Golf Australia: Pause the New Gender Policy and Consult Australian Golfers
The issue
Golf Australia: Pause the New Gender Policy and Consult Australian Golfers
Golf Australia has got this wrong.
On 20 August 2026, Golf Australia introduced a revised Gender Policy that makes significant changes to the way transgender and gender-diverse players can participate in Australian golf.
At club level, the new policy allows a player to hold either a men’s or women’s Golf Australia handicap based upon their gender identity, without medical testing or eligibility requirements.
Golf Australia says it undertook more than 12 months of consultation with sport integrity experts, state associations, industry bodies, affiliated clubs and inclusion organisations.
But where was the consultation with ordinary golf club members?
Where was the nationwide consultation with the hundreds of thousands of Australians who belong to golf clubs and ultimately make this game what it is?
And, most importantly, where was the broad consultation with female golfers whose competition category is directly affected by this decision?
Golf Australia represents Australian golf. It should not make fundamental changes to the structure of club competition without first taking the golfing public with it.
This is about fairness — not hostility
We want to make something absolutely clear.
Transgender and gender-diverse Australians should be treated with dignity and respect and should be welcome to enjoy the game of golf.
But inclusion does not require us to abandon legitimate questions about biological sex, women’s competition and sporting fairness.
Men’s and women’s sporting categories exist for a reason.
If Golf Australia believes those categories should now operate differently at grassroots level, then it has an obligation to make its case openly to the people who play the game — not simply announce that the decision has been made.
Golf Australia needs to answer some basic questions
Who was actually consulted?
How many ordinary club golfers were asked for their views?
How many female club golfers were consulted?
Which affiliated clubs were consulted, and were their members given an opportunity to express their views?
What percentage of those consulted supported the final policy?
Why are the eligibility safeguards applying to elite women’s scratch competition substantially different from those applying to ordinary club competition?
And perhaps most importantly:
Why weren’t Australia’s golfers asked?
There is also confusion that Golf Australia itself needs to clear up regarding the status of the policy at individual clubs.
Golf clubs are independent organisations with their own constitutions, boards, committees and memberships.
Their members pay subscriptions, elect their committees, maintain their clubs and have built many of these institutions over generations.
Golf Australia should clearly explain what elements of this policy are mandatory for affiliated clubs, what elements are recommendations, and what authority Golf Australia relies upon when requiring clubs to adopt them.
We are asking Golf Australia to stop and listen
We, the undersigned, call upon Golf Australia to:
Pause the implementation of the new Gender Policy at club level.
Conduct genuine nationwide consultation with affiliated golf club members, including a specific and substantial consultation with female golfers.
Publish exactly who was consulted during the development of the policy and how the views of ordinary golfers were represented.
Explain clearly which parts of the policy are mandatory for affiliated clubs and which are advisory.
Explain why different eligibility standards are considered appropriate for elite women’s competition and ordinary women’s club competition.
Protect the right of women to have a fair and meaningful female competition category.
Develop a policy that treats every golfer with dignity while recognising that inclusion and fairness are not mutually exclusive.
Golf Australia — you need to listen to the people who play the game
Australian golfers are not unreasonable people.
We understand that society changes and that sporting organisations have difficult issues to deal with.
But major changes should not simply be handed down from administrators and experts and presented to members as a fait accompli.
Consult us.
Listen to women golfers.
Listen to club members.
Explain the evidence.
Explain your authority.
And if the golfing community overwhelmingly tells you that you have got this wrong, have the courage to admit that you did not read the room and reconsider the policy.
Sign this petition
If you believe Golf Australia should pause its new Gender Policy, properly consult Australian golfers and protect fair women’s competition, please sign this petition and share it with your fellow club members.
Australian golf belongs to the people who play it.
It is time Golf Australia listened to them.
46
The issue
Golf Australia: Pause the New Gender Policy and Consult Australian Golfers
Golf Australia has got this wrong.
On 20 August 2026, Golf Australia introduced a revised Gender Policy that makes significant changes to the way transgender and gender-diverse players can participate in Australian golf.
At club level, the new policy allows a player to hold either a men’s or women’s Golf Australia handicap based upon their gender identity, without medical testing or eligibility requirements.
Golf Australia says it undertook more than 12 months of consultation with sport integrity experts, state associations, industry bodies, affiliated clubs and inclusion organisations.
But where was the consultation with ordinary golf club members?
Where was the nationwide consultation with the hundreds of thousands of Australians who belong to golf clubs and ultimately make this game what it is?
And, most importantly, where was the broad consultation with female golfers whose competition category is directly affected by this decision?
Golf Australia represents Australian golf. It should not make fundamental changes to the structure of club competition without first taking the golfing public with it.
This is about fairness — not hostility
We want to make something absolutely clear.
Transgender and gender-diverse Australians should be treated with dignity and respect and should be welcome to enjoy the game of golf.
But inclusion does not require us to abandon legitimate questions about biological sex, women’s competition and sporting fairness.
Men’s and women’s sporting categories exist for a reason.
If Golf Australia believes those categories should now operate differently at grassroots level, then it has an obligation to make its case openly to the people who play the game — not simply announce that the decision has been made.
Golf Australia needs to answer some basic questions
Who was actually consulted?
How many ordinary club golfers were asked for their views?
How many female club golfers were consulted?
Which affiliated clubs were consulted, and were their members given an opportunity to express their views?
What percentage of those consulted supported the final policy?
Why are the eligibility safeguards applying to elite women’s scratch competition substantially different from those applying to ordinary club competition?
And perhaps most importantly:
Why weren’t Australia’s golfers asked?
There is also confusion that Golf Australia itself needs to clear up regarding the status of the policy at individual clubs.
Golf clubs are independent organisations with their own constitutions, boards, committees and memberships.
Their members pay subscriptions, elect their committees, maintain their clubs and have built many of these institutions over generations.
Golf Australia should clearly explain what elements of this policy are mandatory for affiliated clubs, what elements are recommendations, and what authority Golf Australia relies upon when requiring clubs to adopt them.
We are asking Golf Australia to stop and listen
We, the undersigned, call upon Golf Australia to:
Pause the implementation of the new Gender Policy at club level.
Conduct genuine nationwide consultation with affiliated golf club members, including a specific and substantial consultation with female golfers.
Publish exactly who was consulted during the development of the policy and how the views of ordinary golfers were represented.
Explain clearly which parts of the policy are mandatory for affiliated clubs and which are advisory.
Explain why different eligibility standards are considered appropriate for elite women’s competition and ordinary women’s club competition.
Protect the right of women to have a fair and meaningful female competition category.
Develop a policy that treats every golfer with dignity while recognising that inclusion and fairness are not mutually exclusive.
Golf Australia — you need to listen to the people who play the game
Australian golfers are not unreasonable people.
We understand that society changes and that sporting organisations have difficult issues to deal with.
But major changes should not simply be handed down from administrators and experts and presented to members as a fait accompli.
Consult us.
Listen to women golfers.
Listen to club members.
Explain the evidence.
Explain your authority.
And if the golfing community overwhelmingly tells you that you have got this wrong, have the courage to admit that you did not read the room and reconsider the policy.
Sign this petition
If you believe Golf Australia should pause its new Gender Policy, properly consult Australian golfers and protect fair women’s competition, please sign this petition and share it with your fellow club members.
Australian golf belongs to the people who play it.
It is time Golf Australia listened to them.
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Petition created on 25 August 2026