I bet you’re wondering how many high-end golf clubs there are in the UK. It’s a fair question, and one that I’ve been asked a few times over the years. And let me tell you, it’s not as easy as it seems. Finding out the answer can take some digging. Thankfully, I managed to track down the specific details you’re probably looking for, and below is a breakdown of the answer.
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Rules And Regulations
The first and most obvious thing to note is that there are actually no UK laws or regulations governing the sale of ‘ladies’ only’ golf clubs. That being said, all clubs sold in the UK must adhere to the rules and regulations set out by the Trade Descriptions Act 1974. This legislation governs the use of geographic descriptors in traded goods, and for some reason, golf clubs seem to be left out of the act’s purview. But don’t worry – we’re not leaving you completely in the dark when it comes to golf club rules and regulations. Here’s a list of everything you need to know, in order to play golf like a ladies’ only guest.
What Is A Ladies’ Only Golf Club?
If you’ve ever shopped at any high-end stores in London, you may have noticed a small sign above the lingerie racks. The vast majority of shops in the UK will label their underwear as ‘ladies’ only’, in order to draw more female customers. This way of branding their lingerie draws attention to the fact that it’s not available for men, who make up the bulk of customers in traditional high-end stores. The same concept applies to golf clubs. You may have also heard of ‘junior’ golf clubs, or the ‘ladies’ or ‘gents’ sub-communities that exist within the golf world. But put simply, a ‘ladies’ only’ golf club is a club that is only sold to, and used by, women.
How Did This Subculture Grow?
If you’re the type of person who likes a challenge, it’s a bit of a mystery as to how the ladies’ only golf club subculture grew in the first place. Was it because of social media, or did the concept simply take off thanks to better understanding of gender roles in the twenty-first century? Perhaps it was a combination of both. Whatever the case, the results are pretty stunning. And yes, you may be correct in guessing that the concept of ladies’ only golf clubs is less than a hundred years old.
Where Do These Clubs Come From?
The most obvious question when it comes to golf and lingerie is where do these clubs come from? The short answer is from America. It was actually the American golfer Patty Berg, who popularized the practice of ‘playing through’ a crowd, and the concept of women golfers banding together to form subcommunities. At the time, Berg was the dominant female golfer in the world. She won 14 major championships, and remains the only female golfer to have won multiple majors in one year. So it’s no coincidence that the co-founders of the modern-day ladies’ only golf club arrived in the UK at the height of Berg’s career. And here they are – Maxine and Dorothy Handbags.
Who Are These Two Charming Ladies?
Maxine and Dorothy were both prominent in the women’s golf world. Dorothy started playing golf at the age of 15, and went on to become one of the leading players in the game. She was the first-ever recipient of the Golfing Herdies Award – an accolade given to a player who shows great sportsmanship while representing their gender. Most notably, in 1933, Dorothy became the first-ever golfing partner of Amelia Earhart. The pair met while Earhart was on a lecture tour, and it’s believed that they played together a number of times. Earhart was also a long-time member of the Juniors’ golf club in North Shore, Massachusetts. The story goes that when Earhart was no longer able to play due to ill health, she wanted to continue supporting the game, and purchased a set of clubs for the female members of the club. Since Earhart’s death in 1937, the set of clubs has been passed down through the family, and now reside in the collection of the International Flight History Archives.
Did They Have A Fictionalized Account Of Their Lives In Books Or Films?
It wouldn’t be a true ‘ladies’ only’ golf club if there wasn’t some sort of fictionalized account of their lives in books or films, now would it? Let’s take a look at the handbags’ literary works, shall we?
Dorothy’s first book was published in 1934, and is titled, My Adventures On The Golf Course. It was a best-seller, and was made into a film the following year. The book is essentially a collection of short stories about Dorothy’s life as a golfing adventurer. It also includes some fascinating stories about the history of the game, and the people who have played it. In particular, it recounts the first-ever round of golf played with Amelia Earhart, and how it nearly ended in tragedy. Below is a brief excerpt from the book –
“Amelia Earhart and I were playing the first nine. She had just had a hip replacement, and couldn’t walk far, so she was using a cane. I was playing ahead of her in a cart, and had a little accident. I thought the tire was going flat, so I got out and inspected it. While I was looking, the wind shifted and the tire blew away. The next thing I knew she was running toward me with the cane in her hand. I was so startled I dropped the iron, which rolled away. We both saw it at the same time, and she screamed: ‘My golf bag!’ We ran after it, and she fell. It wouldn’t have been funny had she not been so old and frail. She was gasping for breath while standing up. At first I thought she was hurt, and then I saw she was just laughing.”
Maxine Had Already Published A Book When They Started The Club
While Maxine’s literary work predates Dorothy’s, it wasn’t until later in life that she began publishing anything, aside from her autobiography. In 1960, she published a memoir titled, The Game, about her life as a female golf player. In it, she describes how she came to play golf, and how it helped to shape her as a person. She also recounts the story of how the game became ‘glorified’ as a sport, and how this change in perception inspired her to start a club with her friend, Dorothy.
“The ladies had started the juniors’ club in the thirties, and it was mainly played among fellow students at Wellesley College, where I had gone to school. Then they took it up a notch and started the seniors’ club. The difference was that the seniors were old enough to play against men. One of the men in the foursome was the pro at Woodmont Country Club. He had been the first to hire a female caddy, and he told me that I was the best player he had ever seen. So I knew all the club members’ names and we were going to be together a lot. I had started my golfing career as part of the Wellesley contingent, but now found myself in Philadelphia as many of the juniors were going to the Naval Academy, and the others had gone to Harvard. It was great to be out west, away from the cold, but it wasn’t exactly the setting I had envisioned for myself. As a student, I had thought I would play on the team at Harvard, but in the Navy.”
Why Is It Important To Play In A ‘Crowd’?
The story of Maxine and Dorothy’s first-ever golf game with Earhart is an interesting one. As noted by the author Elizabeth Coatsworth in her book, The Game, Earhart had originally been invited to join the club by her friend, Mary Turner. However, after meeting and playing together a few times, Earhart decided that she no longer wanted to be a member of the club, and asked instead that she be allowed to join the game as a spectator. Turner, who had initially opposed Earhart’s involvement in golf, relented and decided to allow Earhart to participate in the game as a guest.