⭐ PEOPLE & STORIES

The women who built golf, shaped its evolution, protected its traditions, and continue to inspire new generations.

Women’s golf has always been more than championships and trophies.

It has been shaped by extraordinary women — pioneers, volunteers, builders, leaders, champions, architects, and custodians — whose stories often unfolded quietly, outside the spotlight.

This pillar celebrates those women.

From the earliest trailblazers of the 19th century to the architects of modern pathways, from senior volunteers who held the game together to today’s innovators reshaping the professional tours, this is the living, breathing human story of women’s golf.

Here you’ll find the women who made the game what it is today — and those who are making it what it will become tomorrow.

⭐ How This Section Works

To help you discover the stories that matter most to you, this pillar is organised into nine interconnected sections. Each reflects a different way women have influenced the game.

1. Foundational Women

The core architects of early women’s golf.

These women created the structures, associations, competitions and principles that underpin the sport today.

Issette Pearson — Architect of handicaps & the LGU
Mabel Stringer — Founder of senior women’s golf (1921)
Blanche Hulton — County pioneer and organiser
Molly Gourlay — Champion player, referee, course architect

They are the keystones of the early game.

2. Heritage & Context

The world these women lived in.

Women’s golf began in a landscape shaped by class, gender expectations and the constraints of amateurism. These pages explore that world.

Women’s Heritage Introduction
Amateur Heritage (historic)
Junior Heritage (historic)
Mid-Amateur Heritage (historic)

Understanding this context brings the pioneers’ achievements to life.

3. Pioneers (pre–1950)

The first generation who broke open the game.

These women pushed boundaries when golf was still considered “improper” or inaccessible for women. They carved out space — sometimes literally — for others to follow.

Joyce Wethered
Pam Barton
Margaret Abbott
Dorothy Campbell
Cecil Leitch
May Hezlet
Early administrators, coaches, organisers

Their stories are the foundations of the women’s game.

4. Trailblazers (1950–2000)

The post-war generation who modernised the sport.

This era saw the rise of televised golf, international competition, and the first professional structures.

Janet Melville
Curtis Cup captains
Influential writers & historians
Early professionals
LGU modernisers

These women bridged the old world and the emerging modern game.

5. Modern Shapers (2000–present)

The women leading, influencing, and redefining golf today.

This includes touring professionals, coaches, administrators, innovators, and the architects of today’s global game.

Founders & Builders of the Professional Tours:

LPGA Founders
LET Founders
WPGA (Australia)
JLPGA / KLPGA pioneers
Builders of emerging tours
Aramco / modern tour innovators

Tour Players (Modern):

Muriel Thomson
Karen Lunn
Modern LET & LPGA players

Administrators & Change Makers:

Gillian Kirkwood
National leaders
Media pioneers
Inclusivity champions

6. Guardians & Custodians

The senior women and volunteers who held the game together.

For more than a century, senior women have been the heartbeat of women’s golf — running competitions, maintaining communities, preserving history, and quietly sustaining participation.

Senior Heritage
Super Senior Heritage
Senior Women’s Associations
NCVLGA, Midlands, South, ESLGA
Referees & rules officials
Long-serving county & club volunteers

These women are the keepers of continuity.

7. Champions & Legends

Celebrating competitive excellence.

Across eras, this section honours the players who left their mark through performance:

Major champions
National champions
International winners
County legends
Record holders
Great amateurs across generations

8. Championships & Competitions

The events that tell the story of progress.

Here you’ll find the heritage of the major competitions that shaped women’s golf, from national championships to senior events and inter-county rivalries.

9. Women Course Architects

A global directory of women shaping the design of the game.

Molly Gourlay
Ida Dixon
Alice Dye
Jan Beljan
Fiona Womack & Sharon Eales
Contemporary architects

Their work changed not just who plays the game — but where.

⭐ Share Your Story

Women’s golf history is still being written — and we welcome your stories, memories, photos, and experiences.
Every contribution helps build a fuller, more representative history of the game.

👉 Share Your Story (link to form)

⭐ Why This Section Matters

This pillar brings together the human side of women’s golf — the women who shaped structures, who fought for access, who led quietly, who excelled brilliantly, and who preserved the game for future generations.

It’s a celebration.
A record.
And a place where forgotten stories finally find a home.