This section describes the participation landscape and pathways women navigate in golf, across life stages, competitive levels, and professional roles.

Participation & Pathways

How women navigate the game — past and present

Women’s participation in golf does not happen in a single way.

It unfolds across life stages, competitive levels, organisations, tours, and roles — shaped by age, time, resources, geography, and opportunity.

This section maps the landscape women move through when they play, compete, coach, or work in golf.

It does not analyse the system.
It does not judge outcomes.
It describes what exists — so pathways can be clearly seen.

What This Section Is For

Participation & Pathways brings together the practical realities of women’s golf:

• who plays

• where they play

• how they progress

• what options exist at different stages of life

It provides context and clarity for readers who want to understand how women’s golf is organised in practice, today and historically.

What This Section Is Not

This section is not:

• a critique of governing bodies

• a diagnosis of structural problems

• a proposal for reform

Analysis of why pathways break, narrow, or misalign appears in Systems & Structures.
Stories of who lived these pathways appear in People & Stories.

What You’ll Find in This Section

Player Categories

How women participate across life stages and competitive levels.

• Junior Golf

• Amateur Women

• Mid-Amateur Women

• Senior Women

• Super Senior Women

• Lifelong Participation Pathways

These pages describe who participates, not how well systems serve them.

Amateur Organisations

The clubs, counties, regions, and associations that organise women’s amateur golf.

• National and regional amateur bodies

• Senior and veteran associations

• Independent and parallel organisations

These pages show how participation is organised on the ground.

Professional Tours

The competitive structures for women who play golf professionally.

• LPGA

• LET

• WPGA (by country)

• JLPGA, KLPGA, and other international tours

• Emerging and developmental tours

This section maps where professional opportunities exist, not how they compare.

Coaching & Professional Practice

How women engage with golf as a profession beyond playing.

• WPGA and PGA coaching pathways

• Coaching roles and careers

• Education and professional development

These pages describe practice and profession, not policy.

National & Regional Pathways

How women move between local, regional, national, and international levels.

• Club to county pathways

• Regional and national competition structures

• Cross-border and international progression

These pages make pathways visible, without evaluating them.

How This Section Connects to the Rest of the Project

• Systems & Structures explains why pathways take the shape they do

• People & Stories shows who experienced them

• Participation & Pathways shows what exists

Together, they form a complete picture — without overlap.

Why This Section Matters

Many women leave golf not because they lack ability or interest, but because pathways are hard to see.

By clearly mapping participation options and structures, this section helps:

• demystify women’s golf

• support understanding across generations

• provide shared reference points for future discussion

Clarity comes first.