Ladies Union or women's pressure group?

STORM CLOUDS are gathering over the Irish Ladies' Golf Union, in the build-up to their annual general meeting at the Riverside Centre, Dublin tomorrow week. A heated debate appears to be inevitable when the issue of equality for women in golf receives a fresh airing through a proposal from the Eastern District.

Prompted by the "Women in Golf" pressure group, there was considerable support at the Eastern District's a.g.m., calling on the ILGU to become directly involved in the issue. A proposal to that effect is to be put before tomorrow week's meeting.

It states: "Pursuant to Rule 31 that the Rules of the Union be amended by the addition in Clause 4 of a further Object as follows: (G) To actively support and promote equal status legislation and, in particular, voting rights for women in golf clubs.

The move has been timed to coincide with proposed legislation from Mervyn Taylor, Minister for Equality and Law Reform. His first Bill, dealing with equality in employment, is currently before the Dail, and a second Bill, which, among other things, will cover membership of recreational facilities, is pending. As it happens, representatives of "Women in Golf" are due to meet officials of Taylor's Department next week.

In the context of equality for women in golf a crucial factor is that neither Bill arises from an EU directive, which means in this case that the Irish constitution cannot be over-ridden by EU law. So, we are effectively back to a situation in which the membership of golf clubs is protected by the right to free association, as defined in Article 40-6 of the constitution.

According to a spokesman for the Department of Equality and Law Reform, it is the intention of the Minister, through the Bill to deny public funds to clubs which are deemed to practise discrimination. The spokesman added: "The bill may also call into question the club's position under the 1904 Registration of Clubs Act, but these details have yet to be finalised."

In the past, Government threats to deny the renewal of drinks licences to "offending" clubs, came to nothing. The legal view has been that any attempt to deny a club the renewal of its licence could be contrary to Article 40 of the Constitution and also to Article 43, which covers private property.

Meanwhile, ILGU officials currently find themselves in something of a dilemma. Though clearly anxious to improve the playing rights of their members, they are concerned not to over-step their authority.

They point to the fact that according to its own objects and constitution, the ILGU exists "specifically to administer and promote the playing of the game of golf." By definition, that would appear to preclude it from involvement in political lobbying, as advocated by the Eastern District proposition.

Meanwhile, in a determined effort at gaining the necessary two-thirds majority at next week's meeting, Marguerite Martin chairperson of "Women in Golf" has written to the lady captains of the various clubs seeking their support.

Ms Martin claims: "As we approach the end of the 20th century, it is essential that women be given a say in how their clubs are run. Also, it has in recent years become increasingly apparent that the average age of women golfers is becoming older. We must make the game attractive and accessible to young women and to those women who remain in the workforce and are unable to play on weekdays."

Much good has been done by her group since its launch about 13 years ago. The main achievement was to highlight the plight of women golfers, most of whom were treated as second-class citizens in golf clubs owned by men.

Part of their strategy was to lobby the Government into enacting legislation which would guarantee equality for women, not only as a principle, but in such a practical area as playing rights. For a while, it seemed they might succeed, particularly in 1985 when the matter came before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Women's Rights, chaired by Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, but it all came to nothing, largely because of the constitutional right to free association.

In the meantime, the lot of women in Irish golf has improved dramatically, especially in the provincial clubs.

All the while, it was clear that change would be very slow to come in metropolitan clubs where pressure on tee-times is acute at the weekends. So, it is interesting to note that this latest move by "Women in Golf" concentrates on the principle of equal status and on voting rights, rather than on the broader playing issue.

Ironically, it is this change of emphasis which may effectively tie the hands of the ILGU when the matter comes before them tomorrow week. My understanding is that they have no wish to become a lobby group, however powerful their perceived sphere of influence.

According to Ms Martin, "this meeting may prove to be a very important milestone in the history of women's golf in Ireland". Until Minister Taylor's second Bill is published, such assessments are clearly premature.