(ATR) Kasumigaseki golf club may revamp its unequal membership policies if the International Olympic Committee throws its weight behind critics calling for change.
The club’s general manager Hiroshi Imaizumi told the Associated Press that Kasumigaseki is willing to explain to the IOC why it prevents women from becoming full members of the club, a policy that reportedly prohibits women from playing on Sunday.
Imaizumi says if the IOC and International Golf Federation request a review of its policies the club would be willing to do so, but such a correspondence has yet to take place.
The golf course set to be used in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics came under fire from journalists and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike at the beginning of the new year. Tokyo’s first female governor issued concerns over the restrictive policy.
"I feel very uncomfortable about women not being able to become a regular member in this era," Koike said.
The course is one of the oldest and most prestigious in Japan, founded in 1929 and the host of more major tournaments than any other course in the country. The club began accepting female players shortly after opening but still denies full membership, a privilege obtained with payments of $105,000.
Although pressure from the IOC to change the policy would be welcomed by the club, any changes would still be subject to approval of the 1,000 male full-members.
"Kasumi is an exclusive club that no ordinary people can join and play," said Eiko Oya, chair of the Japan Golf Council, a non-profit citizens group pushing for a change of venue to Tokyo's public golf course according to the AP.
"It's a club where women are deprived of full membership, which means they cannot join any decision-making process at the club or even cannot play golf on Sunday."
The group says it provided a statement to the IOC in December to call attention to the issue. Imaizumi says he has been taken aback by the amount of backlash over the policy.
"We have always believed our policy has been very open, so we were caught by surprise," Imaizumi said. "We welcome all female players and we have no intention of creating a gender barrier."
Tokyo 2020 organizers said in a statement they are reviewing the policy along with the IGF.
"The Kasumigaseki Country Club has hosted various national competitions including Japan Women's Open (1999), and it fully meets requirements for the Olympic-level golf competitions," Tokyo 2020 said. "The club's facilities for female players are well equipped and meet their expectations, treated equally with males."
IGF secretary general Antony Scanlon tells Around the Rings the federation is surprised by the sudden controversy and is working to gather the facts.
Golf returned to the Olympic program after a 112-year hiatus at the Rio 2016 Games. The Olympic tournament was notably missing several top international golfers causing a rocky start to golf's Olympic return. This latest criticism could prompt the IOC to insert its influence to help steer the sport away from any possible controversy.
Written by Kevin Nutley
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