Ladies’ Golf
As a country which has a proud history
when it comes to ladies’ golf, it should come as no surprise to
anyone that the game in the ‘Home of Golf’ is very much ‘open’ as
far as the fairer sex are concerned.
Scotland’s link with ladies’ golf goes back to
Mary Queen of Scots, no less, and today the country boasts one of
the best female golfers in the world, Catriona Matthew.
Records show that golf was played in Scotland by
women hundreds of years ago. Mary Queen of Scots was believed to
have been playing golf in East Lothian shortly after the death of
her lover, Darnley, in the 1700s, while the first description of a
ladies’ golf competition is recorded in Musselburgh in 1810 between
the town’s ‘Fish Ladies’.
Keen following
Towards the end of that century, ladies’ golf was
thriving in St Andrews and, by 1887, the St Andrews Ladies Club had
500 members (at a time when the male-only R&A had 795 members),
resulting in the Jubilee Course in the Fife town being built
specifically for ladies in 1899.
Golf has been played by women in Scotland for a
very long time and, in many respects, this is what makes the game
so enjoyable. It is, after all, a game that allows women to compete
evenly with men because of the handicap system and the tee
positions. What other sport can truly boast that?
Top female golfers
Scotland is immensely proud of the female golfers
it has spawned over the years, the likes of Jessie Valentine, Belle
Robertson and, more recently, Catriona Matthew all having proved to
be marvellous ambassadors for the game over different eras. Both
Valentine and Robertson tasted lots of success during their playing
careers, while Matthew is, without a shadow of a doubt, the current
star of Scottish ladies’ golf.
A three-time Solheim Cup player, Catriona cut her
golfing teeth on the wonderful North Berwick West Links, which
comes highly recommended with a stay in the picturesque East
Lothian town. Catriona is a fantastic golfer to watch and learn
from as she utilises the skills and talents that are only attained
by playing at the ‘Home of Golf’. Scotland, unlike many other
golfing destinations, has a range of courses, golf towns and
resorts to suit every golfer’s needs.
Whether your oasis of choice is links or
parkland, heathland or coastal, everything you could want in a golf
break can be found in Scotland. And you can confidently enjoy your
golf knowing that you are following in the footsteps of ladies who
have kept the men on their toes and the length of a round down to a
minimum!
