About Us
TWGA can trace its roots back to 1928 when Jane Bradley, a member of the Tacoma Golf and Country Club decided there should be a Tacoma Women's City Golf Championship. At the time, each club had their own club championship. With the help of local merchants and their donations, she organized the first women’s city championship ever to be held for Tacoma. Sixty-one ladies participated from Fircrest Country Club, Meadow Park Golf Cub, Lake Steilacoom Golf Club, and Tacoma Country Club. The event was so successful that it became an annual event. In 1931 she organized what we know today as the Tacoma Women's Golf Association. Jane Bradley is referred to as “the Mother of Tacoma Golf” and the first President of TWGA.
Tacoma Women’s Golf Association is rich in golf history. In 1949 Jane Bradley purchased the Sheffield silver tray on a trip to Canada. Every year since, the golfer who has the best predetermined number of net scores from the TWGA monthly sweeps receives the Jane Bradley Award and her name was engraved on this distinguished silver tray. A new perpetual trophy has since taken the place of the silver tray. Click here to see the complete list of Jane Bradley Award winners.
At one time TWGA membership embodied all of the Tacoma area golf clubs. Many prominent Tacoma women were members. The Tacoma News Tribune ran large articles of the club’s activities and pictures of championship winners and officers of the club. It was high society news in Tacoma. Here is just one example:
“Mrs. Dewey Busch was on Friday elected President of the Tacoma Women’s Golf Association. She is a member of the Fircrest Golf Club and a trustee of the women’s division there. Widely active in civic affairs, she serves on the board of directors of the Tacoma Philharmonic and is treasurer of the Aquinas Mothers’ Club.” TNT – Nov. 6, 1948. In 2009, Steve Smith, Busch's great nephew came upon her golf photo albums and shared them with us. Click here to see that collection.
In 1967, all but one the private clubs, Linden Golf Club, terminated their membership from TWGA membership and joined the newly established Puget Sound Women’s Golf Association.
Although our club is called the Tacoma Women’s Golf Association, member courses include courses from well outside the Tacoma area, from Lake Wilderness in the north, to Tumwater Valley in the south, from Enumclaw in the east, to Alderbrook in the west.
Over the years, member courses have included Alderbrook, Allenmore, Auburn, Brookdale, Capitol City, Classic, Eagles Pride, Ft. Steilacoom, Gig Harbor, Gold Mountain, Hawks Prairie, High Cedars, Home Course, Lake Spanaway, Lakeland Village, Linden, Madrona Links, Meadow Park, North Shore, River Bend, Tahoma Valley, Tumwater Valley, and Whispering Firs. Sadly, some of these courses have now closed.
While TWGA had traditionally maintained we play golf only at our member’s clubs, TWGA has always had a progressive group of club members who see the need to change as the golf environment changes. In October 2006 it was voted on and approved by the Board to include 2 non-member clubs on the 2007 Tournament Schedule. This has given TWGA a broader variety of golf courses to play and encouraged new memberships. This practice continues today.
Sweeps competitions are held the 1st Monday of every month from May through October with a 2-day Championship held in August.
Click here for a complete list of the Tacoma Womens Golf Association Annual Championship Winners
