .
Off the greens, is also under the spotlight.
Including women’s voices in decision making is key to realising meaningful change – boards with diversity of thought and representation perform better.
Beyond the important inclusivity debates, there are clear commercial reasons to enable women’s participation.
Very recent states there are an estimated 36.9 million latent women golfers around the world, and this group may be worth up to (A$51 billion) to the golf industry should they take up the sport more permanently.
Golf has a lucrative opportunity.
Valuing and enabling diversity in all areas should fill the coffers and genuinely position golf as a sport for all.
