Golf club allows women to compete but only men can win

It's still a man's world in golf. Women are not being allowed to win any prizes in the Fota Island Corporate Day competition, which takes place on the Co Cork golf course today. They can play - but they cannot win.

In a letter to "fellow members", a sub-committee of Fota Island Golf Club explained that for its Corporate Day 2000, "play is restricted to golfers with official GUI (Golfing Union of Ireland) handicaps". Women do not have official GUI handicaps; they have official LGUI (Ladies' Golfing Union of Ireland) handicaps.

Members with "any queries in this connection" were advised to contact the organising sub-committee. On Wednesday, however, the sub-committee chairman, Mr Liam McGinn, said he was "not prepared to talk about it". He had "nothing to say about it".

But a "fellow member" who did query the matter with the organising sub-committee was told it meant that while women could play, "only men can compete". It was explained that as women's handicaps were generally higher, "the lads wouldn't play" if women were allowed compete. With the women out of the way, however, the lads would play.

The member concerned, who does not wish to be named, was very annoyed at this. He had entered two teams, each made up of four of his clients, one made up entirely of women. He "could have been dropped in it", he said. It could have been deeply embarrassing.

In the event, two of the women had to withdraw, for unrelated reasons, and the other two agreed to take part regardless.

Mr Michael Cashman of the Munster GUI said it was possible to devise a common handicap system to allow men and women to compete against each other. It was "a matter for those running the competition". The GUI itself did so for its annual mixed foursomes competition, he said.

Mr Joe O'Shea, of the PricewaterhouseCoopers group, which is sponsoring tomorrow's Corporate Day 2000 at Fota, said it had no role in organising the competition, it just sponsored it. The company didn't know it was a `women cannot win' event, it just provided the prizes. And the happy lads will take them all.