Bowling Green Country Club Golferettes records

Collection – Box: 1

Identifier: MS-0804

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The Bowling Green Country Club Golferettes records consist of minute books, financial ledgers, and a scrapbook and written history of the organization, ranging from 1949 to 1999.

Dates

Creation: 1949 to 1999

Extent

0.46 Cubic Feet (1 legal document box)

Scope and Contents

The Bowling Green Country Club Golferettes records include two-minute books, 1953-1971, two financial ledger books, 1985-1991, and a scrapbook. The administrative records provide a glimpse into the inner workings of the organization and the scrapbook captures the social aspect of the group. The scrapbook includes a written history of the organization’s early years; newspaper clippings documenting the club’s events, tournaments, and victories; photos of trophies and members; and a copy of the 1968 Constitution and bylaws. The book, History of the Golferettes, by Loma (Sis) Muir is based on the scrapbook.

Biographical / Historical

The Women’s Golf Association of the Bowling Green Country Club, the Golferettes, was formed in the late 1940s. There are no organizational records or formal records dating to this time period, but oral histories found in Muir’s book, History of the Golferettes, and a June 3, 1949, Sentinel Tribune article report that women held a weekly luncheon and followed it with a game of golf. The organization became a formalized club in the early 1950s and often held tournaments, luncheons, and clinics for interested golfers. In 1959, the Wood County Open Tournament was established.

The 1960s saw the membership grow. The organization introduced invitations to their tournament roster and a junior’s girls club and continued to host luncheons, Christmas galas, and the championship tournament. On Friday, July 17, 1970, the clubhouse where the club hosted meetings and events was lost to a catastrophic fire. Meetings were moved to the ‘Annex’ until the new structure was completed in 1972.

Membership and fundraisers continued to grow into the 1980s and a new fundraiser was established, Doe Day. Doe Day was an eighteen-hole scramble with prizes for first and second places, and proximity prizes (i.e., longest drive, closest to the pin, longest putt, and closest to a line drawn on a fairway). Doe Day committees developed themes and solicited local businesses for donations and door prizes.

The 1990s marked a change in the organization. Doe Day became the sole fundraiser, membership numbers lost ground, the group was mostly old, retired women, and volunteerism dwindled.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Copyright for the scrapbook and printed history contained within the collection were retained by the author.