Australian Women's Open

[Andrew Bertram]

The Australian Women's Open is set to join the LPGA Tour with the 2012 event being the first

IT will be contested on the composite at RMGC in 2012, i believe it will be at Royal Canberra in 2013 for their centenary and then back to the sandbelt on a rotation

This will give some more excellent coverage in the USA of the sandbelt

Great news and congratulations to all involved

[Ben Jarvis]

Agreed Andrew! Hope all is well.

[Andrew Bertram]

All good here

gearing up for a very busy Pres Cup,

we have avoer 300 visitors booked in at this stage, as well as plenty of member play

[Ben Jarvis]

Fantastic! It's also looking busy down here. Plenty of Interstate visitors.

Will be interesting to see whether RM softens their greens for the Womens Open. I can only assume so. If not, expect some embarrassingly high scores!

[Leo Barber]

Thats quite a significant step for a Club that only gave woman membership privileges in the late 70s early 80s (and even then only associate memberships).  I wonder how its been received by the tuesday afternoon boys.

[Garland Bayley]

Fantastic! It's also looking busy down here. Plenty of Interstate visitors.

Will be interesting to see whether RM softens their greens for the Womens Open. I can only assume so. If not, expect some embarrassingly high scores!

They said this about Oakmont too. When are people going to realize how good the women are?

[Ben Jarvis]

Fantastic! It's also looking busy down here. Plenty of Interstate visitors.

Will be interesting to see whether RM softens their greens for the Womens Open. I can only assume so. If not, expect some embarrassingly high scores!

They said this about Oakmont too. When are people going to realize how good the women are?

Garland, i should have explained myself better. I caddied on the women's tour for two years, including the British Open at Royal Lytham and the Old Course. I know how good they are!

As good as they are, only the elite few are going to be able to cope with the greens at Royal Melbourne, IF they are as firm as they are right now.

[Garland Bayley]

Ben,

Did they soften the greens for the Women's British Open?
How did they compare to RM now?

[Ben Jarvis]

Ben,

Did they soften the greens for the Women's British Open?
How did they compare to RM now?

Royal Lytham were manageable. The Old Course greens were incredibly firm, comparable to RM at the moment. The difference is, the Old Course is full of double greens where good putting can help put a respectable score on the board. At RM, while the greens are big, there will be more three putts and up & down requirements.

In 2007 at the Old Course, only thee women broke par. In 2006 at Lytham, eight women broke par.

[Andrew Bertram]

Garland

historically the top 25% of the field at the Aus Women's open would cope pretty weel, especially considering the quality of field that will be at RMGC

The bottom end of the field will really struggle with the greens the way they are

[Chris Kane]

Thats quite a significant step for a Club that only gave woman membership privileges in the late 70s early 80s (and even then only associate memberships).  I wonder how its been received by the tuesday afternoon boys.

Really? My understanding is that women had associate memberships from very early in the Club's history - the 1890s or early 1900s.

And I also understand that the 'associate' memberships have been ordinary memberships for a long time, but there hasn't been any appetite to change the name.

I could be wrong.

[Leo Barber]

Chris, I was pretty close to the source a few years back and remember reading in the history book the timeline.  I was surprised obviously coming from a country where they had afforded the woman the vote before other all other nations.  However I would like to be totally certain so am checking for the source document.  Suspect a few others on here probably have posession of the centenary book so may help. 

[Chris Kane]

Leo, I have no idea what timeline you're referring to, because it certainly isn't the one in the book. 

'Women were accepted into the Club as Associates in September 1892'. This was just over a year after the formation of the club. Women were first given voting rights in the states from 1894.

I recall being surprised when I read the history book at how (relatively) progressive the club was in its early years.

[Leo Barber]

Chris, my initial post appears misguided.  Still interested to know what "associate" membership entailed.  I suspect rights and privileges were added over time to the position of a current day equality and that is where my confusion is born?  No different I guess to all other walks of life. Regardless, great news on the hosting of another significant professional event at RM

[Kevin Pallier]

The Australian Women's Open is set to join the LPGA Tour with the 2012 event being the first

IT will be contested on the composite at RMGC in 2012, i believe it will be at Royal Canberra in 2013 for their centenary and then back to the sandbelt on a rotation

Andrew

That's nice to hear - any indication of the courses on rotation on the Sandbelt ?

[Mike_Clayton]

Kevin,

Presumably RM,KH,Metro,Victoria and Commonwealth.
Woodlands too perhaps although it's not a 'sandbelt' club!!

[Mike_Clayton]

To the member at Woodlands who took my comment about Woodlands not being a sandbelt club the wrong way.

I was trying to point out how ridiculous it is that Woodlands is not a member of the sandbelt group of clubs when then course is clearly one of the best on the sandbelt -  and some way ahead architecturally of a few that are.

[Chris Kane]

Mike, the 'sandbelt' is nothing to do with golf, its about where the members went to school.

[Mike_Clayton]

Chris,

Of course - how silly of me to forget that.
Are you planning on watching John Daly there on Tuesday of the PC?

[Chris Kane]

Mike, I probably will -  hopefully watch part of the practice round at RMGC in the morning and go to Woodlands in the afternoon.

[Mark_F]

To the member at Woodlands who took my comment about Woodlands not being a sandbelt club the wrong way.

Is there a more insecure bunch of members in golf than those at Woodlands? 

Your course and club aren't considered part of the Sandbelt - get over it.