Harper Lin
Golf has long been considered a man's sport, with women facing criticism, ridicule, and even being banned from entering golf clubs. However, women have a long and rich history with the game of golf, dating back to the 1500s. Mary, Queen of Scots, who ruled Scotland from 1542 to 1567, is noted by some as the first female golfer. During her reign, the famous St Andrews Links golf course was built, and she is credited with coining the term caddie. Despite the initial discrimination, women continued to make history in golf, and by the end of the 19th century, women playing golf was normalized and started to become popular.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First female golfer | Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland (1542-1567) |
| First recorded golf tournament for women | 9 January 1811 |
| First women's golf club | Ladies' Club of St. Andrews, 1867 |
| First women's golf championship | Morris County Golf Club, US, 1900 |
| First professional female golfer | Helen Hicks, 1934 |
| First female golfer to have her own golf clubs | Patty Berg |
| First women's golf association | Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA), 1944 |
| First women's amateur championship | 1893 |
| Number of female golfers | 6 million+ |
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What You'll Learn
Women golfers face criticism and ridicule
Women have had a long and rich history with golf, but it is a history they have had to fight for. The sport has long been considered a man's domain, and women golfers have faced criticism and ridicule for their participation.
The first recorded female golfer was Mary, Queen of Scots, who ruled from 1542 to 1567. During her reign, the famous St Andrews Links golf course was built, and she is credited with coining the term "caddie," derived from "cadets," which she used to refer to her assistants. However, it was nearly 250 years before the first recorded golf tournament for women took place in 1811. By the end of the 19th century, women playing golf started to become normalized and even popular, with pioneers like Issette Miller, who invented the first fold handicapping system, which allowed golfers of mixed abilities to play together and enabled men and women to compete together.
Despite these advancements, discrimination against women in golf was rampant. Many prestigious golf clubs did not allow women to enter their clubhouses, and some even boasted about this exclusion. Women were also restricted from watching certain tournaments and had to enter through the back door at times. Men believed that women lacked the physical strength and competitive spirit for golf, and some even suggested that their clothing and posture were not graceful for the sport. This mindset led to the marginalization of women in golf, with a lack of media coverage, programs at the junior and high school levels, and male-only clubs.
Even as women's golf associations like the WPGA and LPGA formed and female golfers like Helen Hicks, Babe Zaharias, and Annika gained recognition, the criticism and ridicule persisted. Social media has become a new arena for these issues, with women golfers facing scrutiny over their appearances and outfits, receiving sexist comments, and experiencing trolling and double standards in online golf communities.
While the number of female golfers has been increasing, with over 6 million female golfers reported in recent years, the struggle for inclusivity in golf continues. Women golfers still face an added pressure to maintain a certain look and are often ogled or made to feel unwelcome by course workers and male golfers. Despite these challenges, women have continued to make their mark on the sport, with pioneers like Zaharias breaking barriers and inspiring future generations of golfers.
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The first female golfer
Although golf has long been considered a man's sport, women have a long and rich history with the game dating back to the 1500s. The first female golfer is noted by some to be Mary, Queen of Scots, who ruled Scotland from 1542 to 1567. During her reign, the famous St Andrews Links golf course was built, and she is credited with creating the term "caddie", derived from the word "cadets" which she used to refer to her assistants.
However, it was not until 1811 that the first recorded golf tournament for women took place in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. The tournament was organised by the Musselburgh Golf Club for local fishermen's wives and took place on their 18-hole pitch and putt course. It wasn't until the end of the 19th century that women playing golf started to become normalised and gained popularity. Issette Miller, who invented the first fold handicapping system, was leading the game for women at the time. This system allowed less experienced golfers to compete with more seasoned players and is still used today.
In 1867, the first women's golf club, the St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club, was established in Scotland. The club, initially formed as The Ladies Club of St Andrews, is still around today. In the United States, one of the earliest golf clubs to allow women was the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, which opened in 1891. The club built a 9-hole course for women after seeing their growing popularity in the sport.
In 1934, Helen Hicks became one of the first women to turn professional. She signed with the Wilson Sporting Goods Company (also known as Wilson-Western Sporting Goods Company) and won many tournaments as an amateur and a professional. Hicks was also among the founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in the 1950s, along with other prominent golfers such as Babe Zaharias, Alice Bauer, and Patty Berg.
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Women's golf clubs
Women have a long history with golf that they really had to fight for, as men thought that women should not play golf because they "don't have the physical strength for it". In fact, almost all prestigious golf clubs did not allow women to enter their clubhouses. It was not until 250 years after Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1567)—who is noted by some as the first female golfer—played golf, that the first recorded golf tournament for women occurred in 1811. By the end of the 19th century, women playing golf was normalised and started to become popular. Issette Miller, who invented the first fold handicapping system, was leading the game for women at the time. This system allowed women of mixed abilities to play with one another and enabled men and women to compete together, helping women be seen as more legitimate players.
Despite facing criticism and ridicule, women around the world continued to make history in golf. This led to the formation of the Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA) in 1944, which paved the way for more female golfers to rise to fame. However, due to financial struggles, the WPGA shut down after five years. Following this, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was formed in 1950 by the original three founders of the WPGA along with ten others. The LPGA is the oldest continuing women's professional sports organisation in the United States.
Although golf has long been considered a man's sport, women golfers have made their mark on the golfing world. Today, women's golf clubs are crafted and fitted for a woman's game. Ladies' golf clubs are generally shorter, lighter, and more flexible, allowing women with a smaller stature and slower swing speeds to get the most out of their clubs. Women's clubs typically feature graphite shafts, which are lighter and make it easier to achieve faster swing speeds. The grips on ladies' clubs are smaller in diameter and shorter in length than on men's clubs. Women's drivers have a minimum 12-degree loft, compared to 8 to 11 degrees for men's drivers, allowing for an easier ball launch off the tee. A standard golf club set for women consists of three woods, seven irons, two wedges, and a putter. Many women prefer to replace lower irons with a hybrid club, which is easier to hit.
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Women's golf tournaments
Women have had a long history with golf, dating back to the 1500s. Mary, Queen of Scots, who ruled Scotland from 1542 to 1567, is noted by some as the first female golfer. During her reign, the famous St Andrews Links golf course was built, and she is credited with coining the term "caddie," derived from "cadets," which she used to refer to her assistants. However, women faced many obstacles when it came to participating in golf. They were often ridiculed and criticised, and most prestigious golf clubs did not allow women to enter their clubhouses. Men believed that women lacked the competitive spirit and physical strength for the sport.
Despite these challenges, women's golf tournaments began to emerge in the 19th century. The first recorded golf tournament exclusively for women took place on January 9, 1811, in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. It was organised by the Musselburgh Golf Club, and the participants were local fishermen's wives from Musselburgh and Fisherrow. The winner received a creel and a shawl, while the runner-up was awarded two handkerchiefs from Barcelona.
In 1843, the St Andrews Golf Club was established in Scotland, and in 1867, the first women's golf club was formed as The Ladies Club of St Andrews. This club later became known as the St Andrews Ladies Putting Club and is now called The Ladies Putting Club of St Andrews. It struggled to gain members initially but eventually grew to 500 members in its first 19 years. In 1868, a dedicated 18-hole ladies' course was built at the Westward Ho! golf course in southeast England, where local women played a tournament just three months after its opening.
The first women's golf tournament in the United States was held in 1894 on a 7-hole course in Morristown, New Jersey. The following year, in 1895, the first U.S. Women's Amateur was won by Lucy Barnes Brown at the Meadow Brook Club in Hempstead, New York. The sixth U.S. Women's Amateur was hosted by the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, in 1900, with Frances Griscom claiming victory. This club was one of the earliest in the United States to allow women members and even built a 9-hole course specifically for women.
As women continued to make their mark on the sport, the need for a separate association to advocate for female golfers became evident. The Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA) was formed in 1944 by golfers Hope Seignious, Betty Hicks, and Ellen Griffin. Unfortunately, the WPGA faced financial struggles and shut down after only five years. However, its brief existence highlighted the necessity for a dedicated organisation, leading to the establishment of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950 by the original WPGA founders and ten additional members. The LPGA is the oldest continuing women's professional sports organisation in the United States.
Today, women's golf tournaments are held regularly, with the LPGA organising various events worldwide, offering millions of dollars in prizes. Some notable winners of recent LPGA tournaments include Lauren Coughlin, Haeran Ryu, Lydia Ko, and Jasmine Suwannapura. While golf has been a male-dominated sport for a long time, women are progressively making their mark and gaining recognition in the golf world.
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Women's golf associations
Women have had a long and challenging history with golf, and their participation in the sport has been subject to ridicule and criticism. Men believed that women lacked the physical strength to play and should not be allowed to enter golf clubhouses.
Despite these obstacles, women's golf associations have played a crucial role in advocating for and creating spaces for female golfers. The formation of the Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA) in 1944 was a significant step forward. Chartered by golfers Hope Seignious, Betty Hicks, and Ellen Griffin, the WPGA paved the way for more female golfers to gain recognition. However, financial struggles led to its closure after just five years.
In 1950, building on the legacy of the WPGA, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was formed by the original three founders of the WPGA along with ten others. The LPGA, celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025, has grown into one of the most prominent and influential organizations in sports, fostering the growth and development of women's golf worldwide. It is the oldest continuing women's professional sports organization in the United States. The LPGA Amateur Golf Association, with over 17,500 members worldwide, provides a community for women golfers of all abilities to learn, play, and connect with each other.
The history of women in golf dates back to the 1500s, with Mary, Queen of Scots, noted by some as the first female golfer. The game gained popularity among women in the late 19th century, with pioneers like Issette Miller, who invented the first fold handicapping system, allowing golfers of mixed abilities to compete together. By the 1930s, women started to gain professional recognition, with Helen Hicks becoming the first professional golfer in the women's game, signing with a sporting goods company.
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Frequently asked questions
No, golf was not invented for women. The sport has long been considered a man's sport and women golfers have faced ridicule and criticism for participating.
Women have a long history with golf, dating back to the 1500s. Mary, Queen of Scots, who ruled Scotland from 1542 to 1567, is noted by some as the first female golfer.
The first recorded golf tournament for women took place on January 9, 1811, in Musselburgh, Scotland. The event was organised by the Musselburgh Golf Club and was held on their 18-hole pitch and putt course.
