Women's History Month: The Fascinating History of Women's Golf
"I played many sports, but when that golf bug hit me, it was permanent," once said legendary multi-sport athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Zaharias began her golf career in 1935, turned pro in 1947, and went on to secure 41 career wins, including 10 major championships. In 1950, she and 12 trailblazing women founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), shaping the future of women's golf.
Today, the LPGA hosts more than 30 tournaments annually, including five major championships, and has produced icons like Annika Sörenstam, Lorena Ochoa, and Juli Inkster. The organization boasts over 1,800 members, while the LPGA Amateur Golf Association connects more than 15,500 passionate golfers worldwide. And, according to the National Golf Foundation, there are approximately seven million female golfers across the country.
A Royal Origin Story
The story of women and golf dates to the 1500s. Legend has it that Mary, Queen of Scots played golf in France, returning to Scotland with the term "caddie" (deriving from the word "cadet" as French military cadets carried the clubs for royalty). An avid golfer, Mary was seen playing at Seton—possibly Musselburgh Links in Scotland—only a few days after her husband Lord Darnley's death, leading her enemies to believe that she had planned his death. The story takes a tragic turn as Mary eventually abdicates her throne and flees to England where she was imprisoned and executed in 1587.
In 1738, newspaper accounts detailed a story of two married women—with their husbands as caddies—playing a match at Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh, Scotland. Apparently, the competition attracted a crowd and gambling.
Fast forward to the 19th century when, in 1811, Musselburgh Golf Club organized the first known women-only golf tournament. The event for local fishermen's wives took place on the club's 18-hole pitch and putt course. The winning prize? A shawl and wicker basket for carrying fish.
St. Andrews Ladies Golf Club
The first women's golf club was founded at St. Andrews Links in Scotland after female golfers increasingly occupied a putting area favored by caddies. In response, Mr. D. L. Burn sought a dedicated space for the women to play. In 1867, Old Tom Morris (aka "The Grand Old Man of Golf") transformed a patch of land north of the Swilcan Burn into a nine-hole miniature links. By 1900, the club had four hundred lady members, and two hundred Gentlemen Associate members. It is now known as the St. Andrews Ladies' Putting Club.
Women's Golf Takes Root in the United Kingdom and United States
In 1893, English golfer Issette Pearson founded The Ladies' Golf Union (LGU), the governing body for women's and girl's amateur golf in the United Kingdom. By 1897, the LGU had developed a handicapping system. By 1900, 400 ladies' clubs had joined on as members. They organized the first Women's Amateur Championship in 1893 and later founded the Girls' British Open Amateur Championship and Ladies' British Open Amateur Championship.
LPGA: Breaking Barriers, Building Champions
The Ladies Professional Golf Association was founded on Sept. 13, 1950 in Wichita, Kansas by 13 trailblazing female golfers, among them Patty Berg, Betty Jameson, Louise Suggs and Babe Zaharias. Funding for LPGA tournaments was at first so poor that golfers themselves performed many of the organizational tasks and course maintenance chores.
The LPGA maintained its popularity in the 1960s thanks to stars like Kathy Whitworh, Mickey Wright and Sandra Palmer. The 1970s saw new talent, including Nancy Lopez, who won nine tournaments in her 1978 rookie season, boosting the tour's prestige. The 1980s and '90s featured top players like Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, and Juli Inkster. By the 2000s, LPGA purses exceeded $37 million annually, with Karrie Webb, Annika Sörenstam, Pak Se Ri, and Lorena Ochoa leading the field. Sörenstam made history by shooting 59 in competition (2001) and competing in a men's PGA event (2003), the first woman to do so since 1945.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the LPGA currently organizes several events throughout the year including five major championships: The Chevron Championship, U.S. Women's Open, Women's PGA Championship, The Women's Open (aka Women's British Open), and The Evian Championship.
LPGA programs today include: LPGA Foundation, Girls Golf, LPGA Professionals, Amateur Golf Association, Changing the Face of Golf and Celebrating the Green.
PGA WEST and The Citrus Club are proud to host four dynamic programs for women's golf.
The Club at PGA WEST: Ladies' Golf Association (LGA) (18 holes) and Par Tee Players Ladies' Golf Group (9 holes).
The Citrus Club: Ladies' Golf Association (LGA) (18 holes) and 9 Is Fine (9 holes).
All photos courtesy of the LPGA.
Sources:
https://www.standrewsputtingclub.com/
https://www.sportswomen.ie/mary-queen-scots-mother-golf/