In addition to maintaining one of the oldest golf courses in the world, the R&A organizes the Open Championship. The club has been around since 1754.

Women members will be fast tracked after the ruling, the club said in a statement.

Here's the full statement from the R&A's Peter Dawson:

I am very pleased indeed to announce that the membership of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has voted overwhelmingly in favour of welcoming women members.

More than three quarters of the club's global membership took part in the ballot, with a decisive 85% voting for women to become members.

This vote has immediate effect and I can confirm that The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is now a mixed membership club.