Exploring the top 5 transformative changes making women feel empowered in Golf

Like most women's activities, female golf has had to face male chauvinism and discrimination, and it cannot be said to be a problem of the past. However, several things have changed throughout history, particularly in recent years.

There are reports that in 1552, Mary Queen of Scots had the game as her main entertainment. However, the rule of "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden" prevailed in practice well into the 20th century, although by the 1890s it was already clear that women's entry into golf was only a matter of time.

What has changed since then? Let's take a look.

Top 5 transformative changes making women feel empowered in Golf

Although female players have been considered world stars since the 1920s, the truth is they are far from being on equal footing with their male colleagues.

There is less investment in women's golf, less media coverage and less international recognition. These and other realities that female players around the world face daily.

However, there is no denying that much progress has been made. Let's take a look at the five moments that have marked the take-off of women's golf worldwide.

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1- LPGA Tour

During the first half of the 20th century, the few women who played the game did so under extremely difficult conditions, as they were not even admitted to the clubhouses of almost any club.

Not that the matter changed overnight, but in 1950, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was created to provide better opportunities for female players to develop in the sport and even pursue a professional career.

The LPGA Tour was not the first women's circuit, but it is the one that has lasted the longest. It is now a global tour, with members coming from all over the world.

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2- Women are "real" club members now

History says that the Shinnecock Hills nine-hole course in Southampton, New York, is the first club that began offering membership to women in 1891. However, the vast majority of clubs maintained a "zero women" policy well into the 20th century.

For example, the super-exclusive Augusta National, home of The Masters Tournament, was a men-only club until it offered membership to Condoleeza Rice and Darla Moore in 2012. As far as it is known, only five other women have been admitted, including Annika Sorenstam.

Even so, when clubs gradually opened up to women, their admission was so difficult that in a few cases, it was impossible.

The change in that kind of mentality has led more and more women to seek out the game as their favorite pastime. Greater access to the courses facilitates the development of more and more female players, and this results in greater growth of the sport itself.

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3- Women in Golf Charter

The Women In Golf Charter (WIGC) is an initiative of the R&A that seeks to promote women's sport. Its main promoter was Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A for almost a decade.

This document places the development of women's golf as a strategic issue for the growth of the sport. More than 1,000 sports organizations worldwide have signed the WIGC, which calls for the development of a more inclusive culture, increased female participation in the game, active club membership and other goals.

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4- Women in golf initiatives

The Charter has been a great incentive for the consolidation and emergence of women in golf initiatives. Examples of this are organizations such as the Annika Foundation, Women on The Tee, or the various programs launched by the R&A and the PGA for the development of women and girls in the sport.

These kinds of initiatives go far beyond attracting women and girls to the sport. Through their various efforts, more than a few female players have obtained scholarships to study at university, and many have also had successful professional careers.

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5- High-level mixed tournaments

Mixed tournaments are nothing new in this sport, as at the junior and collegiate levels, co-ed teams play in almost all circuits. However, it has not been the same at the professional level.

There have been positive examples, such as the JC Penny Classic, which was played from 1960 to 1999. In December 2023 the idea was revived with a huge acceptance by players and fans at the Grant Thornton Invitational.

Tournaments of this type multiply the chances that the work of female professional golfers will be much more widely known and can achieve proper recognition. No wonder the best female players in the world attend the Tiburon Club.

The male players did not react in the same way and the top-ranked players did not attend. However, rising stars such as Ludvig Aberg and Sahith Theegala did play, and they expressed their desire to keep the tournament on the calendar.