Two-thirds of Irish golf clubs now offer women full membership, but only 5,782 of the 41,000 women players registered with the ILGU have actually taken up the offer. Through the most comprehensive survey undertaken on the subject, The Irish Times has established that 175 clubs offer equal rights to women while 86 don't.

The survey excluded clubs in Northern Ireland because of the disparity in the legal positions on either side of the border. The results show an increasing move towards total equality, especially in the provinces and highlight a significant improvement since our last survey four years ago when 52 per cent of clubs offered full membership to women.

Only two of the 38 clubs in Connacht fail to offer full membership to women. The position is not quite as startling in the other provinces, but there is, nonetheless, a clear majority of clubs in all four provinces offering equal rights.

Ulster mirrors the national average with almost two thirds of clubs offering full membership to all. In Munster the ratio is 2:1 in favour of total equality with every club in Kerry offering full rights to all. Excluding Dublin, almost three-quarters of Leinster clubs do likewise.

The one area where the change is slower is in Dublin where a majority of clubs still only offer associate membership to women. But, even here, most clubs are examining the situation and awaiting guidance from the Golfing Union of Ireland who are in the process of drafting a new constitution for clubs to cover their changing situation.

There is an appreciation of the special problems metropolitan clubs face in terms of weekend pressure on tee times. But nonetheless, most people feel that equality, as a right, should be acknowledged.

There are still two clubs who don't offer membership of any type to women, Portmarnock and Royal Dublin. There are no plans to change this situation in either club, but they do make some concessions. Portmarnock offers reduced green fees to a member's family - male or female - while Royal Dublin offers free golf to wives and daughters of members. Societies like the Ladies Alliance are offered outings at Royal Dublin and the club has recently spent a considerable amount of money refurbishing its facilities for women.

As the survey indicates, the biggest movement towards equality has taken place in the provinces where a growth in new clubs and the smaller membership at existing clubs means there are fewer problems in accommodating greater playing numbers at the weekend. It should also be noted, that women associates in these clubs already have playing access at the weekend, so the demand for full membership from a playing standpoint would not be as strong as in busier clubs.

One provincial club secretary, whose women members seem satisfied with their associate status, explained their position. "Here we say every day is ladies' day, but Thursday is ladies only day."

Clubs have adopted two different approaches in their move towards equal status. In the majority of cases there has been an offer of full membership, with the option of associate membership remaining. Others have adopted an all or nothing attitude with all women associates being obliged to take full membership.

Baltinglass, who offer full membership, have come up with a novel idea to solve their problem of pressure on the tee. They give full voting rights to their women members, but offer a reduced fee for reduced tee times. It may be a Baltinglass solution to a Baltinglass problem, but it seems to work for them. While pressure groups will be delighted to take credit for the major change in golf clubs, the financial considerations of clubs seem to have been a major factor, too. Government and EC grants, especially in the provinces, have helped hasten change. So, too, has pressure from Fas. Many clubs need Fas help when carrying out repairs and alterations to their course but they won't get it unless there is, at least, a move towards equality in the club.

But perhaps the biggest obstacle to total equality is the fact that men's and women's golf have separate governing bodies and any final agreement must be approved by both. The ideal situation would be for one body to control amateur golf in this country. That would solve a lot of problems.