A YOUNG Lochgelly golfer played a key part in a BBC television programme which tracked the progress of ladies game in Scotland, and the many hurdles that women enjoying the Royal and Ancient game have had to scale.

22 year-old, Brogan Clark, has been a member at the Cartmore Road club since being at primary school and is now a Fife County player, and was delighted to be given the opportunity to give her experiences as a young member of the current ladies legion of golfers.

The programme, ‘Iron Women’, was broadcast on BBC Alba last Saturday night and traced how from very tentative early days in the 19th century, ladies golf was now an established part of every club, including Lochgelly Golf Club.

The breakthrough came when the St Andrews Ladies Putting Club was formed in 1867 and it saw women enjoy taking part in putting competitions, and also develop a social aspect where the lady putters were able to meet regularly and enjoy each other’s company.

Women had been playing golf in Scotland from the late 1700s on a more casual basis, but from the mid 1800s ladies’ involvement in the sport started to gain momentum.

The programme made it clear that there was opposition to ladies golf throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, but in the 1890s came from the ladies association of players the foundation of a handicapping system.

After the Great War the momentum continued and the performances of British lady golfers in national tournaments at home, and in the USA, were making sporting headlines and many of the successful competitors were Scots.

The Curtis Cup then came into being through two US sisters and Great Britain and Ireland amateur team takes on the USA amateur team every two years to this day.

Scottish competitors, Jessie Williamson and Belle Robertson, were two of the best known British players.

Pro ladies golf then came on the scene and the Women’s Professional Golfers Association was formed, but still there has been obstacles to be overcome, although since the turn of the 21st century ladies golf has become accepted all over the UK with most clubs encompassing ‘equal membership’.

Brogan was pleased to be asked to take part in the programme, which had input from several good lady players from north of the border, covering all age groups.

“I have regularly played against a lot of the girls who took part and was approached through that,” said Brogan.

“What came out in the 60 minute programme was a real surprise to me in many ways, for while I knew about some of the problems lady members of clubs came across, I did not realise the opposition they faced in the early years.

“They really faced many mountains that had to be climbed but they managed to achieve their goals and have given the game in general many plusses, including a handicapping system.”

In the programme Brogan did speak about how she has come across gents players as she waited to tee off and heard them talking about being behind a ladies game with the comment, ‘we could take four or five hours today to get round!’

Added Brogan: “Some lads have this strange idea that lady players are slow but that has not been my experience.

“It is good that virtually all of the clubs now have good ladies sections and hopefully the numbers will continue to rise.”

She was very aware that the Covid pandemic had seen the membership at Lochgelly Golf Club rise by more than 100 since March.

“The Lockdown between March and June saw a number of people come back to golf and many others take up the game and it has seen the membership at our club climb markedly,” said Brogan

“Golf is a game which, through the handicapping system, means that everyone has a chance and it can be a sport people can get a great deal of satisfaction from and is good for your physical fitness.

“It would be great to see more lady members at Lochgelly Golf Club and more members in general.”

Brogan is looking forward to the new season, which starts in April, and is looking forward to maintaining her place in the Fife County Ladies team.

“Covid led to last season’s county competitions being put on hold but hopefully we will see the Fife Ladies Championship take place along with the East of Scotland Championship, the club medals, and the Fife team taking part in the county championship matches,” added the very low handicap player.

“Under the new World Handicap System I have gone up from 4 to 6, so my aim is to get down to 2 or 3 if I can, and that will be my target.”