One of the last bastions of all-male sporting privilege is set to fall after the Royal and Ancient Golf Club recommended members should vote in favour of women being allowed to join the club in a ballot to be held in September.
Golf's 260-year old ruling body, based at the St Andrews course in eastern Scotland, has come under increasing commercial and political pressure to remove its 'men-only' rule.
Its decision to put the issue to a vote of its 2500-strong membership represents a major change for an organisation which had previously defended its policy on the grounds that it was a private club.
However, a two-thirds majority will be required to change the club's rules at the September vote.
The vote will be strictly concerning membership of The R&A. The Old Course at St Andrews, where the club has its headquarters, is a public course over common land where women have always been welcome to play.