It was all smiles at the weekend as members of Innerleithen Golf Club made gender inequality a thing of the past.

Whilst many clubs, including Innerleithen, have welcomed Ladies members and held ‘mixed team’ competitions for a number for years, the club went one step further in last weekends Castle Warehouse Medal.

For the first time, in what is hoped to be a blueprint for the future, the monthly Medal Competitions are being held as completely open to all, irrespective of gender. Club Captain, Peter Irvine, told the Peeblesshire News:  ”The great thing about golf is it’s handicap system, which levels the playing field for people of all ages and abilities.

“However, segregation is unfortunately still a common sight across clubs up and down the country, and very few have attempted to use handicaps to address gender bias. We are excited to be utilising this handicap system and the course Standard Scratch Scores to open up competitions to all participants.”

Ladies Captain, Gloria Smith, said: “We are a local, friendly club and are delighted to be joining the gents section in medal competitions on an equal footing, and have been really impressed at the positive reception to the change from members. Although this is just a small step in the right direction, we look forward to growing and fostering a modern, inclusive club to be proud of.”