Levelling the Fairways: Does misogyny still exist in golf or is it a wider issue?

According to our recent survey of almost 400 women, an astonishing 70% told us they felt they had experienced misogyny in golf.

I can’t say I was particularly surprised by the result – misogyny exists in society, so it’s bound to be reflected in golf, particularly given that so many clubs are disproportionately male.

But I do wonder whether that’s exactly what this is – a reflection of general society rather than an issue in the game (most likely, I guess). Or perhaps it’s a historical problem in golf and one that is quickly fading away (I hope).

Either way, I think it’s an important issue to address and something we can’t just ignore.

Before we jump in, I’d really like to caveat this article with this: When I set out writing Levelling the Fairways, I was adamant (and still am), that it not become some male-bashing, woe-is-us, strong-feminist thing. This series is not about looking back or picking apart the negatives of golf; my aim has always been for it to incite important conversations that ultimately lead to a more positive experience for everyone.

But we can only make changes when we’re armed with data. And whether you believe that misogyny is an issue in golf or not, if 70% of women feel they have experienced it, then that’s enough to suggest that we need to take steps to address it.

What is misogyny?

The definition of misogyny is defined as the dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.

The word has been around for decades, but it has evolved over time to include a wide spectrum of behaviours and attitudes.

This definition from Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, Member of the House of Lords and legal scholar, goes a long way to showing the full reality of misogyny:

“The word [misogyny] has evolved to encompass the more widely held attitudes and behaviours that relegate women to a subordinate position and maintain the power imbalance which characterises male/female relations. It is these attitudes – and the conduct which flows from them – which prevent us achieving genuine equality.”

A long history of misogyny in sport

From language like “man up” and uniforms that aren’t suitable for women and girls, to unfair access to participation, misogyny is certainly still evident in sport today.

According to Women in Sport:

“Misogyny is the foundation on which many of the barriers that prevent women and girls being active are built. It underpins the history of active exclusion of women from many sports and the undervaluing of women’s sport today.

“Misogyny is the reason why there are so few female leaders in sport. It is behind the gendered stereotypes that tell girls and women, from such an early age, that sport isn’t for them. These stereotypes also mean women as well as men are brought up to conform to the existing power balance; women as well as men can treat women badly and promote the status quo.

“Sexualised language, vicious commentary and sexual abuse, both physical and online, continue to harm, objectify and undermine women in sport.”

Is misogyny a problem in golf or wider society?

I really wanted to get a well-rounded view of this, and so I asked as many people as I possibly could from across the industry for their thoughts of misogyny in golf.

We all know that men often dominate boards and committees, golf shops are stocked with mainly men’s clothes, and tee times are sometimes reserved for men only. And they’re only a few examples. But whilst I’m not saying that any of that is fair, when golf clubs are made up of mainly men (only 14% of golf club members in England are female), is it really a surprise?

“The challenge is: What comes first? Would the game be more attractive to women if the environment and supporting services were tailored toward their preferences (undoubtedly so), versus venues which might be at capacity with a 80-90% male membership who are also pushing for better facilities and activity to suit their own preferences,” commented Will Hewitt, General Manager, 59Club UK.

“There are a number of groups within golf who are fighting for representation – juniors, seniors, elite players, beginners, course-focused, social-focused etc, and sometimes the preferences and needs of one group are often the polar opposite of another. This will possibly lead to an attitude of trying to please most the people most of the time. Perhaps that’s the best thing for the venue now, but possibly not in 15 or 20 year’s time.”

For me, what it really comes down to is accepting that golf is different for males and females, and that as an industry, we don’t really understand (or perhaps haven’t taken the time to understand) what women want and need from the game.

This feeling of not being listened to or respected seemed to be echoed across every conversation I had with some of the women who’d completed our survey:

Clare:

“I have played golf for over 50 years and started as a teenager. Some aspects of golf have improved in that time, but what I feel hasn’t changed is the general attitude of some male golfers and their lack of respect for fellow female golfers. In my experience, this manifests itself in things like a reluctance to let females play through, even when we are playing more quickly.”

“I also feel there is a misunderstanding of "equality"; it's not about exact sameness but about equality of opportunity.”

Margaret:

“The general sense of our women’s section is that we are treated as second class, although our committee has been working hard to be treated equitably.”

Lois:

“At first, there were attempts at putting women on the Board, but that is not the case now. The feedback from women who have sat on the Board has been so bad that most women would rather not sit ‘at the table’ with the men. 

“Frustrated, I formed a group of six well-respected women three years ago. We met on a number of occasions to discuss and target issues relevant to women at the club, including renovating our on-course toilets. The President’s answer to that was that he’d never been in one!”

Ailsa:

“After a corporate golf day over dinner, my two playing partners admitted that neither of them had ever played golf with a woman before and that on seeing me approach, one had said to the other “oh no, we’ve got the bloody woman. They then also confessed that they were more than impressed by the way I had out-played and out-scored them both.”

Until we stamp out misogyny in wider society, we’ll never get rid of it in golf. But if we can find a way to make sure that women feel heard, seen and respected at clubs, they will at least feel like they belong.

Discussing this with Kiran Kanwar, Ph.D. Kinesiology and LPGA Master professional, she gave me even further food for thought, explaining: “I don’t think it’s necessarily misogyny so much as being a totally different game. If golf clubs wish to increase the number of women members, the main and only way, in my opinion, is to get female golfers to be better golfers … To do that, they need a more female-friendly golf swing. You can move tee boxes forward and improve landing areas, etc, but that’s all an additional cost for clubs.”

Employ more women in golf: Is it that simple?

For me, something we don’t do well enough when we market and promote golf to women is talk about the wealth of opportunities there are from a career perspective.

It might be too simplistic of a view, but I really think that employing more women in the industry will have a hugely positive impact on reducing misogyny and increasing participation in females.

Nicole Wheatley, Golf Marketing Specialist at Medi8 and co-founder of the Women in Golf Awards, told me: “If more women are represented throughout the business, from top to bottom, then it's likely that the occurrences of misogyny will reduce. So, employ more women.”

Dan Lucking, Sales Director at Get Golfing, added: “We employ a really diverse workforce to ensure that everyone feels welcome and included. But one of the things we’re getting much better at Get Golfing is empowering our front-line teams to guide business decisions that would have usually only been made by senior managers. They are the ones who are closest to our customers and they have their fingers on the pulse when it comes to knowing what our members and visitors really want.”

What’s next?

To conclude, the issue of misogyny in golf is one that mirrors the challenges women face in broader society. Whether it stems from ingrained biases, historical norms, or simply a lack of understanding of women's needs in the game, it’s clear that some work still needs to be done.

What’s important is that we address the concerns of women who feel marginalised, listen to their experiences, and foster inclusivity within golf clubs. If the sport aims to grow and diversify, the voices of women need to be heard and valued.

Progress is undoubtedly being made, but it will take a concerted effort from both men and women (I know as women we can be our own worst enemies – a discussion for another time) to ensure that golf becomes a more welcoming and equitable environment for all.

Read more about our Levelling the Fairways series or catch up on past features now!