It is recorded in the Golfers Handbook that the first known reference to a woman playing golf was at the trial in 1584 which preceded the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. It was stated as evidence to her indifference to the fate of her murdered husband that she had been seen a few days after his death “playing golf in the fields beside Seton”.
1893, coincidentally the year that saw the birth of the Selangor Golf Club, was the year that also marked the birth of the Ladies Golf Union and the inauguration of the Ladies’ Championships played for the first time at St Anne’s in Lancashire, England. There was never a ‘sex bar’ in the Selangor Golf Club. While it was tradition that only men could actually become full members of the club, the ‘ladies of the household’ of any member had always been welcomed as privileged persons and they have always been encouraged to play golf. The first clubhouse opened in 1894 made generous provision for them in the form of dressing room accommodation and the lounge bar was never closed to them.
In 1897 the first ladies’ competition was held for a prize donated by the head of a local company, Mr CEF Sanderson, who was a keen golfer. This competition was the forerunner of many, first held annually and then more frequently, but many years elapsed before a ladies’ monthly medal was instituted.
In the earlier years, the practice in the SGC was that ladies’ competitions were controlled by the club committee themselves, one of the ladies being co-opted to advise and act as a liaison. Of course, most of the work fell to the Honorary Secretary. Around 1920, this official, not relishing the role thrust upon him, suggested that the ladies should be encouraged and empowered to form a committee of their own. The Selangor Ladies Golf Club came into being shortly afterwards, authorised to form a committee with a Captain as chairman and an Honorary Secretary who was to be a member of the committee. It did not, however, function as a club in the proper sense of the word, since it was laid down that only those ladies are accepted for membership who were permitted to use the club and the course under the rules membership of the SGC itself. In other words, the club proper controlled the membership of the SLGC. Miss McBride was appointed the first Captain of the Ladies. The duties of the committee were defined as the running of all ladies’ competitions and control of their handicaps.
The substantial growth of membership of the ladies’ golf section in the postwar years permitted the introduction of two handicap divisions, Silver for players of handicap 18 and under and the Bronze for those between 19 and 36.
The Selangor Ladies Golf Club ran their own annual championship competition, the trophy for which was purchased out of club funds, the prewar original having been lost with the rest of the trophies in 1942. In 1950 there was inaugurated a competition for the higher handicap layers, designated as the Bronze division championship, which proved a highly popular innovation. Another Trophy competition was the Selangor Cup, presented by Mr Jeffrey Gibb. Then there was the annual Foursomes competition, the Newboult Cup, which coincidentally was just played last month and won by the pair of Mika Nishimura and Kanae Yutani, a full 75 years later. The trophy was presented by Sir Alec Newboult, the Chief Secretary to the Federation.
Over the years the Selangor Ladies Golf Club became known as the Ladies Golf Section and the committee as the Ladies Golf Section SubCommittee or the LGSC, led by a Lady Captain (later changed to Lady Golf Captain) under the Golf SubCommittee. A full set of Ladies Golf Section Byelaws was listed, laying out the rules of all LGS competitions. At the same time the enthusiastic ladies also initiated several social competitions, including a monthly Club Morning, which consisted of a 9-hole game for beginners and new members, and to meet the LGSC. An annual meeting was held, according to the Byelaws, to elect a new Lady Golf Captain and Committee with the same duty as defined back in 1920 as the running of all ladies’ competitions. Our longest-serving Lady Captain was the late Lee Eng Lin, with a special report and photographs in memory at the end of this article.
Fast forward to 2017, and the club opened its doors to full Ordinary Membership for ladies. There are now over 900 female Ordinary Members and the number is growing, especially as Junior girl members convert to Ordinary Memberships. Of course, female spouses, other Privileged Persons, Corporate and Diplomatic Members, and girls still make up a substantial part of the Ladies Golf Section, which has been part of the RSGC for 105 years.
Changes are afoot and members will be made known of these changes very soon.
I am happy to share photographs of the ladies of the LGS through the years. I hope you enjoy them and find some familiar faces. The golfing ladies of RSGC thank the LGSCs for their hard work volunteering to run the Ladies Golf Section.
A Lady Captain to Remember
with Thanks to Liow Foong Kwan and Fauziah Harun
Liow Foong Kwan : Our longest serving Lady Captain, Puan Sri Lee Eng Lin steered the Ladies Golf Section from 1975-79, 86-88 and finally in 92-93. Her sister Eng Looi also served as Lady Captain from 1990 to 1991. Many members will remember Lee Eng Lin as an elegant lady, immaculately dressed with the personal skills of a welltrained diplomat.
She led a group of ladies who played 18 holes each Friday afternoon. Each contributed a small wager. At the gathering after the game, the winner would pay for the food with drinks borne by the runner-up. Group outings included buka puasa dinners with everyone in baju Melayu, the traditional tossing of’Yee sang’ during Chinese New Year. The camaraderie continued for at least two decades.
Her legacy is the Puan Sri Lee Eng Lin trophy played for each year with a ‘Four ball better ball’ format. I had the honour of winning this competition twice, in 1999 with my late partner Tan Eng and again twenty years later in 2019, with Lillian Liew, a particularly memorable event for me after 20 years:)
Fauziah Harun: She was my tester. A lovely lady. I still remember what she said .. ok you pass! after the third hole!
