Veteran BBC commentator Peter Alliss said that the corporation "should have tried harder to win the rights to the Open Championship and that attempts to give women equal rights in golf have 'caused mayhem,'" according to the London DAILY MAIL. Recent legislation "has given women more rights in golf clubs," while St. Andrews and Royal St. George's have both voted to admit female members for the first time. But Alliss said that equality for women had "b******* up the game for a lot of people." The commentator also claimed that "the BBC should have done more to secure the Open coverage." He said, "There's been a hell of a row because four golf courses that hold the Open Championship didn't have women members. I'm
told the Ladies Golf Union has lost 150,000 members since equality for
women came in. Hundreds of women have left golf clubs because they've
gone from paying half fare to full fare. It's caused mayhem. ... The equality thing is a great part of golf. Equality for women: a few people battled away to get it, they got it, and they have b******* up the game for a lot of people." Alliss' comments come as the 2016 Open Championship "will be the last to be broadcast live on the BBC before Sky Sports takes over" (DAILY MAIL, 4/7). The PA reported Alliss admitted that "the BBC could not compete with Sky’s deep pockets" but added, "I don’t think there were enough people at the BBC dealing with the negotiations who cared enough." He said that "he could not imagine working for Sky." Alliss: "They never asked me. I was a BBC man through-and-through and they paid me well enough" (PA, 4/6). In London, Patrick Kidd wrote Alliss "was not complaining, however, on behalf of men who are frustrated at having to mind their language after a foozled drive or being held up by a slow ladies’ four-ball." Four golf courses on the roster for the Open Championship "did not allow women members when the Equality Act was passed in 2010." St. Andrews and Royal St. George’s "have recently voted to change their membership policy, while Royal Troon and Muirfield, both in Scotland, are reviewing theirs." Other clubs "have been told to examine their rules to ensure even-handedness." The Ladies Golf Union said that its membership had fallen since '10 and "disagreed with Alliss’s explanation." LGU Fiance Dir Sam Burton said, "The rate of participation in the men’s game is also falling, albeit not at the same rate. We have to find ways to attract more women golfers but I’m not sure treating them differently helps" (LONDON TIMES, 4/7).
