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To whom would you turn to sink a putt to save your life? Tiger Woods, jack nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw?
There are a plethora of debatable options, but it is unlikely that many people would see a group of women in Fife, Scotlandwith no professional golfing experience, many of whom are far more mature than the average Tour player.
Yet perhaps they should, because any man who holds his life in his hands St Andrews The Ladies Putting Club will be entrusting it to an organization with over 150 years of short sport experience.
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Founded in 1867, the group is the oldest women’s golf club in the world, earning its title thanks to some determined, golf-loving women — and some disgruntled men.
When the daughters of members of the St Andrews Royal & Ancient (R&A) Club – widely regarded as the historic home of the game – decided they wanted to take up golf, it was not a traditional activity for women. Croquet and archery were the traditional options among the limited options available.
When the women stepped onto the caddy’s putting course, which was used to haul members’ golf bags between rounds, the caddy wanted them gone almost immediately.
Club archivist Eve Soulsby told CNN’s The Jazzy Golfer, “They didn’t like it at all, and I don’t think the members liked it very much.”
But there was a problem with the caddies: being employees of the club, they could not complain to members. A compromise soon emerged – giving the women a piece of land next to the iconic Swilcan Bridge that they could use as a nine-hole putting course.
It was a rough terrain, full of rabbit holes, divots and sand, but it was a start. A month later, 22 women competed in the inaugural tournament at St Andrews Ladies Golf Club.
The word spread fast. By the end of 1880, membership had grown to 600, including male associate members. Today, there is an ever-growing waiting list to join the 140-strong membership, a number kept low to ensure the smooth running of the tournament.
Soon after, Old Tom Morris, the course’s resident player and greenkeeper, often referred to as the “Founding Father of Golf”, decided it would be a good idea for the ladies to visit the nearby Himalayan section of the course. , so named because of its mountainous topography.
Morris prepared the field for the club before retiring in 1895, when he was made an honorary member.
Soulsby believes that the club’s early members were instrumental in achieving greater independence for the women of St Andrews, citing the creation of the Ladies’ Course at the turn of the century, which – along with the Himalayan Putting Course -It’s still playable today.
The proceeds raised from visitors to the putting course are donated to local charities, with one exception last year for funding Ukrainian organizations.
Officially named The Jubilee Course and opened in 1897, the fact that 18 holes designated for women were made “The Duffers Course” reflects the attitudes generally held towards women during this period. Is. “We pretend it didn’t happen,” Soulsby said.
Among those carrying the torch for those early pioneers today is Sylvia Dunne, the current president of the club.
A member since 2011, Dunn helps organize the group’s weekly tournaments; The showpiece two-round event on Wednesday afternoon and the one-round competition on Thursday morning, for so-called “older men” who may struggle to manage multiple rounds.
“It’s also camaraderie and everything, because if you get older and you can’t play golf, you’re stuck at home all day, and it’s actually a very social club,” she said. .
“The best part is afterwards because they have coffee and biscuits and blooders.”
In the early 20th century the members who won the tournament would have been lucky enough to take home the royal prize. The club’s first royal donation came from Prince Leopold, the youngest son of Queen Victoria, and other trophies later came from Edward VIII and King George VI.
At one time, the captains of the R&A also donated trophies, but they now face the Ladies Putting Club in an annual 18 vs. 18 putting competition.
Dunn is one of the most prolific putters at the club, winning six trophies in a single season during his best year. However, she admits that green can be a cruel mistress even for her.
“One day recently I was very excited,” she said. “We have an award for the most holes in one at the end of the season – so I suggested, isn’t it about time we have an award 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 hit the hole.