cnn
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Who would you back to make a putt and save your life? Tiger Woods? Jack Nicklaus? Ben Crenshaw?
There are a lot of debatable options, but it's unlikely that many will turn to a group of women in Fife, Scotland, with no professional golf experience, many of whom are much more mature than the average Tour player.
Maybe they should, though, because anyone who put their life in the hands of the St. Andrews Ladies Putting Club would be entrusting it to an organization with over 150 years of short game experience.
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Founded in 1867, the group is the oldest women's golf club in the world, a title owed to some persevering, golf-loving women and some disaffected men.
When the daughters of members of the St. Andrews Royal & Ancient (R&A) Club, widely regarded as the historic home of the game, decided they wanted to play golf, it was not a conventional activity for women. Croquet and archery were the traditional choices among the limited options available.
When the women ventured onto the caddies' golf course, which was used by those who handled members' golf bags between rounds, the caddies wanted them to leave almost immediately.
“They didn't like it at all, and I don't think the members liked it very much either,” club archivist Eve Soulsby told CNN's The Jazzy Golfer.
But the caddies had a problem: as club employees, they couldn't complain to members. A compromise quickly emerged: give the women land next to the iconic Swilcan Bridge that they could use as a nine-hole golf course.
It was a rough area, full of rabbit holes, holes and sand, but it was a start. A month later, 22 women competed in the inaugural St. Andrews Ladies Golf Club tournament.
The word spread quickly. By the late 1880s membership had increased to 600, including male associate members. Today, there is a growing waiting list to join the 140 members, a number that is kept low to ensure tournaments run smoothly.
Shortly thereafter, old Tom Morris, the course's resident player and greenkeeper, often referred to as the “founding father of golf,” decided it would be a good idea for the ladies to visit the nearby Himalayan section of the course, so named because of its topography. mountainous
Morris prepared the area for the club before retiring in 1895, when he was made an honorary member.
Soulsby believes that the club's early members played a key role in gaining greater independence for the women of St. Andrews around the turn of the century, citing the creation of the women's course which, along with the Himalayan Golf Course , remains practicable to this day.
Proceeds raised by visitors to the golf course are donated to local charities, with an exception last year to donate funds to Ukrainian organizations.
Officially called The Jubilee Course and opened in 1897, the fact that the 18 holes designated for women were coined “The Duffers Course” reflected common attitudes towards women during the period. “We're pretending that didn't happen,” Soulsby added.
Among those who today carry the torch of those pioneers is Sylvia Dunne, the current president of the club.
A member since 2011, Dunne helps organize the group's weekly tournaments; a two-round main event on Wednesday afternoons and a one-round competition on Thursday morning for the so-called “old timers” who may have difficulty managing multiple rounds.
“It's the camaraderie and all that stuff too, because if you get older and you can't play golf, you might be stuck at home doing nothing all day, and this is really a very social club,” he said.
“The best part is after because they have coffee, cookies and a fool.”
Members who won tournaments in the early 20th century may have been lucky enough to take home a real prize. The club's first royal donation came from Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria's youngest son, and further trophies from Edward VIII and King George VI later followed.
There was a time when the R&A captains also donated trophies, but now they take on the Ladies Putting Club in an annual 18v18 putting competition.
Dunne is one of the club's most prolific putters, taking home six trophies in a single season during her best year. However, she admits that the green can be a cruel lover, even to her.
“One day recently I was very exasperated,” she said. “We have an award at the end of the season for the most holes in one, so I suggested: Isn't it time we had an award for the most holes in one?
“There is a lot of skill involved, but also a lot of luck. Some days the ball rolls for you and other days it won't fall in the hole.”
