Our History

BEACHES LADIES GOLF ASSOCIATION

1960's

In the early 1960's Joe Gill and the Ocean Bank sponsored the Ocean State Beaches Ladies Golf Championship, open to all female golfers over the age of 21, living in the combined beaches area. This enormously popular and successful event led to a desire to have an Association for the promotion of golf among women golfers through regular monthly tournaments.

1972

Although the idea was discussed annually by many tournament participants, it was 1972 before the Association began. That year Marge Robichaud was Chairman of the OSB Tournament and volunteered to write a constitution, contact local golf clubs for play and seek the cooperation of the 1972 Tournament Committee as a Steering Committee and as Board Members for a proposed golf association. Mr. Joe Gill was the founder and sponsor, providing funds and advice. The first meeting convened and the following Officers were elected and Committee Chairmen appointed:

The participating Golf Clubs were Jacksonville Beach Golf Club, Mayport Naval Station, Selva Marina Country Club and Thousand Oaks Golf Club.

Fifty-six ladies joined the new Beaches Ladies Golf Association and monthly tournaments began on the second Friday monthly. An initiation fee of $5.00 and dues of $10.00 were charged. Twenty-five was the maximum handicap for membership.

1974 - 1979

In 1974, The Rules of Play were amended to require four completed playdays in order to be eligible for the Championship Tournament. At a later date, requirement for Championship Tournament participation was changed back to three completed playdays and an amendment for the Nominating Committee to consist of one member from each participating club, and for the past President to serve as Chairwoman.

In 1974, Sawgrass and Ponte Vedra joined our schedule.

In 1976, participation was low and in order to recruit members, the eligibility requirement was increased to a handicap of twenty-eight, held for three months or longer. Our first dues increase was in 1979, up to $15.00

1980 - 1990

As information, in 1980 carts and greens fee at Selva Marina Cost $10.00 and $16.00 at Ponte Vedra. Our annual luncheon at Selva for salad, chicken cordon bleu, green beans, rolls, desert and beverage was $3.50.

June 1981 brought our first hole-in-one club, and by then Thousand Oaks had become Oakbridge.

By May 1983, our membership was up to 74 members, so the Rules were amended requiring twenty-five handicap to join , and in December of that year, we had 82 members.

In May 1985, we had 84 members. Dottie Vordermark was appointed All Tournament Chairman and two hostesses were appointed at each club to serve on their playday. Dottie began our point system for awards.

Marsh Landing joined our schedule in 1987 and our membership was up to 91. The second dues increase in fifteen years raised membership to $20.00 annually. The $5.00 initiation fee remained fixed.

In 1988, the months of June, July and August were eliminated and a September through May schedule adopted for a year in order to play each course only once. This was expected to increase participation. By December 1989, we had 103 paid members. In 1990, Summer Beach, Ponce DeLeon, Windsor Park and Jacksonville Golf and Country Club were added to our roster and we were back to a twelve month schedule.

1991 - 2000

In 1991, we had 146 paid members and now the index requirement for membership was lowered to 22.0 for membership.

The Association had grown from approximately 56 members in 1972 to a May 1992 figure of 154. From the original four courses played, we have increased to twelve courses.

In 1996, dues increased to $25.00. Due to scheduling problems at some courses of large groups, we put a membership cap of 175 members and established a waiting list for names of interested members as space becomes available.

By 1999, we had 175 members with 4-6 names on the waiting list.

In 2000, the Telephone Committee was eliminated and a Club Representative from each club was responsible for posting a signup sheet at their respective club, then report participants names and indexes to the Tournament Committee one week before scheduled playday. This procedure has saved a tremendous amount of time and is very effective.

2001 - 2020

Posted Sign-up was eliminated. Board members and Club Reps communicate mostly through email with members. Play day sign-up is done through the web site portal MyBLGA.org. The index requirement was changed to 26.0 to encourage membership and increased membership to 200.  August Play date was added back in order to expand the range of courses to be played, with 10 Playdays per year. Dues remain at $25.00 for current members, New member may join for $30.00 the first year, $25.00 for dues thereafter. 

2021 - Present

Board members voted to expand membership to >220 current members as most of the venues we book are poplar and the members have expressed quite a lot of interest.  We continue to rely on the website sign-up for all events and have employed the use of the Golf Genius system to make pairings, flights and calculate winners after play days.  The past president incorporated a charitable sponsorship that has been "The Beached Community Kitchen" with our members having donated over $2000 in the past 2 years.  In 2024 dues were increased to $35 due to increased costs. the $5 initiation fee remained fixed.