We choose to highlight some of the more interesting statistics regarding women’s golf, as well as some of the more important occurrences that have helped to establish women’s golf as a legitimate sport.
1. Mary Queen of Scots commissioned the first golf course in the United Kingdom. In the 1550s, the Queen imported golf to Scotland from France, establishing the first course at St. Andrews.
2. Mary Queen of Scots coined the name “caddie,” which comes from the French word “cadet,” which means “student.”
3. On New Year’s Day 1811, Musselburgh hosted the first ever women’s golf event.
4. Mini golf, as we know it now, was created with women in mind. Because it was deemed impolite for women to swing the club past their shoulders, the Ladies’ Putting Club of St. Andrews built a putting course in 1867 to allow them to enjoy a game without swinging the club too far.
5. A woman devised the handicap system. In 1893, Isette Miller of London assisted in the development of the first versions of the golf handicap system. Her system took into account the participants’ varying abilities and experience.
6. The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was founded in 1950, with LPGA players Louise Suggs, Babe Didrickson-Zaharias, and Patty Berg helping to put women’s golf on the map.
7. In a single season, Karrie Webb became the first female golfer to earn more than $1 million. She also completed it as a complete novice!
8. Michelle Wie of Hawaii was the youngest person to ever compete in a Professional Golf Association tour tournament. She competed at the Sony Open at the age of 14 in 2004.
9. Lydia Ko, who was 14 at the time, was the youngest player to win a professional golf tournament. The New South Wales Open was won by Ko in 2012. The World Golf Hall of Fame has a replica of the glove she wore.
10. A non-professional lady golfer’s average driver swing speed is 62 mph, whereas an average LPGA professional’s swing speed is 96 mph.
