It is widely accepted that the modern game of golf was developed and popularised in Scotland in during the 15th century, even though earlier versions of the sport had been played before that. In fact, some of the earliest records of golf data back to the Romans who are believed to have hit stuffed leather balls with sticks for fun – much like golf.

One thing is for certain though – ever since the dawn of the era of modern golf, women haven’t been included in the sport. More than having not been included, women were generally unwelcome spectators too, and they were also often not permitted entrance to the clubhouses.

Of course, this wasn’t uncommon in the sporting world, with women generally being excluded from most , if not all, sports. However, over time, women started trying their hand at different sports, golf being one of them. Not only did they prove that they could play, but they showed men that they could actually be good at it.

Women and Golf in Scotland

In the latter half of the 17th century long before the online slots NZ has to offer were around, women were allowed to try the sport out a little bit – but under very specific circumstances. It was to be completely uncompetitive, just a fun activity, and women weren’t allowed to hit the ball further than 70 or 80 yards.

The idea was that the notion of being competitive wasn’t a particularly feminine quality. Similarly, the very motion of swinging a golf club was considered far too boisterous for dainty females, and very much unsuitable considering the attire they were expected to be wearing.

This went on for a few hundred years. As the sport of golf progressed and developed into the modern game that is today for men, women were kept firmly on the side lines. It was only in the early 1900s that things really began to change.

The First Female Golfer

Opinions differ, of course, depending on where you are around the world. However, the first ever female golfer is considered by many to be Mary Stuart – the queen of Scotland from 1542 until 1567.

It was during Queen Mary’s reign that Prince Andrew’s Links Golf Course was built. In fact, another interesting note is that the term “caddie” is attributed to Queen Mary. The story goes that during her time playing golf, her assistants were known as cadets. Thus, in deriving a nickname for them, the term “caddie” was born and it is still used to this day.

The First Women’s Golf Championship

In 1900, the first ever women’s golf championship was held at Morris Country Golf Club in the United States. This seemed to spark a bit of a change in gendered sport, and the first ever female golf tournament was hosted in Sweden in 1911 at the oldest golf course in the country. The winner was Viveka Rosencrantz and is still revered to this day as an icon in the history of women’s golf not only in Sweden, but in the world.