Women in golf course storm
A group of women golfers has lodged a sexual discrimination claim against their local club, alleging that their push to join men playing Saturday golf has been met with unfair restrictions and "hostile and aggressive" behaviour.
A nine-month battle over a bid by some women members at Wanneroo Golf Club to tee off on Saturdays - a day traditionally reserved for the men - has been referred to the State Administrative Tribunal after a complaint was lodged with the Equal Opportunity Commission.
Club member Lorraine Smith said she and six other women members upgraded their membership, at a cost of more than $2600 each, assuming it would give them full access to the golf course.
She said this resulted in several complaints from other golfers after the women booked in to play on Saturdays.
In response, club management agreed to let the women play on Saturdays - but only at limited times.
One of the women then submitted a sexual discrimination claim to the EOC which was referred to the tribunal and several others have since also lodged claims.
Pending a hearing next week, the club has since allowed equal access on Saturdays but Mrs Smith said a group of members was attempting to overturn this decision.
Mrs Smith, who has been a member of Wanneroo Golf Club for six years, said some golfers had threatened to "hijack" the ladies' Thursday competition as payback.
"These guys will stop at nothing - it's a small group of men, and women, who have decided to use whatever tactics they like to hold the club to ransom," she said.
Mrs Smith said many women members worked during the week and wanted the option of playing on weekends, beyond the traditional days assigned to them; Tuesday and Thursday.
She said those who paid the same membership fees as their male counterparts ought to receive equal treatment.
"Rather than simply tell the complainants to wake up to the fact that this is 2014, and that discrimination is illegal, the committee has continued to allow the situation to fester," she said.
In correspondence between the management committee and Mrs Smith, the club said it wanted to put in place a process giving all eligible members the right to play while preserving the longstanding competition structures of the club.
In additional correspondence to club members the committee said its decision in June to provide women with open access to Saturday timesheets should satisfy the claim.
If not, the club said it would request a deferral of any further action until after its annual general meeting.
A spokesman for the Wanneroo Golf Club declined to comment when contacted by The Weekend West.
