As Phillipa Kennedy highlights most women have a story to tell about how other women golfers have made them feel uncomfortable in a golf club environment.
By Philippa Kennedy
Most women have a story to tell about how other women golfers have made them feel uncomfortable in a golf club environment, and as our correspondent highlights, this type of behaviour is harmful to the game.
What is it about golf clubs that turn certain women into prize bitches?
Is it a seat on the committee, long-standing membership, a feeling of superiority towards ordinary non-golfing mortals or something they spray on the fairways that turns them into bossy, unfriendly, critical monsters.
Recently I’ve been hearing about experiences friends have had that make me boil with rage. Their stories make me understand a little better, why it is that so many golf clubs are haemorrhaging members.
The first time I came across it personally I was shocked. A few years ago I was about to play with a friend whose husband was a member of a Surrey golf club and he signed us in as guests.
We were putting our golf shoes on and chatting and laughing, not particularly quietly but not loudly either when a cross-looking woman came in and demanded to know if we were members.
When we said No, we were visitors, she turned her back rudely and started looking at the noticeboards.
Strangers must wonder if they have landed on the moon when they visit clubs like that and start thinking about taking up tennis (actually that’s another story - some tennis clubs are even worse).
What I find utterly unforgiveable is discourteous treatment of new members. They’ve paid the exorbitant joining fee and their annual subs but it’s as if they somehow have to earn their spurs before they can even be acknowledged.
...
One woman I know was terribly nervous when she joined her club and hardly said a word to anyone for about six months after being ticked off by an old biddy for wearing shorts that were too short.
“But I bought them in the pro shop,” wailed the woman. “Why do they sell them if they aren’t right?”
I’ve heard endless tales about clothing misdemeanours and of course I appreciate that there have to be standards, but sometimes they are just ridiculous. I think the nastiness and critical attitude comes from a fear that clubs are going to be overwhelmed by hoards of the ‘great unwashed’. But these ‘golfing bitches’ really need to be packed off to charm school because it’s just bad manners to be rude and critical to new members or visitors.
If they had the true spirit of this wonderful game at heart, they would know that.
The above is an extract from the November/December 2016 issue of Women & Golf magazine, on sale today. Never miss an issue click here to subscribe and enjoy W&G delivered to your door.
