St. Andrews celebrates women’s golf
In celebration of the AIG Women’s Open returning to the Old Course this week, St Andrews Links Trust has released two short films showcasing the importance of the venue in paving the way and continuing to support women’s golf.
As part of its Pioneer video series, the two films tell the story of the world’s first ladies golf club, the St Andrews Ladies Putting Club, as well as charting the careers of two female PGA pros working at the Home of Golf in the St Andrews Links Golf Academy.
The two short films are designed to underline the strong history St Andrews has with women’s golf and the key role it can play in supporting the women’s game just now and in the future.
The World’s First Ladies Golf Club tells the story of the inception of the St Andrews Ladies Putting Club, founded in 1867, and the subsequent growth in popularity of their world-famous Himalayas putting green, situated alongside the Old Course. click here to view
Breaking Barriers at the Home of Golf charts the career path of PGA Professionals Rachel Knight and Adelle Middleton and their journey to St Andrews Links. It is at the Home of Golf where Rachel now supports the development of the next generation of talent through the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association and Adelle provides expert instruction to a broad range of clients as well as becoming a qualified Callaway club fitting technician in the National Performance Centre based at St Andrews Links Golf Academy. click here to view
In addition to the launch of the films, the Links Trust has also made a number of commitments as a signatory to the R&A’s Women in Golf Charter, to support the growth of the women’s game and increase the number of women working in the industry.
So far, these commitments have delivered the introduction of a women’s network within the Links Trust to give female employees the opportunity to meet, collaborate and share knowledge and expertise. The objective of the women’s network is to better understand the employee experience for female colleagues at the Links Trust as well as generating and implementing actionable ideas to make positive improvements.
Additional commitments by the Links Trust include offering opportunities to increase women and girls’ participation in golf through its St Andrews Links Golf Academy.
“We are excited to be hosting the AIG Women’s Open on the Old Course for the third time in its history and there is no better place to celebrate and continue to elevate the women’s game than with the world’s best players here at the Home of Golf,” said Neil Coulson, CEO of St. Andrews Links Trust. “The Home of Golf can act as a symbol around the world and we are proud to showcase our commitment to the women’s game as a signatory and supporter of the R&A’s Women in Golf Charter.”
Rachel Knight, Golf Academy Operations Supervisor at St Andrews Links Trust, said, “It’s a huge honor to have been the first female in the Golf Academy but during my time here there have been so many women across the Links Trust leading the way in the industry.”
The 2024 AIG Women’s Open will be the third time it has been held on the Old Course, with Lorena Ochoa and Stacy Lewis winning the previous championships in 2007 and 2013 respectively.
About St Andrews Links Trust
St Andrews Links Trust is responsible for the management and maintenance of the seven Links courses at St Andrews, Scotland, including the world-famous Old Course, host of The Open a record 30 times.
St Andrews Links Trust manages a number of additional facilities including three clubhouses, a golf academy and four retail stores. More than 250,000 rounds are played over the seven courses attracting visitors from around the world to follow in the footsteps of the world’s greatest golfers and become a part of golf’s rich history.
