Muirfield members have voted to admit women into their ranks at the second time of asking.
The East Lothian course was immediately removed from the list of Open venues after a first vote narrowly failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required in May last year.
But Henry Fairweather, the captain of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers which owns and runs Muirfield, has announced that the rule change has been passed by 498 to 123 after a second vote, with 80 per cent of members in favour.
Henry Fairweather, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers captain, said: "This is a significant decision for a club which was founded in 1744 and retains many of the values and aspirations of its founding members.
"We look forward to welcoming women as members who will enjoy, and benefit from, the great traditions and friendly spirit of this remarkable club".
The HCEG, in a statement, said: "The current waiting list for membership at Muirfield suggests that new candidates for membership, women and men, can expect to wait two to three years, or longer, to become a member of the club."
Ladies European Tour CEO Ivan Khodabakhsh welcomed the news and said: "The Ladies European Tour is extremely pleased to hear that the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers has voted to include female members and will begin to restore the reputation of the club following the disappointing ballot result last May.
"Sports reflect the values of the society in which we live and today men and women have equal rights. We believe this should be reflected not only in top level international tournaments but also at club level."
