THE first in-depth study of the history of women’s golf in Scotland is being launched by Glasgow researchers.

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) is working with the British Golf Museum in St Andrews to chart the development of the sport from the Second World War onwards.

It is hoped the study will trace the ‘hidden’ history of the women’s game, from 1945 to 1995, explore what first attracted players, the influence of class and age, and the potential challenges faced to regular participation.

Audio interviews with women who played the game at club level will be recorded and stored in the museum’s archives as part of the project.

Figures, from Scottish Golf, show around 14% of Scotland’s 211,000 golf club members are female, which is lower than other European countries such as Germany, Austria and Sweden.

Dr Fiona Skillen, senior lecturer in history at GCU, who will supervise the project, said: “This is about the past but it can inform the future. We want more young women and girls to be participating in golf, so hopefully this will give us a little more understanding and insight to help market the game.”