The everyday experience of women golfers in Scotland has radically changed in the last 100 years from being a sport only open to elite women in the late Victorian period to the present day where many women of all backgrounds can now play as equal members in their clubs.

However, for all the changes, particularly over the last 50 years, equality of opportunity is not always evident.

Most Scottish clubs began to change at some stage during the 1980s and 1990s, phasing out reduced membership fees and limited access to the golf course and clubhouse.

However, some clubs still prioritise male competitions at peak playing times, have a smaller female section and are run through separate committees.

When playing golf, there are some inherent differences in the structure of the course and game that maintain the separation between men and women. Traditionally women play from red tees which are often closer to the hole than yellow and white men’s tees.

While the handicapping system should make play between men and women possible within golf clubs, it is still relatively rare for competitions to be open to both men and women.

I was reading the centenary history of one Scottish club recently that recalled how the club’s bar used to be “..open to gentlemen only, so ladies desirous of internal fortification had to remain outside in the cheerless lounge and ring the bell for the steward.”

A separate ladies bar was created in the mid-1970s but it wasn’t until the late 1980s that female members were allowed to cross a line painted on the wooden floor to the “gentleman’s side”.

The mindset of golfers is one that can be slow to change. Older female golfers at the club are still reluctant to sit in the previously “out of bounds” part of the lounge.

The study Glasgow Caledonian University is doing with the British Golf Museum will enable the memories of women golfers who have played in this significant period of change to be captured and preserved in the museum’s archives for posterity.

We hope the research will provide vital insights to help the game to continue to grow.

  -  Dr Fiona Reid is Lecturer, Events and Sports Management at Glasgow Caledonian University.