If the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’ first attempt to admit women members ended in humiliation and recrimination, the second attempt was seamless.
First a puff of smoke – not papal white smoke, but symbolic nonetheless – streamed from the greenkeeping sheds. Then as it dispersed and the 11.30 am time captain Henry Fairweather was due to make the announcement approached, three players came up the famous 18th hole of the Muirfield course.
They were Anna Dietrich, Pascale Reinhard and Jeanette Siehenthiler, visitors playing the course as is customary on a Tuesday, underlining that women have not been barred from Muirfield, just from membership of the Honourable Company.
Then the captain, no doubt relieved this process was over and the portrait of redoubtable former club secretary Captain Paddy Hamner wasn’t spinning off the wall in disgust, gave the result of the second vote, overwhelmingly in favour of admission of women.
It’s been a fraught process for the fame’s oldest club, and the historic reputation their members hold so dear has been unquestionably besmirched.
But not irreparably. It took them too long to agree, and due to the complex admission requirements will take still longer to get a woman on the membership roll.
But by the time the Open comes back in 2022 or 2023, there will be women members at Muirfield. And in 30 years we’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.
