Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Tokyo 2020 golf venue votes to admit women members

The private Kasumigaseki Country Club took the decision to change its bylaws at an extraordinary board meeting after being told last month that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would find another venue if the policy remained unaltered.

The Saitama prefecture venue is scheduled to host both men's and women's tournaments in July and August 2020 but rules forbidding women from both playing on Sundays or becoming full members had been roundly condemned, leading to Monday's vote.

"We are pleased to learn that the Kasumigaseki Country Club voted today... to amend the club's membership policy in keeping with the spirit of the Olympic Charter," Tokyo Games chief Yoshiro Mori said in a statement.

"On behalf of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, I'd like to extend my gratitude to the members of the club for their understanding and cooperation.

"I also would like to express my admiration for the club's endeavour to come to an agreement in such a short period of time."

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

The club was closed due to a national holiday on Monday, meaning no one was available for comment when contacted by Reuters.

IOC vice president John Coates had last month said that organisers would seek an alternative venue if the club could not achieve gender equality and Olympic chief Thomas Bach reiterated the governing body's stance last week.

"Kasumigaseki Country Club is an outstanding venue with excellent courses, and we are proud it will be hosting world's top-tier golfers from all over the world for the Olympics Games," Mori added of the decision.

"I truly appreciate the numerous efforts that the club's senior leaderships and all the club members have made so far to meet the requirements for hosting Olympic competitions."

Several notable golf clubs have changed their policies to allow female members in recent years.

In 2014, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews decided to allow women to join following 260 years of exclusion, after Augusta National, home of the U.S. Masters, had ended its men-only membership two years earlier.

Last week, Muirfield voted to admit women members, scrapping a policy that led to the historic Scottish links course being stripped of its eligibility to host the British Open.

(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by John O'Brien)


2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world