History of Women's Golf

1914 – 2014

The first formally recorded beginnings of women’s golf was in 1889 at the Cape Golf Club where they admitted women for the first time, mainly because they were battling to keep the club alive. It would appear that golf was being played at various clubs around the country, and the first recorded photograph of women golfers was taken at Graaff-Reinet in 1897.

In 1898 Maritzburg Golf Club admitted women members whilst Durban Club only allowed ladies to join in 1903, and the historian tells us they were “merely tolerated – and were required to give way to male players if so requested”!

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Past Presidents

Presidents of the South African Ladies Golf Union which became Womens Golf South Africa in 2005

	SALGU
1914 – 1916	Mrs J.A.P. Gibb	Johannesburg
1917 – 1918	Mrs C. Stuart
1918 – 1919	Mrs May Brinton
1919 – 1923	Mrs J.A.P. Gibb	Johannesburg
1924 – 1925	Mrs K. Jooste	Johannesburg
1925 – 1927	Mrs V. Grindley-Ferris	Johannesburg
1928 – 1931	Mrs K. Jooste	Johannesburg
1932 – 1933	Mrs V. Grindley-Ferris	Johannesburg
1934 – 1935	Mrs H.R. Mullins
1937 – 1939	Mrs G. R. Wilkinson
1939 – 1948	World War
1948 – 1950	Mrs Maud Leeds
1951 – 1953	Mrs Guy Darwell	Johannesburg
1954 – 1956	Mrs C.M. Catterall
1957 – 1960	Mrs J. Pinchuck	Johannesburg
1960 – 1963	Mrs E. Stuart Findlay	Cape Town
1963 – 1966	Mrs W. Mac Gregor	Cape Town
1966 – 1969	Miss D. Robinson	Pietermaritzburg
1969 – 1972	Mrs E.M. Gallie	Johannesburg
1972 – 1975	Mrs J.S. Dowie Dunn	Cape Town
1975 – 1978	Mrs E.V. Butt	East London
1978 – 1981	Mrs L. van Diggelen	Pietermaritzburg
1981 – 1984	Mrs F. D.Daniel	Durban
1984 – 1987	Mrs J.A. Eustice	Johannesburg
1987 – 1990	Mrs E.B. Tribelhorn	Cape Town
1990 – 1993	Miss E.M. Neethling	Bloemfontein
1993 – 1996	Mrs F.D. Daniel	Durban
1996 – 1999	Mrs V.V. Harrington	Johannesburg
1999 – 2002	Mrs E.K. Van Schalkwyk (then Smit)	Senekal
2002 – 2005	Mrs Alma Truss	Johannesburg
	WGSA
2005 – 2008	Mrs Caroline F. Kettlewell	St Francis Bay
2008 – 2011	Mrs Erica Lefson	Cape Town
2011 – 2014	Mrs Cynthia Rayner	Somerset West
2014 – 2017	Mrs Karen Olivant	Umtentwini
2017 –	Ms Sally Greasley	Port Alfred

Past Secretaries

1914 – 1918	Mrs K Jooste	Johannesburg
1919	Mrs U Beres
1920 – 1924	Mrs V Grindley Ferris	Johannesburhg
1924 – 1925	Mrs T Glencross
1926 – 1929	Mrs Y Lindsay
1930 – 1947	Mrs Maud Leeds
1948 – 1955	Mrs AHV Cooper
1956 – 1963	Mrs E Carelse	Durban
1963 – 1965	Mrs H Wilson	Cape Town
1965 – 1970	Miss EM Neethling	Bloemfontein
1970 – 1997	Mrs Esther Cutler	Vereeniging
1997 – 2008	Mrs Vivian Horak (Treasurer from 1999)	Randfontein
2008 – 2012	Mrs Paddy Goodwin	Paarl
2013	Ms Lali Stander	Somerset West
2014 – 2017	Ms Sonia Schoeman	Somerset West
2017 –	Ms Verucia Bell	Somerset West

Past Treasurers

GolfRSA Sponsors