Muirfield golf club near Edinburgh, Scotland has announced it will seek a fresh ballot of its members on the issue of female membership.
A May vote on whether or not to allow women to join the club failed to gain adequate support among members, an outcome Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon described at the time as “indefensible.”
Muirfield was also effectively told it would not host another Open Championship by the Royal and Ancient (R&A,) which organizes the prestigious competition, until it decided to admit female members.
Although more than 60% of respondents voted in favor of admitting women in the ballot, that figure fell short of the necessary two-thirds majority of all eligible members required to change admission rules.
However, a statement released Monday revealed the club committee will now seek to hold a fresh ballot on the issue before the end of the year.
“A substantial majority of our members voted for change and many have voiced their disappointment with the ballot result and with subsequent events,” the statement said.
“The club committee believes that a clear and decisive vote in favor of admitting women as members is required to enable us to begin the task of restoring the reputation of the club that has been damaged by the earlier ballot outcome.”
Muirfield last held the Open Championship in 2013 with Phil Mickelson taking home the Claret Jug.
The 2016 Open will be held at Royal Troon on the west coast of Scotland next month.