No females golf club 'stuck in 19th century'

A prestigious golf club was tonight accused of enforcing 19th century rules after it won a legal bid refusing women full membership.

The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge by equality chiefs and ruled Portmarnock Golf Club in north Co Dublin was a gentlemen’s club where golf was played.

Equality rights campaigners claimed it was a bad day for women while the 50,000-strong Irish Ladies Golf Union branded the practice outdated.

Sinead Heraty, chief executive, said: “I’m surprised in this day and age that they are maintaining a very archaic tradition of saying that this is men only.

“I think in a modern setting that that has no place.

“I think that most people in Ireland would consider it a practice and a tradition that sits more in the 19th century than it does in the 21st century.”

While women can’t become full members they are allowed to play at the exclusive course and pay green fees.

Three of five judges who heard the case dismissed the challenge.

Outside the court Joanna McMinn, of the Equality and Rights Alliance, called for equality legislation to be changed and updated.

She said the result was a bad day for equality and a bad day for women.

“It sends out a message that discrimination continues and this judgment upholds inequality for women,” said Ms McMinn.

“The exclusivity of Portmarnock is just a symptom of that.”

Ms Heraty said it was up to club members to decide their membership, but she said people could oppose the practice by boycotting the club.

“It’s important that people are seen not to support it on the basis that it is a club that doesn’t allow women in,” she said.

The action, which centred on a section of the Equal Status Act, was aimed at overturning a High Court ruling made three years ago which backed the club’s regulations.

The golf club had also had its alcohol licence suspended for a week in 2004 for refusing to accept female members.

But during the Supreme Court hearing last December a barrister for Portmarnock argued that while the activity of the club was golf, its purpose was to cater for men only and on this basis it refused membership to women.

Counsel for the Equality Authority felt the club must allow women and men to become full members because it was “not a social club created for pure male society fraternity companionships”.

In his judgment Mr Justice Hugh Geoghegan said as Portmarnock provided external facilities it was not discriminating.

“Entitlement of female non-members to play golf in Portmarnock is not a point that is either helpful in argument to the club or to the Equality Authority on the points at issue,” he said.

Ms Justice Susan Denham, one of two judges who found against the club, said Portmarnock was a discriminating club as its principal purpose was golf.

“Portmarnock Golf Club is exactly what its name says – a golf club in Portmarnock,” she said.

“It caters for men and women in different ways. I would allow the appeal.”