From feminist pioneers to putting pros, the historic journey of the world’s oldest ladies golf club

CNN
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Who would you support to make a putt and save your life? Tiger Woods? Jack Nicklaus? Ben Crenshaw?

There are plenty of debatable options, but many are unlikely to turn to a group of women from Fife, Scotland, with no professional golf experience, many of whom are far more mature than the average Tour player.

Yet maybe they should, because anyone who would put their life in the hands of the St. Andrews Ladies Putting Club would be entrusting it to an organization with more than 150 years of experience in the short game.

Founded in 1867, the group is the oldest women’s golf club in the world, a title owed to persevering women with a passion for golf – and disgruntled men.

When the daughters of members of the St. Andrews Royal & Ancient (R&A) Club – widely considered the historic birthplace of the game – decided they wanted to play golf, it was not a conventional activity for women. Croquet and archery were the traditional choices among the limited options available.

When the women ventured onto the cadet putting course, which was used by those who tended members’ golf bags between rounds, the cadets wanted them to leave almost immediately.

“They didn’t like it at all, and I don’t think the members liked it very much either,” club archivist Eve Soulsby told CNN’s The Jazzy Golfer.

But the caddies had a problem: As employees of the club, they couldn’t complain to the members. A compromise quickly emerged: give the women land next to the iconic Swilcan Bridge that they could use as a nine-hole putting course.

It was a difficult area, filled with rabbit holes, clods and sand, but it was a start. A month later, 22 women competed in the inaugural St. Andrews Ladies Golf Club tournament.

The news spread quickly. By the late 1880s, membership had grown to 600, including male associate members. Today, the waiting list to join the 140 members is increasingly long, a number kept low to ensure the smooth running of tournaments.

Shortly thereafter, Old Tom Morris, the course’s resident player and greenkeeper, often called the “founding father of golf”, decided it would be a good idea for the ladies to visit the nearby Himalayan section of the course, as well named because of its hilly topography.

Morris prepared the area for the club before retiring in 1895, when he was made an honorary member.

Soulsby believes that the club’s early members played a pivotal role in gaining more independence for the women of St. Andrews at the turn of the century, citing the creation of the women’s course which, alongside the putting course at the Himalaya remains playable to this day.

Revenue generated from visitors to the putting course is donated to local charities, with the exception last year of donating funds to Ukrainian organizations.

Officially named The Jubilee Course and opened in 1897, the naming of the 18-hole women’s-only course as ‘The Duffers Course’ reflected widespread attitudes towards women at the time. “We pretend this didn’t happen,” Soulsby added.

Among those who carry the torch of these early pioneers today is Sylvia Dunne, the current president of the club.

A member since 2011, Dunne helps organize the group’s weekly tournaments; a two-round highlight event on Wednesday afternoon and a single-round competition on Thursday morning for so-called “old hands” who may struggle to manage multiple rounds.

“It’s the camaraderie and everything, too, because if you get older and you can’t play golf, you might be stuck at home doing nothing all day, and it’s definitely a very social club.” , she said.

“The best part is afterwards because they have coffee and cookies and have fun.”

Members who won tournaments in the early 20th century may have been lucky enough to win a royal prize. The club’s first royal donation came from Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria’s youngest son, and other trophies followed later from Edward VIII and King George VI.

At one time the R&A captains also donated trophies, but now they compete against the Ladies Putting Club in an annual 18-on-18 putting competition.

Dunne is one of the club’s most prolific putters, winning six trophies in a single season during her best year. However, she admits that the putting green can be a cruel mistress, even for her.

“One day recently, I was so exasperated,” she said. “We have a prize at the end of the season for the most holes in one – so I suggested: isn’t it about time we had a prize for the most near misses? ?

“There’s a lot of skill involved, but there’s also a lot of luck. Some days the ball rolls for you and other days it doesn’t fall in the hole.