Despite significant strides in visibility and talent, golf continues to grapple with issues of equality.
Last week, English professional Bronte Law, 29, told how she believes the women’s game is “still not taken seriously” by golf fans and that more needs to be done to elevate it to the same status as the men’s game.
The gulf between prize money in the professional game also remains stark with the men’s Open sporting a purse of $17m versus $9m for the women.
So is the path to true parity between men’s and women’s golf still a fairway off?
Young St Andrews golfer Carly McDonald dreams of turning professional
One junior golfer with high hopes for the future is 13-year-old Carly McDonald of St Andrews.
The rising star was this week called up to be part of the Great Britain and Ireland teams facing Europe in the Jacques Léglise Trophy and the Junior Vagliano Trophy.
Carly, a former Lawhead Primary pupil now in S2 at Madras College, is already making waves.
With an impressive handicap of +1.9 and a resume that includes participation in national and European tournaments, Carly’s talent and dedication is clear.
Growing up in St Andrews, a town synonymous with golf, Carly, a member of St Regulus ladies club, has had access to some of the best facilities and courses in the world, a factor she acknowledges as a significant advantage.
Positive support and opportunities
She dreams of turning professional. Watching players like her heroine Georgia Hall inspires her, giving her a glimpse of the level she aspires to.
“There’s been really positive support and so many opportunities for girls,” she said, optimistically. “The St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association, among other local initiatives, has played a crucial role in providing these opportunities.”
Yet even as she progresses, Carly is aware of the broader challenges facing women’s golf.
While the sport has made strides in promoting gender equality, one St Andrews parent, who asked not to be identified, told The Courier there is still a noticeable gap, particularly at the elite level.
“At a junior level, it’s excellent. It’s very equal,” she said. “Sometimes it can even be slanted too much towards opportunities for girls. But there’s a difference at the other end—in terms of prize money, sponsorship, and everything else. There it’s still slanted towards the men.”
Efforts to increase female golf participation
The perception of inequality isn’t just a personal observation.
Professional golfers have spoken out about the lack of recognition and support for the women’s game. It’s almost a decade since the Royal & Ancient Golf Club voted to admit female members, and the debate about gender in golf clubs persists.
But Jane Frazer, director of sales and marketing at Fairmont St Andrews, sees no reason why the gender gap in golf can’t be closed completely.
This week Fairmont has been supporting the Golf Foundation’s ‘Girls in Golf’ initiative and the resort has ambitions to increase female golf participation moving forward.
That drive, she says, has to come from grassroots investment.
That’s why Fairmont is to sponsor and support two Scottish juniors – a girl and a boy. Former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, who designed Fairmont’s Torrance course, is backing the scheme.
Most Fairmont golfers tend to be men, Jane says. But she adds that when it comes to junior golf camps, a lot more girls play than they did 10 years ago.
“It still has a long way to go, but I see no reason why women’s golf and men’s golf will not one day be on a completely equal footing in terms of crowds, prize money and status,” she said.
“How long that’s going to take, I have no idea, but I don’t see any reason why equality can’t be achieved. It will just take time. Watching women play golf is a different dynamic to men. Not better or worse. Just different.”
What’s the view of Scottish Golf?
Scottish Golf is the Rosyth-based national governing body for amateur golf in Scotland. Its aim is to make golf Scotland’s game for everyone.
Women and girls are a “key focus” for the foreseeable future, it says, which its club membership are fully supportive of.
Growing the female game holds a “huge opportunity” to ensure golf is more diverse, and sustainable for the future.
In terms of opportunities for juniors, Scottish Golf highlights a rich programme of participation initiatives for delivery in club settings.
The last reported figures for 2023 show that the junior female participation rate in these programmes is over 24% which it describes as “in the main very positive indeed”. That figure is expected to be higher in 2024.
They also work with the Golf Foundation to deliver for junior golfers. Also helping is the National Junior Framework, which is an end-to-end programme that coaches in clubs can pick up and deliver with all the support and resources they need to do so effectively.
Meanwhile, the Golf Sixes League is their most successful and highly subscribed programme, growing year on year.
Identifying talent and providing opportunities for development
“Our national events provide opportunities for aspiring amateurs to compete on a national and international stage,” a spokesperson said.
“The iconic Helen Holm Women’s Open (at Royal Troon in 2024) and the Scottish Women’s Am at Nairn Dunbar this year showcased the best in Scottish female golfing talent.
“Success at a top amateur level or professional level relies on that broad base for participation at the beginner level, and we work hard on that pipeline to ensure female representation across all levels of the amateur game.”
Scottish Golf’s performance pathway identifies talent alongside their national coaches and in-house performance team. Support also comes from sportscotland, the R&A and the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation to do this.
The spokesperson added: “Currently, Lorna McClymont and Hannah Darling are preparing to represent GB&I at the Curtis Cup next week at Sunningdale in England.
“They are both stalwarts of the women’s squads and have represented Scotland at amateur level multiple times.
“They are an inspiration to younger female golfers and we highlight their successes to showcase what is possible and the opportunities within the sport.”
Conversation