What’s in a name? Quite a bit when it comes to women and golf, suggests Golf Monthly reader Jakki Moxon. At a high level, in other sports, the term ‘women’ is widely used. However, the antiquated term ‘ladies’ still exists in golf in many guises. Indeed, it is still there in the name of almost all golf organisations for women, from the LPGA down to our ladies’ sections at golf clubs. But does the name really matter?
“In my opinion, yes,” wrote Moxon. “Women are living, breathing, fighting, inclusive humans, whereas ‘ladies’ tends to refer to a particular class and suggest compliance, conformity and a delicate nature. Insisting on retaining the title is off-putting to younger women and girls, it somehow keeps women firmly ‘in their place’ within the golf club itself.
