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WOMEN’S GOLF CENTENARY By Karen Harding
Australasian Womens Golf Magazine – Summer 2007

It was a great finish to an exciting year. It was a day for kindred spirits, united in their passion for their game and with just one intent – to celebrate the achievements of one century and to embrace the dawn of the next.

The voices of their pioneering sisters could surely be heard in their enthusiastic greetings to one other, the happy chattering and the gales of laughter as they recalled happy times spent together on and off the course.

November saw the climax to Women’s Golf Victoria’s year long calendar of events and festivities to mark the 100th anniversary of its inception. Two hundred women were invited to a gala luncheon held at Royal Melbourne and many others were invited to District Luncheons held throughout the year in recognition of their contribution to women’s golf. Also on the day, winners of the Centenary Fourball Final played in the morning were presented with their trophies.

MC Sandra Mackenzie opened proceedings with some amusing anecdotes from her
playing days and then introduced President Judy Onto who reminded all how far women’s golf has come since the early heady days of 1906 and of the work still to be done. “Yes, there are challenges ahead of us”, she said later, “but they are surely no more difficult than those of 100 years ago. The women of those days showed tremendous courage in their determination to succeed and to gain credibility in a very different society from today. I think that spirit still exists and will sustain us into the second century.”

Fundraising was an important part of the activities of the young Victorian Ladies Golf Union and so it remains today. Mrs Onto was delighted to present Dr Marcus Carey from the Royal Women’s Hospital with a cheque for $40,650. WGV has earmarked as a significant project the raising of $75,000, which will cover the training of one urogynaecological specialist over a three year period, and to assist in bringing this important area of women’s medicine into the public domain. Begun in November 2005 with the sale of the first Address Book produced to mark the special year, the project aims to reach its target in two years. The remaining funds will be raised through further sales of the Address Book and from proceeds of the Centenary Fourball event continuing to be played but to be known from 2007 as the Royal Women’s Hospital Fourball.

(To purchase your copy of the address book ($20 plus postage) or for any enquiries regarding WGV activities, contact your district delegate, WGV office (9523 8511) or visit www.womensgolf.org.au).

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