Uh Oh: R&A May Have To Go Postal For Votes

Call me cynical, but after reading Doug Ferguson's story and Ron Sirak's analysis of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club considering mail votes for its upcoming decision to possibly admit the currently un-represented half of the population, here's how I'm envisioning Peter Dawson's clubhouse vote canvassing.

PD: Alistair, my old four-ball partner, how's the game these days?

Member: I'm not bloody voting for any damn women, so stop pretending like you care. And yes I'll be at the fall meeting.

PD: Well, well, excellent then. Thank you sir.

Seems the historic vote is only open to those who attend the club's fall meeting. It's been that way for 260 years, until now possibly. Sirak writes:

In the ensuing weeks, supporters of expanding the Royal and Ancient membership to women have become concerned that the opposition might stack the meeting to defeat the measure. Their nervousness has risen to the point where, according to multiple sources who spoke with GolfDigest.com, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club is exploring a bylaw change that would allow the 2,400 members to vote remotely by email or standard mail.

To which many members will reply, "might you take a fax?"