Golf

It is widely believed that the game of golf originated in Scotland during the mid-1400s. The Scottish later established written rules for the game during the 1700s, which helped codify the sport. In the United States, the popularity of golf increased dramatically during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As the American culture became more modernized, upper-class businessmen used the sport as a diversion from employment stressors. The growth of private clubs, resort hotels, and technological advancements stimulated the popularity of the game. Unlike many contact sports that were considered too dangerous, golf was an acceptable form of recreation for women during the era, which was also a significant variable for its expansion in the United States.

Women emerged as golf professionals during the early 20th century. During this period, entrepreneurs actively sought avenues for capitalizing on the profitability of sport. Women's golf was one of many sports used as a vehicle for selling tickets and promoting products for the purpose of profit. In 1943, the first professional golf tournament for women was established.

The Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA) was created a year later, becoming the first governing body of women's professional golf in America. After five years of operation, the WPGA dissolved in 1949. Fred Corcoran, a successful sports promoter and manager of superstar Babe Didrikson-Zaharias, [Page 631]collaborated with the manufacturers of golf equipment to launch the Ladies Professional Golf Players Association (LPGPA) in 1949. In 1950, the organization changed its name and became the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Due in part to the fame Didrikson-Zaharias brought to the LPGA, the United States Golf Association (USGA) sponsored the first official Women's U.S. Open in 1953.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the LPGA experienced a series of triumphs and setbacks. In 1963, the U.S. Women's Open became the first televised LPGA event. The increased national attention enabled the LPGA to expand its schedule and prize money. Despite the gains made in the early 1960s, the tour struggled to adapt to the demands of the television market, which decreased the tour's financial stability. During the 1970s, however, the LPGA recovered when Colgate-Palmolive became the tour's title sponsor in 1972. A watershed event for women's golf and the LPGA occurred in 1972 when Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act passed into law. Mandating that all federally funded institutions provide equal funding to men and women, Title IX increased athletic opportunities for women dramatically. Additionally, Nancy Lopez burst onto the scene in 1977, providing a much-needed shot of star power to the tour.