Phil Mickelson no longer welcome at longtime San Diego club
Phil Mickelson was pushed out of his longtime San Diego-area club after allegations of inappropriate contact with a staff member prompted an internal investigation and swift action.
Phil Mickelson is no longer welcome at The Farms Golf Club, the Rancho Santa Fe club where he has practiced for decades, after allegations of inappropriate behavior with a female staff member triggered an investigation and his removal from membership.
The club, about 25 miles northeast of San Diego, said it acted after a staff member reported member misconduct. In a statement, The Farms Golf Club said it provided “immediate and ongoing support” to the employee, carried out “a thorough independent investigation of the incident,” and then took “decisive action.” The club did not name Mickelson, but said plainly, “This individual is no longer a member.”
Golf Digest reported that the allegation involved “inappropriate contact” with a female club employee this spring. According to the report, Mickelson approached the employee at the clubhouse and made “nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact with her.” The employee rejected the advances and reported them to supervisors, and Mickelson was later confronted with the accusation on the course and asked to leave.
The dispute quickly became a test of how elite private clubs handle allegations involving a high-profile member. The Farms’ response, at least in public, centered on process: a staff report, an independent investigation, and a final membership decision. That sequence matters at private clubs, where access, reputation and disciplinary standards often operate behind closed doors until a case becomes impossible to contain.
Mickelson’s camp disputed the account. Tom Clare, an attorney who said he represented Mickelson, told Golf Digest, “There is a great deal of misinformation circulating,” and said that “Phil’s full attention is devoted to a private family health matter.” Another attorney denied the claims, saying the allegations were “squarely contradicted by objective, video evidence.” A Mickelson spokesperson said, “Any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.”
Mickelson, 55, announced in April that he was stepping away from competition for an extended period to deal with a family health matter. The six-time major champion has long been one of golf’s most recognizable figures, but his career has also carried its share of controversy. His removal from a longtime club near San Diego now puts the focus not on tournament form, but on how institutions decide whether status changes the rules.
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