Gender-neutral golf tees debate: Clubs warned they've made 'a hideous mistake'

The sport has made a grave error in not taking its chance to break down barriers, industry expert Phil Grice has told Steve Carroll in a hard-hitting interview The failure to remove gender-based tees at clubs has been a “hideous mistake”, according to a leading golf consultant. Phil Grice, the founder of Golf Transition Management and a former director at Royal Norwich, told NCG’s From the Clubhouse podcast that keeping traditional white, yellow, and red markers in place was a missed opportunity. Speaking about the impact of the World Handicap System, and a move from some clubs towards mixed competitions, Grice said: “I won’t point a finger at any of the [governing] bodies but what an opportunity has been missed to remove red, yellow, and white [tees]. What a hideous mistake has been made.” He added: “You’re not telling me a 23-handicap man is better than a three-handicap woman? So why do you get to play off bigger tees and further back? Why do I doff my cap to you?” There are a small number of clubs in the UK who have abandoned their use of traditional men’s and women’s markers, replacing them with neutral colours that encourage any player…
Read More