Women's golf club forced to break with 119-year tradition and elect its first male captain to comply with Equality Act

A women’s golf club founded 119 years ago has elected its first man as captain - following the introduction of the 2010 Equality Act.

Wirral Ladies’ Golf Club was established in 1894 with articles of association stating that all committee members should be women. It was originally paid for by golf-playing men as a gift for their wives.

But now John Hughes will share the captain’s office with Janet Mills at the club in Prenton, on the Wirral, Merseyside.

“Members were consulted over 12 months and members expressed the opinion that joint captaincy was the best way forward,” said Peter Greville, the club manager.

“This is a genuine mixed club. There are more men golfers than women and the men were happy to maintain club traditions.

“But this was forced on us to some extent to comply with the 2010 Equality Act.”

In the late 1990s, the club moved to allow men to be meal-committee members. Following the Equality Act, men were given the vote and allowed to serve on all committees. More recent equality changes have allowed men to stand for election as chairman of various committees and three years ago the first male chairman of the management committee was appointed.