'It Suggests Compliance And Conformity' - Why The Term 'Ladies' Is Sparking A Debate In Golf

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.

"I was particularly struck by this on the recent International Women’s Day, when many golf clubs proudly depicted photos of their ‘ladies’ section! Will we, as women, ever achieve equality in sport whilst we insist on retaining elitist terminology, without recognising that, rather than showing respect, it is, in fact, demeaning?”

Moxon’s powerfully provocative viewpoint certainly poses some difficult questions about the women’s game and its perception in the sporting world. In fact, I can’t think of any other sport that is played professionally where the women’s game is called ‘ladies.’ We have women’s association football, the women’s international cricket league, Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) - the list goes on. Yet the two main golf tours for women - the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour - both feature ‘Ladies’ in their title.

Surely is it about time that the governing bodies in women’s golf addressed this? The trouble is the history associated with these tours is long-standing, so any title change would be controversial.

Take the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) for instance. The Tour was founded in 1950, in an era where women’s professional golf was in its infancy. To change the title to the WPGA is like saying the Royal & Ancient (R&A) should remove the ‘Royal’, which also sounds elitist. Arguably the name could be seen to suggest that it represents a certain upper class social demographic of society. Yet these titles are part of the history of golf and the institution of the game. The LPGA and LET were founded as ‘ladies’ tours and their titles remain part of that heritage.

Personally I have never thought of either tour's title as offensive. Besides, the Women’s Professional Golfers Association already exists, sitting alongside the PGA, as the governing body for women who choose to carve out a coaching or business career in golf. So to rename the tour after the same title would be confusing.

However, there are many women like Jakki Moxon who do not share this sentiment. In fact, they feel so strongly on the subject that the very mention of the word ‘ladies’ evokes anger towards the game. They look upon the women, like me, who belong to ladies’ sections at golf clubs, as old-fashioned and stubborn in our refusal to accept that there is even a problem with the name.

One woman who has taken drastic action, listening to her audience debate and deciding to change the title of her popular website for women is Yvonne Brooke. She founded the Ladies Golf Lounge in May 2020 and changed it to the Women’s Golf Lounge in September 2025. Brooke speaks passionately about the topic and the motivation behind the name change.

“We say men’s golf, not gentlemen’s golf, so grammatically we should say women’s golf rather than ladies golf - this also includes Women's Captain at clubs,” explains Brooke as a starting point.

“I am a big champion of growing the game. If we genuinely want to attract more women into golf, and importantly, more girls, then the way we talk about the sport makes a difference. Language shapes perception, and ‘women’s golf’ feels more current, more relatable and more aligned with how other sports position themselves. You only have to look at women’s football, rugby or cricket - they have all moved in that direction”.

Brooke had been thinking about changing the name of the Ladies Golf Lounge for a while before taking the plunge and changing the title. Her decision was prompted by a conversation with her niece, an elite hockey player who had just started playing golf. When she asked her what it should be called, she immediately said ‘women’s golf’. “I changed the name to Women's Golf Lounge that day!” she explains.

The women versus ladies debate has always been a heated one on Brooke’s popular Facebook page. “I have to stress that there is nothing wrong with the word ‘ladies,” she adds “I use it all the time, ie ‘hello ladies’ But when we are referring to the sport itself, it is time to move with the times and modernise the language we use.”

There is no denying that golf still struggles with perception problems. It is seen as an elitist and expensive sport by many. There are barriers to accessibility, traditions and exclusivity at clubs. While removing the title ladies from golf entirely might seem like a small change (and some might say irrelevant), it is one of many steps towards making the game feel more inclusive, more welcoming, and more relevant. If we truly want to grow the game of golf, then even I have to admit that this detail really does matter. What do you think? Let us know in the comments box below.