NSW golf clubs divided over plans for ‘gender neutral’ tees on courses

Plans to scrap men and women’s golfing tees in favour of gender-inclusive course layouts have divided golfers, with some Sydney clubs already facing stiff opposition from long-term members.

Golfers are divided over plans to scrap men and women’s golfing tees in favour of gender-inclusive course layouts with some Sydney clubs already facing stiff opposition from long-term members.

Golf Australia has written to clubs across NSW recommending the removal of traditional men and women tees in a move designed to level the playing field between men and women and encourage more female participation in the sport.

The gender-neutral tee system is a shift away from the traditional colour-coded tee system where longer tees are designated for male players and shorter tees for women

Supporters of the gender-inclusive proposal say the move would remove barriers for women to play off longer tees, as well as helping less-proficient male golfers enjoy the game by playing off shorter starting points.

Roseville Golf Club has started trialing the gender neutral tees in a major shake-up to how the game has been played at the club for almost a century.

Northbridge Golf Club members Ruth McBride, Gillian McFee and Renu Patel had mixed thoughts on the proposal.

Club general manager Oliver Raggett believed it was “only a matter of time” before more clubs follow suit but conceded the transition had not been all smooth sailing.

“The response so far from players has been for the most part ‘confusion’,” he said. “Golf members tend not to like change and many have teed off the same tees for the last 40 years and don’t want to do things differently. I don’t think there’s been one player clambering for change.

Roseville Golf Club has begun trialling the gender-neutral tee system.

“At the moment we’re only trialling it once a month because we’ve very conscious we have to educate our members and take them along the journey with us. It’s only a matter of time I think before more clubs adopt it as well.”

Northbridge Golf Club member Ruth McBride, who has been playing at the course for about 10 years, was hesitant about the change.

“If you’re having to play off longer tees it would make you quite anxious and it could put you off your game,” she said.

“I think I would lose my confidence and there’s also the social aspect of women playing together which is important. You don’t want to lose that.”

Fellow golf club member Gillian McFee said there could be benefits for women, particularly seasoned golfers.

“I’m not sure it would attract more women to play but it would give us the option at least, so if you want to challenge yourself you could,” she said.

Golf NSW spokesman David Tease said the transition away from men and women's tees was in line with overseas trends where cross-gender participation was more accessible and accepted. He stressed the move was not about being “woke”.

Golfing clubs are recommended to make the change to gender-neutral tees.

“There are women who want to push themselves who because of genderisation of tees are forced to play off the front tee,” he said.

“The flip side to that is that is if you’re a septuagenarian man and struggling to pay off the back tees and they’re the only tees and you have to play off you might be flat out cleaning 140m and that’s not really helpful to your game.

“It’s not about men losing tee times, or this woke political correctness because there’s no such thing as men and women's tees anymore. The game is a broad church and it’s meant to cater for everyone.

Golf Pro James McDonald at North Turramurra Golf Course.

“No one’s disadvantaged unless they feel there’s a level of umbrage playing off a tee because a woman has elected to play it too.”

Golf professional James McDonald, who is based at North Turramurra Golf Course, said the club would continue its long held system of men’s and women’s markers.

“There’s a lot of gender neutral commentary out there at the moment but I’ve never come across anyone in my career as a golf pro for the last 20 years who’s questioned the tees to me,” he said “The women also like to have their own game and the men like to do their own thing. There are already plenty of events that are mixed. I don’t see any reason to change what we’ve been doing.”

Andrea McGann said training was the best way to attract women into the sport.

A Golf Australia spokesman said the move was primarily aimed at attracting more women into the sport.

Latest figures show of the 400,000 golf members in Australia just 20 per cent are women.

“It’s a gradual transition and we’ve suggested it to the clubs as a way to bring gender equity to clubs,” he said. “We don't see there’s a need for gender tees and it’s part of a bigger picture to encourage more women and girls to play.”

Andrea McGann, who runs a Get into Golf program for women based in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, wasn’t convinced the gender-neutral move would encourage more women into the sport.

“Tee placement on golf tee-boxes is the furthest thing from a new woman golfer’s mind and it won’t achieve anything,” she said.

“The best way to encourage more women into the sport is through training programs. The ones who would benefit the most would be the old guys who can play off the forward tees and have an easier game.”