Club where women rule the roost

Only a woman can ever be captain of Wirral Ladies' GC. And the same goes for the chairman of the overall management committee, and for the chairman of course management. All of which seems perfectly reasonable on the face of it, except that the Merseyside club also happens to have 200 men as full members.

The origins and structure of the club are fascinating, especially in view of pending equal-rights legislation in this country. It was actually launched by the male members of the Royal Liverpool club at Hoylake, for the benefit of their wives and other female relatives.

Hoylake, which was launched in 1869, was in existence 25 years when the men succumbed to pressure from their womenfolk. But rather than change the status of their own club, they hit on an idea which allowed them maintain it as an all-male preserve. So, five miles away, Wirral Ladies' GC came into being in 1894, with a course designed by the pride of Hoylake, Harold Hilton.

Initially, it was a nine-hole layout which was later extended to 18. And the membership was also extended to take in men - as associates. It meant that Wirral had women as full members and men as associates - the exact opposite of what had become the norm in these islands.

The structure remained that way until 1952, when men became full members. But they paid £1 less than the women in their annual subscription and were still denied voting rights until the law took a hand, three years ago. That was when the Licencing Officer for the Wirral District expressed dissatisfaction with the club's articles of association, to the point of threatening not to renew their liquor licence unless the situation was rectified. (Sounds remarkably familiar, doesn't it?).

Interestingly, the complaint by the Licencing Officer happened to coincide with a push by the male members for full voting rights. It seems their position was strengthened, legally, by the fact that they made up more than 20 per cent of the total membership. And the upshot was that in 1997, men gained full equal status with the females of Wirral Ladies GC. Well almost.

Secretary/manager Sue Headford explained that the club is now run by a management committee of nine directors drawn from both sections. But six of them are women, despite the fact that the overall membership breakdown is 230 women and 200 men, all of whom, incidentally, pay an annual subscription of Stg£503.

"Before 1997, the ladies made all the decisions regarding the running of the club," she said. Now, under revised articles, the management committee comprises the captain, club chairman and four other women, along with the men's chairman and two male colleagues: there is no men's captain at the club.

Was a 6-3 female majority not somewhat unbalanced? "We don't think so," replied the secretary/manager. The situation becomes all the more interesting for the fact that the legislation on which the Licencing Officer acted, was essentially the same Registration of Clubs Act (1904), which applies in this country.

Meanwhile, on the assumption that the management structure must be somewhat off-putting for prospective male members, I enquired as to the chances of joining Wirral Ladies. Whereupon Ms Headford informed me: "The ladies' section has some vacancies, but there is a waiting list for men."

"I was going to start at Key Biscanye, but they've gone to that crazy format with the points (Stableford). Shoot, I have a hard enough time just writing down fours and fives on the card. Half the field will get disqualified."

- Chi Chi Rodriguez on his planned return to action on the US Seniors' Tour.

Money has become largely meaningless for the top practitioners in tournament golf these days. So it is hardly surprising to note that the $522,000 which Tiger Woods got for winning the Mercedes Championship in Hawaii last Sunday represented about 84 per cent of Sam Snead's entire earnings for a career containing a record 81 US Tour victories.

Snead amassed a relatively modest $620,126 over a period of 42 years. And, as I say, it's difficult to make sense of such figures. For instance, with eight US tournament wins last year, Woods earned $6.6 million. This was more than the combined career earnings of Snead, Billy Casper ($1.69 million) Gene Littler ($1.58 million), Don January ($1.14 million) and Doug Sanders ($773,000). Their haul? $5.8 million.

Meanwhile, I wonder if Ernie Els, who lost a play-off in Hawaii, now regrets having publicly deferred to Woods. After losing to the world number one in the Disney Tournament last October, Els conceded: "Tiger has gone to another level which I don't think the rest of us can really find right now." Such praise for a rival would have been totally alien to Jack Nicklaus or any of the game's other great players.

At this time, I'm reminded it is three years since Arnold Palmer was diagnosed with prostate cancer. And I'm reminded how he survived the trauma with the invaluable support of his wife Winnie. And tragically, how she later succumbed to cancer herself and died last November.

Meanwhile, the manner of Palmer's diagnosis remains a fascinating story, especially in view of his recovery. The tale had its roots in the 1962 British Open at Troon, where a stampeding crowd, showing what was described as "a revolting disregard for stewards and police", closed in on the final pairing of Palmer and Kel Nagle.

Reading reports of the chaos on the 72nd hole, one can only speculate as to the problems a certain young lad by the name of Ian Hay must have had, as he attempted to get close to the final green. His objective was to obtain the autograph of this amazing American, who had captured the title with a record aggregate of 276.

We adults are given regular cause to admire the remarkable resourcefulness of children. And by way of proving his success, young Master Hay had the evidence of a photograph which was published in the Glasgow Evening Citizen.

In January 1997, Palmer's countless admirers throughout the golfing world were stunned by the news of his illness. A successful diagnosis by a specialist in the Mayo Clinic, however, led ultimately to surgery and a full recovery by the great man.

The cancer specialist, then 35 years older, had a rather special photograph hanging in his rooms. "I got Arnie to sign the picture," said Dr Hay. "It's been wonderful being able to help my boyhood hero."

Americans will be over here in increasing numbers this year. And growing interest in the so-called Emerald Challenge means they will be coming from some of that country's leading clubs. For instance Lahinch will be visited next September by a team representing Medinah, and trips by Baltusrol and Westchester are also planned.

Sutton member Aidan McWilliams, Irish representative of the promoting, American company, Sceptre Tours, has been telling me about the venture. Essentially, it is based on the appeal of inter-club rivalry, with eight-member teams competing over three days to a Ryder Cup format. And with copious amounts of craic thrown in, naturally.

This Day In Golf History . . . On January 15th, 1954, Ed "Porky" Oliver had a disastrous 16 on the famous short 16th over an elbow of the Pacific at Cypress Point. It happened in the first round of the Bing Crosby Pro-Am and led to an inward 50 and a round of 86 for Oliver. A par three would have given him a respectable 73.

Teaser: A player's swing is interfered with by a stake defining out of bounds. The player mistakenly considers the stake an obstruction and he lifts his ball and drops it in the manner prescribed in Rule 4-2b. What is the ruling?

Answer: The player incurs a penalty of one stroke under Rule 18-2a and he must replace his ball before playing his next stroke. Otherwise, he loses the hole in matchplay or he incurs a total penalty of two strokes in strokeplay.