Coates: 2020 Olympic golf venue must be nondiscriminatory

Just switch it to another golf course already.

“It’s possible to go elsewhere but I think this is going to work,” Coates said. “It’s heading in the right direction for them to have a nondiscriminatory membership procedure. It would appear that we would have this result by the end of June.”

You think or you are sure..?

I would not place any faith in the faceless Kasumigaseki Country Club board members, who appear to be stalling until June, hoping the inconvenience and nuisance of allowing a female of the species full membership and a round on a Sunday, will just evaporate into thin air..

I would like to hear the reasoning for not allowing women to be members.

I took a lady to a nail salon and the salon told me men are not allowed to come in. I asked why. They said women have their faces covered and sometimes disrobe/shower, etc and feel more comfortable knowing men are not there.

Makes sense to me so I left.

Now, how about this club. Reason for no women is.....

golf shouldn't even be in the Olympics... ridiculous..

Yes removing Golf from the 2020 games would bring closure to the issue, and at the same time prompt a review into the unnecessarily high number participating sports.

The reason for no women is the same reason fitness gym "Curves" does not allow men. It is a private social club and the members paying dues have a right to decide. I hope the club doesn't cave to the IOC.

I hope the club doesn't cave to the IOC.

They don't have to. But they then won't be able to host golf for the Olympics. Another venue can be used.

The Kasumigaseki Country Club is not at threat of closure, IOC vice president John Coates is simply stressing that all participating sports have to comply to a nondiscriminatory membership procedure, without exception.

If gym fitness gained recognition as an Olympic sport, frankly not beyond realms of possibility, "Curves" if chosen as a host, would have to adopt a nondiscriminatory membership procedure accordingly...

I think it would be great if Coates were to say, "Yep, they discriminate against over 50% of the population of the world so, no more golf in the Olympics. Kasumigaseki has killed it. Thanks for the show."

Then newspapers could write about the "Kasumigaseki Incident" but they'd probably call it the "Coates Incident".

I find it hard to comprehend the difficulty the golf club is having in deciding to allow females in or not - in 2017. They obviously don't want the mayor of Tokyo, the prime minister of England, the chancellor of Germany, or Ai Miyazato (who could probably beat all their ojiisan butts) to grace their pristine course. Times, even in Japan, are changing, gentlemen.

Just choose a club in Tokyo . After all this is Tokyo Olympic. Saitama is still collections of villages.

I hope the club doesn't cave to the IOC. they dont have too , they just won't be part of the Olympics, now the cats out of the bag its doubtful many other international tournaments will be played there in the future also. The majority won't want to be associated with a chauvinistic group.

Yep, just change the location. The IOC's rules were probably clear from the outset and that particular CC should never have been a part of the bid if it wasn't already at least in the process of changing its rules.

I say just move it somewhere else, no one really cares too much about Olympic golf anyway?

How about banning countries from participating in the Olympics if they have a culture of discrimination?

Kasumigaseki Country Club will survive.a privately-owned links with membership fees of 8 million yen ($70,800) to become a regular member first, then pay additional 4 million yen ($35,400) to be a full member. At this cost and privileged exclusivity, only the chosen great and good need apply, guaranteeing a waiting list stretching on for decades.

Privately owned Muirfield golf club in Scotland didn't flinch when golf's ruling body banned the Open championships over their links through a men only membership policy.

Whats rattled the Kasumigaseki Country Club is the unrelenting glare of media attention. Board members are venerable. publicly named and shamed, the harming effect to their reputations and by association global business interests.The international press will waste little time watching a number of these board member publicly squirm.

You should have considered it before Olympics decision. Japan is a country with very obvious discrimination issues.

The last thing these old men need are women being fashionable exposing their plaid pants and sweater vests. Not to mention the changing stations at each hole for the copious adult nappies that are required. Being a member requires paying a sum equal to a house I put forward that having sooo much money for walking in a park hitting a ball negates their opinion on anything.

As a private club, they don't have and should not have to state a reason for banning women on Sunday. Japan is still a free country. If this is not compatible with the Olimpic values, just change the location already.

Wow, even the IOC, in setting a firm foot down, is dragging said foot on this. It should not go to the currently decided upon club simply due to the fact that they CAN'T decide, and obviously don't want to make women members. I guarantee that any 'progress' made on the issue will be temporary, and with massive conditions, and that come the day after the torch is passed on from Tokyo the club will find a way to renege on the deal.

No, really. I think many people here have problems understanding the word "Private". It might be backwards, old-fashioned, anti-feminism, etc, but it is not illegal to ban women from a private place. Think about it, nobody can make rules about whom you invite and whom you don't invite to your own house, or?

Just change the venue to a more open one, and be done with it. I think this Kasumigaseki old-farts club was given already too much publicity.

It would appear that we would have this result by the end of June.

How about tomorrow?

Ask the American Military to host it. They have golf courses on almost every base!

Come on Coates just CANCEL this dinosaur filled club now & move on it IS reflecting badly on the IOC now!

Answer by June..... REDICULOUS!

You should have considered it before Olympics decision. Japan is a country with very obvious discrimination issues.

very true