The Ladies' Golf Union (LGU) was the governing body for women's and girls' amateur golf in Great Britain and Ireland. It was founded in 1893 and was based in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland until merging with The R&A at the start of 2017.
Issette Pearson was a founding member and the first Secretary of the LGU.[1]
The LGU was governed by an elected council with equal representation from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It was funded by a levy on women golfers' club membership fees, and indirectly represented over 200,000 golfers. It dealt with major policy issues, all-Britain and Ireland tournaments, and international competitions. It had affiliates in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales which organise local tournaments, ran the handicapping system, liaised with clubs, and promoted the sport at a local level.
The LGU administered the Women's British Open,[1] one of the major championships in global women's golf, which is open to professionals and nowadays dominated by them. It also ran several of Britain and Ireland championships: Amateur, Mid Amateur, Girls', Stroke Play, and Seniors. Additionally there are several competitions for club golfers.
The LGU ran three sets of international matches between teams from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales: the Home International Matches (mainstream adult competition); the Girls International Matches; and the Senior International Matches. The LGU was also involved in running several competitions involving teams from beyond its home territory: Curtis Cup; Vagliano Trophy; Espirito Santo Trophy; and Commonwealth competitions.
