On Thursday, politicians criticized Scotland's Muirfield golf club's men-only membership rule. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club which manages the British Open Championship was condemned as it continued to run the Open at the centuries-old golf course.
Maria Miller, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, would boycott the event. Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, said that he would also stay away from the event. Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesperson stated that the Minister supported Miller's decision.
"The Prime Minister has a great deal of sympathy with the view that exclusive memberships of this sort look more to the past than they do to the future," the spokesperson informed the media.
The 269-year-old club only admitted women as guests. It said that it could not accept them as members.
"After the recent successes of female sport it's an embarrassment that this year's British Open, a world class sporting event, is being held at a club which does not admit women members," Harriet Harman, Labour's shadow culture secretary, said. "It's time that Muirfield dragged itself into the 21st century and let women in. It's time to ban men-only sport clubs."
As of 2000, the golf industry's worth was US$62 billion. The essential industry within golf generated its worth at US$38.8 billion while the enabled industries obtained the outstanding US$23.4 billion. Golf was considered as a fast-growing industry. Its apparel market alone generated US$1 billion. However, the ministers view regarding British open was expected to hurt the industry.
Join the Conversation