Women's Golf Month: A Brief History of the Women Who Shaped the Sport

Every June, Women's Golf Month celebrates the players, pioneers, and trailblazers who helped shape the game we know today.

While golf's history is often told through the achievements of its most famous male champions, women have been part of the sport for centuries. Their contributions have expanded opportunities, challenged conventions, and inspired generations of players to pick up a club.

As we celebrate Women's Golf Month, we're looking back at some of the remarkable women who helped move the game forward.

The Early Years

Women have been playing golf almost as long as the sport has existed.

One of the earliest recorded female golfers was Mary, Queen of Scots, who is often credited with helping popularize the game during the 16th century. Historical accounts suggest she played regularly and introduced the term "caddie" after employing military aides from France to carry her clubs.

By the late 1800s, women were increasingly participating in organized competition. Golf clubs throughout Scotland, England, and the United States began hosting women's events, though opportunities remained limited compared to those available to men.

In 1895, the first U.S. Women's Amateur Championship was contested, marking an important step toward creating a more formal competitive structure for female golfers.

Breaking Through

The first half of the twentieth century saw women begin to establish themselves as elite competitors.

Few players were more influential than Glenna Collett Vare, whose dominance in amateur golf during the 1920s and 1930s helped elevate the women's game. Her impact was so significant that even decades later, many regarded her as one of the greatest female golfers of all time.

At the same time, women's golf continued to grow internationally, attracting larger audiences and creating new opportunities for competition.

Yet professional pathways remained limited. Female golfers often faced smaller purses, fewer tournaments, and less recognition than their male counterparts.

That would soon begin to change.

The Founding of the LPGA

In 1950, thirteen women came together with a vision for the future of professional golf.

Among them were legends such as Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg, and Louise Suggs, who helped establish the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

The group wasn't just responsible for playing the game. They promoted tournaments, secured sponsors, managed logistics, and often handled much of the work required to keep the tour alive.

Their efforts laid the foundation for what would become one of the most successful women's professional sports organizations in the world.

A New Era of Champions

As the LPGA grew, so did the visibility of women's golf.

Players such as Mickey Wright, Kathy Whitworth, and Nancy Lopez brought new audiences to the game. The 1990s and early 2000s introduced another generation of stars, including Annika Sörenstam, whose dominance helped bring unprecedented attention to women's golf around the world.

At the same time, international participation surged. Players from South Korea, Thailand, Australia, Europe, and beyond transformed the game into a truly global sport.

The Game Today

Women's golf continues to reach new audiences through major championships, collegiate competition, junior programs, and growing participation at the recreational level.

Players such as Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, Rose Zhang, and countless others are inspiring a new generation of golfers while continuing to push the game forward.

The sport today is stronger because of the women who refused to accept limitations, who built opportunities where none existed, and who expanded the possibilities for those who followed.

Celebrating Women's Golf Month

Women's Golf Month is more than a celebration of the game's history. It's an opportunity to recognize how far the sport has come and the women who continue to shape its future.

At Williams Athletic Club, we're proud to celebrate the athletes, professionals, mothers, leaders, and competitors who bring their passion for the game to every aspect of life.

This month, we honor the women who changed golf, and those who continue to change it every day.