Women’s Golf Organisations – A Global Overview
Origins of Women’s Golf
Women’s golf began as a movement of self-organisation and social innovation. From the late 19th century, women across Britain and Ireland founded their own clubs and competitions — most famously through the Ladies’ Golf Union (LGU), established in 1893. The LGU provided the first coherent structure for women’s amateur competition, including the British Ladies’ Championship and the Home Internationals.
Women’s golf expanded internationally in parallel with the spread of the game itself. By the early 20th century, women’s golf unions and associations had formed across Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia — often mirroring men’s structures but governed, administered, and developed by women. These organisations provided the framework for women’s participation, governance, and competition long before their integration into national golf unions.
Today, the landscape of women’s golf is defined by collaboration between amateur, senior, professional, and independent bodies — each continuing the legacy of women-led governance and international cooperation.
The story of women’s golf organisations is one of quiet determination and collective vision.
From the formation of the Ladies’ Golf Union in 1893 to the network of national and international bodies that followed, these organisations gave structure and legitimacy to a sport long shaped by exclusion.
They were built not on wealth or privilege alone, but on shared purpose — to create opportunities for women to play, compete, and belong.
Each new association reflected its moment in history: early pioneers defining governance and standards; mid-century leaders safeguarding traditions; and modern administrators navigating the challenges of equality and representation.
Together, they form a timeline not just of administration, but of evolution — charting how women organised themselves to protect and progress the game they loved.
The amateur game remains the foundation of women’s golf worldwide. Most national governing bodies — including England Golf, Scottish Golf, Golf Ireland, Golf Australia, Golf Canada, and the USGA — oversee amateur women’s golf, though many originated from independent women’s unions that merged with their male counterparts between the 2000s and 2010s.
These national bodies support junior and elite women’s programmes, organise national championships, and select international teams for events such as the Curtis Cup, Espirito Santo Trophy, and European Team Championships.
While women now sit on the boards of many governing bodies, the structures that replaced the historic LGU-led model have often centralised decision-making under unified administrations. As a result, the distinct identity and independent leadership that once characterised women’s amateur golf have, in some cases, become less visible — though women continue to lead as selectors, officials, and elite amateurs within the system.
Alongside formal national governing bodies, an enduring network of independent women’s golf associations continues to thrive — preserving traditions of fellowship, representation, and self-governance that trace back to the earliest days of the game.
At the heart of this network are the Senior and Veteran Ladies’ Golf Associations, such as the Veteran Ladies’ Golf Association (VLGA) founded in 1921 and the British Senior Ladies’ Golf Association (BSLGA). These groups, together with the European Senior Ladies’ Golf Association (ESLGA) and numerous national senior societies, offer competition, friendship, and leadership opportunities for women aged 50 and over.
Importantly, the British senior and veteran associations are not members of the ESLGA, a distinction that highlights both their independence and the complex post-Brexit sporting landscape.
Beyond senior competition, women’s golf has also been sustained by a rich tradition of profession-based and affinity associations, many of which emerged during the mid-20th century. These groups were often social extensions of male professional communities, reflecting the gender norms of their time: their members were frequently wives, daughters, and other relatives of men serving in those professions, rather than women employed within them.
Examples include:
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The United Services Ladies Golf Association, connected with the armed forces community.
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The Legal Ladies Golf Society, linked to the legal profession.
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The Medical Women’s Golf Association, whose early membership largely comprised family members of doctors, though later included female practitioners as opportunities for women in medicine expanded.
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The Ladies’ Parliamentary Golf Association, active for a short period, reflecting the growing — but still limited — presence of women in political life.
In more recent years, representation within public and civic life has evolved, and the All-Party Parliamentary Golf Group now includes a small but notable number of female MPs and peers, continuing the legacy of participation and advocacy that these earlier associations helped to establish.
Together, these independent bodies maintain an important and distinctive layer of women’s golfing culture — one shaped as much by social networks and identity as by competition. They embody the enduring values of community, continuity, and belonging, which remain central to the spirit of women’s golf.
Professional Governing Bodies
Professional women’s golf developed later, following the post-war expansion of the sport. In the United States, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in 1950, becoming both a tour and a professional association. The LPGA remains a leading advocate for women’s golf, running the LPGA Tour, LPGA Amateurs, and LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division, which collectively support over 2,000 professionals worldwide.
In the United Kingdom, professional women’s golf operates under the Women’s Professional Golfers’ Association (WPGA), formed within the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) in 1978. The WPGA represents female PGA members, focusing on career development, coaching, and representation within the wider PGA structure.
While the LPGA and WPGA have distinct origins, both have advanced women’s professional opportunities, education, and equality within the sport’s professional frameworks.
Professional Tours
At the elite level, the professional tours are the public face of women’s golf. The LPGA Tour in the United States remains the most prestigious, supported by international circuits such as the Ladies European Tour (LET), the Japan LPGA (JLPGA), the Korean LPGA (KLPGA), and the Australian WPGA Tour.
These tours showcase global female talent and are increasingly interconnected through co-sanctioned events and pathways linking amateur excellence to professional careers. Flagship events such as the AIG Women’s Open, U.S. Women’s Open, and Evian Championship stand alongside mixed-gender events and Olympic competition as symbols of progress and parity.
Yet, beneath the glamour of the professional stage lies a continued story of advocacy — for equitable prize funds, visibility, and recognition of women’s golf as both a sport and a profession.
Commentary
From the Victorian pioneers of the LGU to the modern professionals of the LPGA and LET, women’s golf organisations have shaped the sport through leadership, resilience, and community. The amateur, independent, and professional spheres form a continuous heritage — one where women have governed, innovated, and played at every level, often independently of the male-dominated structures of the wider game.
Today’s landscape reflects both continuity and change: unity under national and international frameworks, but also the enduring spirit of the women who built the game — on their own terms.