Scottish Golf and Women’s Golf

Overview

Scottish Golf, formed in 2015 through the merger of the Scottish Golf Union (SGU) and the Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association (SLGA), is the national governing body for amateur golf in Scotland. The merger brought together men’s and women’s administration under one unified organisation — part of a broader trend towards equality in governance across the UK and Ireland.

The SLGA (founded in 1904) had represented women’s amateur golf for over a century, running national championships, international matches, and working closely with the LGU. Its integration into Scottish Golf aimed to modernise structures and ensure equal representation for men and women within a single body.

Today, Scottish Golf manages championships for both men and women, supports club development, and invests in pathways for elite female players. The organisation promotes gender balance at board level and within its membership programmes, with initiatives encouraging girls’ participation through schools, clubs, and community outreach.

Women’s Leadership and Representation

Scottish Golf has made progress toward gender inclusion in leadership, with female representation on the board and within working groups. However, women remain underrepresented among paid senior executives and performance roles — a trend consistent with many governing bodies post-merger.

While opportunities for elite and youth female players are visible, there is less strategic focus on the broad base of adult amateur and senior women, whose participation sustains many clubs and county competitions.

Senior Women and the Independent Associations

Scotland has a long tradition of Veteran and Senior Ladies’ Golf Associations, operating independently from the national governing body.
The Scottish Veteran Ladies’ Golf Association (SVLGA), founded in 1909, remains one of the oldest and most active senior women’s golf organisations in the world. It runs national and regional competitions, supports inter-county and international matches, and maintains a strong network of players aged 50 and over.

Despite their contribution, these senior women’s groups are not formally affiliated with Scottish Golf. They continue to operate autonomously, preserving the traditions and community structures that have defined women’s amateur golf for more than a century.

Their independence reflects both historical continuity and ongoing gaps in national inclusion — senior women’s golf remains largely self-organised, self-funded, and self-sustained, even as Scottish Golf’s programmes focus more on club development and performance pathways.

Commentary

The merger that created Scottish Golf symbolised progress toward equality but also marked the absorption of a women-led governance tradition into a broader, male-dominated structure.
While Scottish Golf promotes inclusivity and participation, the lived experience of many senior and long-serving women golfers remains one of parallel organisation rather than integration.

Scotland’s senior women, through the SVLGA and its divisions, continue to lead by example — demonstrating that the heart of women’s amateur golf still beats strongest in the networks built by women, for women.