Thanks Tom Paul – another interesting thread ..and you are helping me learn at the same time.
It would seem reasonable to have provided women with their own course given the social norms / restrictions of the day. It would also appear that this initiative was a necessary element in accelerating women’s involvement in the game.
Mark – it is encouraging to hear that Wirral Ladies has greens that are ‘deliciously defended’, I would like to see those one day.
Melvyn – another fine image, thank you.
This thread led me to take my copy of The Illustrated History of Women’s Golf off the bookshelf for the first time in many years. In it Rhonda Glenn speaks of the development of the game for women. With regards the British side of things she says:
'By the 1860’s British women were establishing their own clubs. The St Andrew’s Ladies Club formed in 1867 and by 1886 it had five hundred members. Another ladies club formed at Westward Ho! in North Devon in 1868.'
'The woman athlete faced several hazards; the first was her wardrobe…however women who played serious golf faced other obstacles. At most courses they were prohibited from entering the clubhouse, except on the day of the annual mixed foursome, when they entered by the back door. For the remainder of the season they changed their shoes and stored their clubs in a single room of a small cottage or improvised dressing room made of corrugated iron, perhaps eight feet square.'
'The Wimbledon ladies had a clubhouse of their own…considered to be unusually posh for the times… At most clubs women made do with humble rooms or buildings that were little more than shacks...and they were usually restricted to playing a short nine-hole ladies course or worse, the clubs putting course.’
To improve their lot, a body of women decided to establish a national society and the name “Ladies Golf Union” was subsequently adopted in 1893. The first Ladies Championship was played at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s that year. The ladies course is reported to have been 'a tame setting', 'devoid of ocean breezes' and ‘short and easy' by modern standards.
In 1908 the British Ladies Amateur Championship was staged at St Andrews for the first time in 300 years with Old Tom’s blessing. Melvyn – Old Tom died two days after the tournament concluded. By 1912 the LGU had more than 500 affiliated clubs and had successfully set up their handicapping system.
In the United States at the turn of the century, wealthy women were free to explore golf. Ed - Rhonda Glenn continues:
‘No-one took golf more seriously than the ladies of Morristown, New Jersey. Morristown was a quite little village inhabited by the very rich. Many residents were learning to play golf and when a few got together to plan a golf course there would have been no stir, except that the group was made up entirely of women. These women decided to undertake a huge task – in 1893 they would commission the design and building of their own 18-hole course. For women only – The Morris County Golf Club. Until this time, with the exception 'of a rare mixed foursome event', women had been restricted to the putting course. In 1892 Shinnecock Hills had built a course for women, but with 12 holes only. Honorary memberships were granted to the clergy, and two hundred men were allowed to join as “associate members”.'
With the assistance of Robert Cox of Edinburgh, Scotland… ‘A course of 6030 yards was laid out, extremely long for women at that time. Six holes were over 400 yards. The 545 yard 13th played to a par of 7 and “bogey” of 8.’
The 'all women' golf club was an experiment that failed before too many years passed with the men intent on taking over club administration. However the women had made their mark and in 1896 the club hosted the second US Women’s Amateur Championship, won by Beatrix Hoyt. The Robert Cox Cup (donated by Cox) remains as one of the most beautiful in the game and continues to be the prize for the US Women’s Amateur Championship.
Cheers, Lyne
