Royal & Ancient Golf Club to vote on admitting women as members

The vote for independence isn’t the only historic decision that will be made in Scotland this week.

While Scots decide on whether to split from the United Kingdom, members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews -- an iconic landmark in the sport -- will take up the issue of admitting women for the first time in its 260-year history.

“I think it’s the right thing,” R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson was quoted as saying last spring. “And I hope that R&A members do what’s right for golf.”

Two years have passed since another famous course -- Augusta National, home of the Masters -- admitted its first female members.

Both of Scotland’s big votes will take place Thursday. R&A officials have said that there is strong member support for their initiative and that the club’s rules could be changed immediately, with women invited to join “in a reasonable time scale.”