The ladies lounge has gone because we can't discriminate against the men and women, and it has been turned into a reading room

Club secretary Roger Attrill

Last year Gary Grainge ended up in county court after trying to evade the terms of the lease of his seafront kiosk by hiring sandcastle flags for �1 then giving the customer a "free" ice cream.

The year 2000 saw the first pub, the Lock and Barrel, open in the town centre.

Golf club secretary Roger Attrill said: "Before we had the extraordinary general meeting ladies could not tee-off before 10am at the weekends and now that's gone.

"The ladies also had their own lounge and the men had the 19th bar - and the ladies could not use the men's bar until after 1800 GMT.

"Now we have done away with that and the ladies can use the bar at any time.

"But now the ladies lounge has gone because we can't discriminate against the men and women. It has been turned into a reading room."

Human Rights Act

A quarter of the century-old club's 850 members are women.

Mr Attrill said 99.5% of members at the meeting voted through a varied package of changes.

He said: "The Human Rights Act which gives equal opportunities for women in all clubs has been a little bit of a catalyst.

"Every sports club in the country has had to look at their rules in the light of modern legislation to ensure equality throughout."