Creating a home for the lived experiences of women club golfers in Scotland: two case studies undertaken in collaboration with the R&A World Golf Museum

ABSTRACT This paper will explore the place of women’s experiences within the collections held by the recently redeveloped R&A World Golf Museum in St Andrews [The R&A World Golf Museum is aligned with The R&A, golf’s governing body (outwith USA and Mexico)]. It will explore how women have been traditionally represented in the galleries and in academic research, highlighting the gaps that existed in our understanding of women’s experiences at a grassroots level within clubs in Scotland. The paper will discuss how the new museum galleries have started to address some of these absences and how they will be further addressed through an AHRC Collaborative PhD Studentship undertaken by Lauren Beatty. It will discuss in brief how and why oral histories have formed the main methodology for this study, and what the longer-term plans are for the use of these testimonies within the Museum in relation to education and outreach work. In doing so, the paper will demonstrate the value of combining both academic research and museum public engagement work.


Introduction
Scotland is acknowledged as the home of golf. From its beginnings on the links around the country, golf has spread throughout the world. It was first documented in Scotland in an Act of Parliament in 1457, and now is played in 208 of the 245 countries in the world at over 33,000 golf courses. 1 Golf remains a popular pastime in Scotland and the wider UK, there are an estimated 1.5 million adult golfers in the UK who play at least once a week, which is twice as many as play tennis or badminton. Results from the Scottish Household Survey 2017 showed that 10% of men and 2% of women had participated in golf in the last 4 weeks. 2 In Scotland there are 211,000 golf club members at 587 affiliated clubs, and 13.7% of these are female. 3 In addition to this Scotland has many pay-and-play clubs, which are not included in these statistics, and which are also popular amongst female players. Organisationally women's golf has gone through a number of significant changes in recent years. The Scottish Ladies Golf Association and the Scottish Golf Union (for men) became one entity, Scottish Golf, in 2016. Similarly, the Ladies' Golf Union (LGU) merged with The R&A in 2017. 4 The R&A, which is based in St Andrews and governs the sport of golf worldwide on behalf of over 36 million golfers, continues its commitment to support and grow women's golf globally. Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said of the merger, 'Our combined resources and staff expertise will help us to achieve our shared aims for the development of golf, including increasing girls' and women's participation and encouraging more families to enjoy golf as a recreational activity'. 5 This merger has provided additional impetus to the quest for knowledge relating to the history of women's golf to sit alongside that of men's participation in the sport. The Collaborative Doctoral Partnership (CDP) can uniquely draw on the connections between these two organisations and players at grassroots level.
This article explores how the project 'An Oral History of Women's Golf in Scotland, 1945-1995' undertaken by PhD student Lauren Beatty, came about and as the project is still ongoing it will include initial findings from two case studies which are being undertaken. The article will demonstrate why this study was needed and some of the initial benefits of working collaboratively across a university institution, Glasgow Caledonian University and a museum, the R&A World Golf Museum. The recent renovation and rebranding of the Museum will also be discussed, demonstrating the importance of this research to the collections and stories shared in the galleries.
Situating women in the history of the R&A world museum The origins of the Museum stem from 1864 when The Royal and Ancient Golf Club granted a Committee powers 'to collect such articles relative to the game as they may think necessary and to make such arrangements to render them accessible to members as may be consistent with their due preservation'. 6 By 1884, the collection was on display in the Clubhouse in what was described as 'a cabinet of curiosities'. 7 Display space was always limited, and the Club was running out of space for historical displays by the 1960s and by the 1970s this had led to initial discussions about the possibility of setting up a formal museum for the Club. Denis Hayes, Chair of the Club's General Committee noted in the mid-1980s that 'the desirability of a suitable museum for the housing and preservation of these priceless assets had been noticeably advanced'. 8 Things did not really start to progress in any serious way however until March 1985 when the Scottish Tourist Board (STB) approached the Club and its Secretary, Sir Michael Bonallack, to discuss the potential for a museum and shop at Bruce Embankment. 9 With such significant financial investment by the Club, estimated at approximately £2.1 million for the capital works, with a further £300,000 from the STB, the Club wanted to ensure that there was support from members for such a financial investment and they made the decision to set up a separate charitable trust to build and then run the new Museum. Due to the location of the Museum, close to The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse and the worldfamous vista of the 18th green of the Old Course, there were many sensitivities around planning and the Museum was often described in the press as 'the controversial British Golf Museum'. 10 Peter Lewis was appointed Director of the Museum in August 1988 and the date for opening was planned for before The Open Championship which was due to be played in St Andrews in 1990.
The British Golf Museum opened to great critical acclaim on 25th June 1990. 11 After opening, the British Golf Museum won seven major awards and was hailed for its interactive audio visual features, which had been developed in partnership with Philips Electronics. 12 The Museum's aim was 'the preservation of these priceless assets', which the Club had collected. 13 This meant that the heart of the Museum's collections came from the Club, and therefore from the male perspective of golf history. Whilst the galleries always featured some stories of female golf, it is clear that both the known early history of golf and in many ways the audience visiting the Museum was predominately male. This combined with the chronological orientation of the galleries meant that women's stories were not featured until halfway through the displays which gave an imbalance to the representations and inclusion of women's stories throughout. Given that the Club was a 'men's only' club, this was perhaps unsurprising, but it was an important aspect of the Museum which needed to be addressed.
The Royal and Ancient became a mixed Club following a vote on 18th September 2014. 14 Following that vote, female honorary members were invited to join, with Lady Angela Bonallack becoming the first woman to represent the Club in a match against the St Andrews Links Trust and being victorious in the Spring Medal competition. 15 These historic moments were subsequently referenced within the new 2021 design, in the zone dedicated to the Club, along with Lady Angela's medal from her 1955 Girls Amateur win. The Museum has always sought to reflect changes and developments within the wider game, and the greater role women play in the Club, but this has always been within the constraints of the display space available. In the intervening period between the Museum opening and the total renewal of the display spaces in 2022, the galleries were refreshed to varying degrees with individual sections being changed to reflect temporary exhibitions and new acquisitions. 16 Museum Director, Peter Lewis (retired 2009), advised the General Committee of the Club 'when the museum opened to the public, it would merely be the beginning and that, like a garden, the whole entity would evolve, grow and develop'. 17 This has certainly been the case over the years and the largest redevelopment project, until 2022, was, when a restaurant facility was built on top of the Museum in 2015, 18 it provides not only catering but a space for bespoke evening events, which allowed for further development of the Museum's audience. 19 Now known as 'The Niblick', 20 the restaurant was aptly named after the Scottish word for a club used from the mid-nineteenth century, which would now be known as a nine iron, and was a steeply lofted, concave-faced iron. 21 Since the opening of the British Golf Museum, knowing who the core audience is, that is the people who visited the galleries, was of utmost importance. Through natural observation Museum staff were aware that adult golfers, visitors to St Andrews and day trippers were the key groups who were the users of the Museum. After the redevelopment of the Museum in 2015 there was a desire to build a picture of whether our audience had changed since the introduction of our catering offering, this would lead to a full Audience Development programme from 2019 onwards. In addition to this focus groups and surveys in the planning of the gallery development and rebrand were organised, which informed choices such as the name and tone of voice. A complete renovation and change in direction for the gallery space had been something discussed to attract new audiences, reach the Museum's core audience in an engaging way and to encourage repeat visits. There was also a desire to make the relationship between the Museum and the governing body, The R&A, more explicit as many visitors did not appreciate the connection. The Museum represents the work of the Club and business through the stories we share; we give context and foundation to every aspect of the organisation and provide a public facing window into the past, present, and future of golf. June 2020 marked the Museum's 30th anniversary year, and although celebrations were put on hold due to the global pandemic, there was excitement about the future and what the new galleries could achieve. Being able to showcase topics which were not previously featured or only featured in a limited way, particularly those around diversity was central to the future of the Museum and aimed to reflect The R&A's values of Courage, Integrity, and Inclusivity. 22 The limitations of the physical gallery space, and collections meant that the museum team was keen to develop new strategies to give voice to untold stories, something which is echoed in Lauren's research, as much of the existing collection is focused on elite amateur and professional material. Featuring a wider representation of players and their experiences of playing golf was a central component to the museum's aims and objectives for its redevelopment.

The museum's redevelopment and rebrand
The primary impetus for the redevelopment project was the desire of the Museum staff to re-examine and reinterpret the collections. The galleries had been altered since the original layout, but this had been done in sporadic ways for new exhibitions or acquisitions, the redevelopment therefore offered an opportunity to reimagine the exhibition spaces rather than simply adapting the existing displays. There was also a need to evaluate the audience the Museum attracted, and to set goals for new and existing audiences in the future. It was quickly evident, from onsite observations, who the Museum's dominant audience was: adult golfers or golf enthusiasts.
The way the Museum showcased both its collections and the new brand were vital in creating a space which would be welcoming to all types of visitors. The design work was done in collaboration with Mather & Co, an exhibition and design consultancy based in England. 23 There were several key aims for the project. These included an improved gallery layout which would enhance the visitor experience and improve the way in which the collection was displayed, taking a more thematic approach. By introducing more audio to the galleries as well as modern technologies we wanted to ensure that they became more engaging. Creating a Learning Room would also allow for more effective facilitation of the activities that take place in the Museum and allow for expansion of the Museum's community engagement. 24 The Museum also identified what were the key themes that could best embody the stories which should be shared and allow the best use of the collections. 25 The Museum was awarded Recognised Collection of National Significance as awarded by Museums Galleries Scotland, which celebrates collections across Scotland that are significant to the nation. 26 The Women Golfers' Museum Collection was a key justification in awarding this status. During the planning process it was made clear that objects from our women's collection were dispersed on an equitable basis throughout the galleries rather than reserved to specific 'women's golf' cases.
When the Gallery re-development proposal was presented to the Club the Museum was asked to review the name and branding to align it more closely to The R&A. There were several reasons for this decision. The Museum owes its existence and the core of its collection to The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and receives its funding from The R&A Foundation. As there was nothing in the original name and branding that associated it with the Club or The R&A, there was often confusion amongst visitors who assumed the Museum was owned by the St Andrews Links Trust or was an independently owned entity. It is the aim of the Museum staff to educate and enlighten visitors about the wider organisation and its relationship to the Museum. Aligning the branding was important in this endeavour.
Branding consultant Zag was engaged to guide the team through the process, which included workshops with the staff to come up with the 'Big Task', which was to bring a fresh, modern experience with rich storytelling, and to explore new, engaging ways to share the story of golf. There was also a desire to increase footfall by attracting new audiences, to identify new revenue opportunities and deliver year on year growth.
The key learning was the desire for the Museum brand to exist somewhere in between an appreciation of what it stands for today and an aspiration for what it could become in the future. Its new brand proposition therefore is to; 'Explore a world leading immersive experience at the heart of golf that tells the story of the game of the people. Feel uplifted, enlightened, inspired and deeply connected to the game'. Its purpose is to 'share the wonders of golf with everyone'. 27 Whilst there was a desire to align with The R&A whilst being bold, ambitions and forward-looking, there was also a recognition that the history should be presented in a respectful and comprehensive way. We recognised that visitors were unsure where the Museum fitted in the golf community of St Andrews, by ensuring that R&A was in our name, this clarified the confusion. Working alongside colleagues to share the knowledge within the organisation on topics such as Sustainability, Championships, as well as Golf Development has allowed us to strengthen that connection. One specific way is through an interactive wall, with a touch screen which gives history and up-to-date information on a variety of programmes that are central to the work of The R&A, such as Women and Girls in golf, Diversity, and Disability golf. Where we do not have collections to interpret we can explore these topics through video and still images. It is hoped that this type of interpretation will be developed in the future to include the women's voices which Lauren has recorded. Balancing these aspects was key and finding a new name was the way forward.
It was decided that the name be changed to the R&A World Golf Museum and a brand strapline of 'The Past, Present and Future of Golf Brought to Life Around You'. The brand supergraphics were inspired by the stained-glass windows of The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse and include The R&A brand colours ofidentify colours? They bring vibrancy and dynamism to every aspect of the Museum's work, including the galleries, engagement, and online presence. This refresh was completed in time for the opening on 21st June 2021 and followed up with a redevelopment of the Café in 2022 to an elevated brasserie The Niblick, all in time for The 150th Open at St Andrews. 28 As visitors returned to St Andrews after COVID-19 lockdowns, there has been gratification in seeing the positive feedback received. 29 The Museum continues to evolve and be a leader in the sport heritage field.

Women's golf history as represented by collections
The object collections of the Women Golfer's Museum have been held on loan since 1990 and have enriched the Museum's displays and understanding of women's golf history. 30 The Women Golfers' Museum (WGM) has been in existence since 1938, when a group of golfers at the Veteran Ladies Golf Association dinner suggested that it would be a good idea to establish a museum 'for collecting and exhibiting objects relating to the origin and growth of women's golf'. 31 Women have valued their contribution and history to the sport since the formation of the Ladies' Golf Union (LGU) in 1893. It is evident from their minutes, photograph albums, and accounts from the period that they were determined to not only run successful golf competitions but also preserve their history and record their stories. Issette Pearson, founder and first President of the LGU, was also instrumental in the Women Golfer's Museum, being their first President. Her friend and colleague, Mabel Stringer was 'Chairman' (sic). Stringer had founded the Veteran Ladies' Golf Association and was the first female golf journalist, as such she knew everyone in women's golf and was able to record events as they happened to promote the women's game. 32 It is interesting to note the level at which women's golf is written about in the golfing periodicals of the 1890s and beyond. In publications, such as Golf Illustrated we see female golfers and their competitions regularly given significant column inches and female players are highlighted for their achievements. There is often a focus on their clothing, and etiquette on the course but the level of inclusion may be surprising when considering the general attitudes to women's sport of this period. It is unsurprising that these pioneering women of the LGU were also involved with the formation of the Women's Golfer's Museum. Alongside Pearson and Stringer, important players of the period such as Cecil Leitch and Doris Chambers were on the committee and helped to form the collection by donating personal objects and archives. They ensured that their achievements and memories were being preserved for posterity. The original home was in the Lady Golfers Club in London and was founded in April 1939, however, it has had several moves since then and now the archives reside with the University of St Andrews Special Collections Department and the collections, including some iconic costume pieces which are held in the R&A World Golf Museum. 33 They not only collected women's objects but important equipment pieces such as Allan Robertson made feather golf balls, medals, and booksall of which have been used to in the galleries of the golf museum and for research. 34 Important costume was preserved, such as the full outfit of Mabel Stinger from 1894; a striking example of what women of her status were wearing for golf meetings, consisting of a red golfing jacket, worn traditionally in England, an ankle length skirt, a straw boater hat and brown leather boots. Gloria Minoprio's iconic pair of trousers, which transformed what was deemed possible for women in terms of golf clothing, has fascinated visitors since the Museum opened. Without the forethought of the women to save these pieces, our understanding and appreciation of golf would be severely impacted. The LGU themselves recorded the history of the organisation since their inception in 1893. One of the most special aspects of the collections, which the Museum inherited after the merger of the LGU and The R&A in 2017, were the photographic albums. These are a collection of albums which fully document the women's competitions from the first Ladies' British Amateur, now known as the Women's Amateur, in 1893. They took care to make sure the competitors names were noted and so the majority of the figures can be identified. The Museum has taken over the responsibility of care for the collections of the LGU, and thus allowed a greater number objects relating to female participation to be accessed for display. As held alongside the Women Golfer's Museum and St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club loans and donations direct from current players, the Museum is therefore able to tell a broad story of women's golf. From the earliest beginnings of the Museum, there have been aspects of this story that have required further work and research and it is true to say that due to the nature of the layout of the displays, the number of cases dedicated to women's golf were limited.

Women in sports history and heritage
For many years women's experiences of sport were overlooked in the historical study of sports participation in Britain. This omission was not because women were less active in the past, or because they did not pursue a wide variety of sporting activities, they did. The omission was because, as discussed at length in other articles, primacy was given to the male experience in both the literature and collecting policies. 35 The limited representation of women's experiences within heritage has been discussed by Wray Vamplew and is mirrored in the experiences of the golf Museum discussed above. 36 The evolution of sports history as an academic research subject has been slow compared with other fields in recognising this bias towards men. Indeed, it is not just women who have been overlooked or side-lined, the same could be and has been argued of other groups and minorities. However, in recent years an increasing number of scholars have turned their attention to the study of women's historic participation in sport. This is in part due to the establishment and recognition of gender studies and women's history as substantial fields in mainstream history, but it must also be linked to the growth in popularity of women's sport amongst the public. This recognition of women's sports has in turn encouraged people to ask questions about the origins of female participation. Thus, by researching and writing about these developments contemporary issues often become clearer. Also in the heritage sector there has been a similar growing recognition of the importance of sport and the power of sport to attract new and diverse audiences. 37 It was against this evolving backdrop that the idea of a project to explore the history of women's golf emerged.
Women's golf in Scotland c.  Existing historiography demonstrates that women have been marginalised in the history of golf in Scotland. With the exception of more recent work by Jane George, Fiona Skillen, and Seonaid McAinsh, research has focused on upper class, pioneering golfers from the late nineteenth century. 38 Whilst George and Skillen have begun to bridge this gap by undertaking oral histories of ordinary women who played golf during the first half of the twentieth century, on the east coast and in the central belt of Scotland, their work indicates a significant gap that needs to be filled in the historiography of women's golf, and of women's participation in sport more broadly. 39 As research on women's golf has predominantly looked at the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth century, new research is required to record the experiences of regular club golfers in Scotland post-Second World War, particularly on the west coast and in the highlands and borders, which have been underrepresented in existing historiography.
Maclean has bemoaned the 'paucity of good historical material about the organizations of sport at levels below national bodies' and this extends to golf in general and specifically to women's everyday experiences of golf at local club and county level. The Collaborative Doctorate Partnership PhD research was developed to fill this significant gap in the historic record and capture for the R&A World Golf Museum archives, women's personal experiences of playing golf at local level in Scotland during the period 1945-1995. The project has therefore been designed to provide an understanding of the development of women's golf in Scotland post-1945; uncovering the role that gender, class and stage of life-cycle had on women's golf participation. The research aims to uncover what motivated women to start playing golf and any challenges women have faced in their participation and promote these findings to the public for the first time. Moreover, with numbers of players in Scotland generally dipping in recent years, and the participation rate of women being almost the lowest in Europe, this research has the potential to contribute to understandings around motivation and access to the game for women, which in turn could help to underpin organisational policy.
The golf club is at the heart of this research, as it is the foundation and starting point for both formal and informal grassroots participation. Significant research has been undertaken on the structure of Victorian and Edwardian golf clubs, with class and gender discourses presenting themselves as crucial to understanding women's place within them during this period. 40 Early golf clubs were established to suit the interests of upper-class men and quickly became male-dominated spaces. 41 Historians have demonstrated that high membership subscriptions and exclusionary policies ensured that male and female members of private golf clubs were drawn from the middle and upper classes. 42 Women have also been argued to have been treated unfairly in early golf clubs, often only granted 'associate' membership status, with limited autonomy and excluded from or provided with limited access to the clubhouse and relegated to separate, smaller courses. 43 As the focus has been predominantly on private, suburban clubs prior to 1945, it raises the question as to whether these restrictions were also implemented in rural clubs and in the municipal golf clubs which appeared in greater numbers after the First World War. The absence of personal experiences of women in the historiography of golf clubs also ensures that whilst the restrictions imposed on women are perceived to be unfair in today's society, it is uncertain whether women in this period viewed them as such. Oral history therefore presents itself as a crucial method of uncovering what it was like to be a woman member of a golf club in Scotland, after the Second World War.
The following case studies outline the importance of oral history and photography to the study of women in sport, demonstrating how both approaches can provide historians and heritage organisations with a more balanced understanding of the women represented in their research and collections.
Case study onethe importance of oral history Since its emergence in the late 1960s and early 1970s, oral history has increased in popularity as a research methodology in the history discipline, however resistance remains. The use of oral history raises concerns regarding subjectivity and bias, which has had an impact on the willingness of historians to use this method in research. 44 Whilst it is inevitable that oral histories will be subjective, historians would be naïve to assume that written sources do not contain the same level of bias and subjectivity. As Thompson and Bornat demonstrate, the same level of caution must be exercised when analysing written evidence, as all historical documents have been written for a purpose which will ultimately influence the way in which the evidence is presented. 45 The accuracy of oral histories has also been questioned in relation to memory, as memories fade and therefore testimonies may not always be an entirely accurate account of events. In response to this criticism, oral historians have argued that applying theory to oral histories can help historians uncover the hidden benefits of distorted memories. Whilst memories may not always reflect events accurately, they present events the way they are remembered by the interviewee. As Portelli has argued ' … the diversity of the oral history lies in the fact that the untrue statements are still psychologically true and that these errors sometimes reveal more than factually accurate accounts'. 46 This theory can be applied to the current research project, as it seeks to uncover women's experiences of playing golf at club level in Scotland from their own perspective, therefore whether completely accurate or not, oral histories provide a powerful insight into how the women now remember their golfing lives.
As written histories have a tendency of being top down and authoritarian in approach, groups including women, the working classes, religious and ethnic minorities have largely been overlooked or at best, misrepresented. Feminst approaches to oral history have been adopted by spots historians, demonstrating the ability of oral histories to give a voice to women, who have been ignored by conventional historians. 47 Oral histories have also been argued by Williams and Skillen and Osborne to be integral to women's sport history, highlighting the difficulty of finding archival material related to women's sporting experiences. 48 Whilst women's golf can be argued to be an exception, with the R&A World Golf Museum housing the Ladies Golf Union's extensive archive dating from the organisation's inception in 1893, the collections have a tendency to be Anglocentric and provide an upper-class and institutionalised view of women's golf. Both George's and Skillen's work on women's golf in the central belt and on the east coast of Scotland during the first half of the twentieth century has demonstrated the success of oral history as a methodology for recording women's golfing experiences. 49 Oral history therefore presents itself as a crucial method of ensuring that regular women club golfers, from varying social backgrounds, have their voices heard.
To ensure that the oral history sample included women of varying ages, abilities and from a broad geographical area of Scotland, including the highlands, islands and borders which have been underrepresented, a semi-structured research questionnaire was created. This was then used to select interviewees based on their age, ability, location, the type of golf club they have been a member of, and initial experiences. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the first twenty-one interviews were conducted remotely and four were later undertaken in person. The oral history interviews have been transcribed in full and will be archived at the R&A World Golf Museum. The oral histories will offer the Museum numerous public engagement opportunities including online access to recordings, onsite and digital exhibitions, and education workshops; they are also a powerful means of evoking memories for older players and spectators and may be used in Golf Memories sessions.
The R&A World Golf Museum is home to a large archival collection which is an invaluable resource for the study of women's golf. Periodicals including Golf Illustrated and Fairway and Hazard have given an insight into women's participation and also into wider societal trends and issues during the post-war period. The focus however continues to be on elite and up and coming golfers and from a British and international perspective. Oral history interviews have enabled a deeper understanding of women's experiences, for example, the importance of parents and grandparents in introducing women to golf during the post-war period, offering both financial support and guidance on the game, is not as effectively communicated through existing historiography. One interviewee who was introduced to the game by her parents and grandparents argued the importance of this support: I think it's hugely important, erm, if it's at all possible, because it's quite daunting, actually, because there are so many rules and regulations with golf, erm, you know, and the etiquette, and you know, what's expected of you. 50 A large majority of oral history interviewees demonstrated that they had been introduced to the game as a child and argued support from an adult was crucial in motivating them to take up the sport. One participant observed that golf was accessible to her because her parents were golfers: I think it's been more accessible to me than other people and I think a big chunk of that was my parents both playing golf with my Mum, and my Dad … 51 Archival material also fails to demonstrate the impact of work and family commitments on women's ability to participate in golf, and with the exception of Skillen's research into women's golf during the interwar years, Langhammer's work on leisure, and Macrae's work on sport and exercise, very little research demonstrates the impact of women's life-cycle on their participation in sport, let alone golf post-Second World War. 52 Oral history participants often communicated the difficulty of getting tee times through the week or holidays to play in competitions. Those with children told stories of having to take a complete break from playing golf whilst their children were small: When we first arrived, we had to live in a flat in there which was quite nice, but I was expecting my first child, my son, and erm, and Elaine was born, down there, so I didn't have much time for golf … I didn't golf much for five years'. 53 Other interviewees managed to continue playing golf with the support of their partner: I've got two children, er, and even when ma family were young, Tuesday night was always ma night and ma husband always to be back in time so that I can get up to the golf. 54 These findings demonstrate the importance of oral history in uncovering women's personal experiences of playing golf in Scotland post Second World War. It becomes apparent that the stories communicated during interviews would not have been found in archival sources alone, nor by any alternative method.
Case study twodigitisation of historic photographs An important aspect of the research facilitated by Additional Student Development funding provided by the AHRC as a result of the impact of COVID-19 was the digitisation of the LGU photograph albums. These are an extremely important resource, firstly, for the Museum when responding to inquiries from the public and media, secondly, to inform Lauren's research and, thirdly, for the wider public's understanding of women's golf. Only some of the photographs are available digitally at present, which was proven to be problematic during the pandemic when archival access was not possible and continues to be difficult when answering public enquiries. Having digital copies of photographs is also important from a heritage preservation perspective, ensuring less wear and tear to original photographs through handling and existing as a digital replica should any harm come to the originals.
These LGU albums have only been seen by a limited number of researchers and administrators. The Museum is now able to display, in suitable environmental conditions, original photographs. The process of digitising the albums, through Lauren's placement with the Museum will enable the images to be shared in a number of new ways, increasing the accessibility of the collection. The huge benefit of this project for the organisation is that these primary sources preserved for the future and the images will be used to celebrate the work and achievements of these women and inspire future generations.
Photographs are an extremely valuable historical resource as they enable the researcher to further understand important figures who are largely only portrayed through secondary accounts. Historians of sport, art, and visual culture have argued the importance of photographs and other visual sources to the study of sports history. Huggins and O'Mahony argue that images should be viewed as 'key texts that cast further light on a broad range of sociopolitical and sociocultural practices'. 55 O'Mahony demonstrates the ways in which photographs can communicate important information to the researcher, such as social status, sporting ability and personality. 56 LGU photographs enable the viewer to understand what it was like for women golfers competing at specific events at national and international levels. The photographs also offer an insight into the characters of the women competing in and organising the championships. For example, Issette Pearson, founder of the LGU, is largely portrayed in secondary literature as being austere and autocratic. 57 Figure 1 however, provides a contrasting view and shows Pearson relaxed, smiling and above all, proud and supportive of all the competitors.
Early women's golf is often portrayed as being highly controlled and confined, yet the camaraderie between the women is communicated strongly in photographs of the championships. There are several photographs in the collection including one (Figure 2) which shows the competitors walking arm in arm, demonstrating that the event not only facilitated competitive golf for women but also provided the opportunity to make supportive friendships.
Cecil Leitch and Joyce Wethered are often portrayed as rivals in existing historiography, having different playing styles and personalities and often competing against each other in National Championships. Wilson argues that Cecil Leitch was 'the first of the Amazons. Her swing was graceful, but more powerful than had hitherto been seen in women's events'. 58 When describing Joyce Wethered, Wilson maintains that ' … no woman has ever made the game look so supremely simple' and that despite being able to 'out distance her opponents … she never gave the impression of hitting hard'. 59 The difference in the playing style of Leitch and Wethered is evident in Figures 3 and 4. In Figure 3, Leitch has a wider stance, and her arms are more outstretched, demonstrating the power behind her swing. Whereas, in Figure 4, Wethered appears more graceful and, as Wilson argues, makes her swing look effortless.
A photograph of the two women competing in the British Ladies Amateur Open Championship in 1921 at Turnberry however suggests that this rivalry was a friendly one, as the two women are photographed shaking hands and laughing ( Figure 5).
The photograph albums in the LGU collection not only provide an insight into the competitors but also include photographs of the supporters. Figure 6 shows 'The Gallery on the run', racing to the next hole of the competition. The photograph demonstrates that both men and women attended the Women's Amateur Championships in large numbers. Photographs therefore can be seen to offer strikingly different representations of women golfers from written sources, demonstrating the value of using them alongside other sources such as oral histories and archival materials.
However, it is important to remember that photographs are contextual and must be viewed as 'highly mediated forms of visual representation'. 60 Huggins and O'Mahony demonstrate the subjective nature of photography, arguing that after the photographic shot has been staged and selected by the photographer, the image is then interpreted by the viewer, who may view the photograph differently from the way in which it was intended. They note that: Visual sources offer different challenges to that of written text, and our response to them. For example, visual materials may change naturally or be altered artificially over time. Paintings, drawings and photographs, for example, can fade, or (like text) be cropped and edited. Collections of images can be broken up, de-contextualising the original significance of a given body of work, and reassembled to suggest alternative significatory processes. 61 As Huggins attests, 'The photograph or film is a representation of, not an exact replication, of a social situation'. 62 Therefore, as with oral histories and written sources, it is important that historians remain aware of this subjectivity when using visual sources. It becomes evident that visual sources such as photographs can, when used critically, be extremely useful to sports historians, surpassing their predominant use as illustrations and instead, providing a broader insight into the social context in which the photographs were taken.

Conclusion
The R&A has taken on women's championships such as The Women's Amateur and the AIG Women's Open, which in turn has an impact in the donations the Museum receives from players, as well as the material archived and displayed. The importance the business-side of The R&A has placed on women in golf in recent years, is clear to see with such programmes as the Women in Golf Charter and the Women in Golf Leadership programme, thus ensuring women are given more support within the sport and industry. 63 These programmes are highlighted within the Museum's galleries, and it is hoped that this can be developed in the future to include the oral histories of female club golfers. In these ways the symbiotic relationship between developments within The R&A's commercial and competitive aspects and the Museum's offering is clear. The Museum acts as a platform for promoting this work and celebrating the female perspective in golf from the early pioneers to the current players. Research has enabled us to draw parallels between the experiences of women in the 1890s to the women of the late twentieth century and beyond and demonstrate the rich and complex developments and growth of the female game.
The curatorial team of the Museum consists of four full-time and one part-time members of staff. A smaller Museum does not always have the opportunity to delve into particular subjects in any great detail, therefore the doctoral research completed so far within the LGU records provides a deeper insight into the collections held and the addition of oral history interviews will further enrich and extend the Museum's archives. The collections held by the Museum gained recognition as being 'Nationally Significant' in 2011, as such it is important that the collections and archives are utilised and shared. 64 This research into the women's collections can only enhance the Museum's reputation and significance, in particular by making more of the collection readily available through the digitisation of existing materials and the addition of digital recordingsboth interventions support the Museum's aim of sharing engaging stories of golf to attract new audiences. The oral history research, which Lauren has undertaken is unique in the museum's collections. Creating space for female stories and voices is vital for understanding where the sport fits into people's lives. The project has shed light on the importance of listening to the Museum's core audience and actively recording their experiences. Whilst the Museum has done so informally and through reminiscence work, making it part of the collection was something that had not been achieved whilst also helping the museum contextualise their collections. The connections made with female golfers, through interviews and correspondence are important to retain and will enable the Museum to create valuable displays, experiences, and events which include female perspectives.
Personal development for Museum staff has also been a huge accomplishment, being able to work with academic colleagues and with fellow Museum professionals who are involved in similar research projects allows for a broadening of experience and a deepening confidence in the subject matter. The project has also ensured that sporting heritage collections receive the recognition and support they deserve within the museum sector.
The opportunity to work with academic researchers and students through this CDP PhD has made a deep and lasting impact on the understanding of women's experiences in golf. It is hoped that it can go beyond the Museum to assist colleagues within the governing body who work on growing women's participation in the sport. For example, the interviews have already provided insights into the challenges women have faced in engaging with the sport, which in turn may help the administrators of the game at local and national level consider new ways to address these challenges and to encourage more women into the sport. The PhD project was developed to trace the 'hidden' history of women's participation in golf in Scotland by looking beyond the existing narratives around elite level players, plugging the 'gap' in the historiography of the game. The research highlighted here will contribute to the first detailed study of its kind on women's golf in the mid-to late twentieth century. Neurodiverse Museum project and creating a lecture series which has expanded to various events which celebrate the latest research in golf history.
Lauren Beatty is a final year Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Collaborative Doctorate Partnership PhD Student, enrolled at Glasgow Caledonian University and working in collaboration with the R&A World Golf Museum. Her research uses oral history to uncover women's personal experiences of playing club golf in Scotland c. 1945-1995. ORCID Fiona Skillen http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1218-5471