Outsiders in the Clubhouse: The World of Women's Professional Golf (Suny Sport, Culture, and Social Relations)

A sociological examination of life within the subworld of women's professional golf that explores the interpersonal relations between athletes, fans, and sponsors on the LPGA tour and looks at tensions between gender, class, and prowess within the social world of golf.

Outsiders in the Clubhouse captures the experience of living on the women’s professional golf tour. Based on interviews, field work, and archival data, it reveals a double edge to women’s status as outsiders within the world of golf. On the tour, gender is less relevant than in the everyday lives of most women. LPGA members do not compete directly with men, they are not held back by glass ceilings, and their raises are based on merit. But at the same time the tour operates within a sexist world. Despite all their skill, women golfers remain outsiders within the hypermasculine world of golf.

This book explores the players’ lives as they attempt to balance the often conflicting demands of their sport and the conventional social expectations of womanhood. The analysis builds from the players’ negotiation of interactions with fans and press and between each other to a broader analysis of the political symbolism and agency of women athletes within contemporary society.