The Most Influential Women Golf Bloggers

According to the National Golf Foundation</a

>, women make up about twenty-two percent of all golfers. I don't know if that's what you expected, but what struck me about it was not that women are playing less than men, but that they are receiving disproportionately less media coverage than men.

And yet, a thriving online community of women golf bloggers are picking up the slack. Five years ago, that may not have been the case. But these days, women bloggers are producing news coverage, analysis and instruction from a unique perspective. In most cases, their writing is appropriate for golfers of both genders. But in some cases, their target audience is strictly women.

Below find a summary of some of the best women golf bloggers. These women have built a substantial readership by producing great content consistently. At the end of the list, you'll find another set of women who are "up and coming" in the world of golf blogging.

Let us know what you think of the list — hopefully you'll find some new bloggers to follow and enjoy.

A former golf pro in her native Sweden, Stina has been a host of "Big Break", a Senior Editor at "Golf for Women" and a part-time host on the Golf Channel. Oh, and she's also a mother of two.

Currently, Stina is a Senior Editor at Golf Digest, focused on instruction and equipment for women. Her posts are always professional and insightful. Stina is truly a must-read for anyone interested in the women's game. She also produces video tips for Golf Digest — check out one of my favorite Tiger Woods putting tips here.

Golf Digest Woman

A former All-Ivy League golfer, Stephanie now runs one of the most-read independent women's golf blogs. And it's not difficult to see why. WeiUnderPar features several well-written and insightful posts per day. Stephanie and her staff are not just reporting the news — you can find that anywhere — but rather adding their personal interpretation about what's relevant and what's not.

Stephanie's the lead writer and editor and is at her best when bringing her personal touch to the site. See her post on losing a bet to Jason Kidd to see what I mean.

Stephanie's been featured in the Wall Street Journal and Sports Illustrated, but I think it's safe to say that she'll keep WeiUnderPar going for the foreseeable future.

WeiUnderPar.com

Pat Mullaly's been blogging at GolfGurls.com for nearly two years now. Doesn't seem like that long, does it? But her site's got a ton of content and some very useful tips for women.

Pat's not that far from her "golfing newbie years", which gives here a unique perspective on what it means to be a woman new to the game. Add frequent posts that are extremely well-written and you've got a recipe for a successful blog.

Check it out but don't blame me if you start to hum while driving.

GolfGurls.com

Patricia Hannigan's been a golf blogger for nearly five years, which is an eternity if you've observed the countless numbers of blogs that have been created, maintained and then abandoned in that same timespan.

But Patricia's one of the hardest working golf bloggers around, having built her brand from a personal outlet for a newly-obsessed golfer to a home for a unique, new-media golf industry consultant. At the same time, she's managed to add tons of entertaining posts to her site, to write a book for new women golfers, and to expose extensively — and often playfully — on gender issues in golf.

Golf Girl's Diary

Heather Jones of Real Women Golf has had at least three full-time passions in her life: competitive figure skating, motherhood and golf. And how do I know that she's passionate about golf? Well, for one thing, she recently gave up coffee for the sport!

For another, her blog is filled with entertaining, personal stories about her own golfing experiences. Don't visit this site for the pro tour coverage — you can get that fix from others on this list. Instead read her periodic anecdotes to get an entertaining glimpse into the life of a surbaban mom making a go of it as a successful golf blogger.

Real Women Golf

Kristen Williams has an impressive resume as a golfer, despite the fact that she's only been golfing for about seven years. She's got two holes-in-one to her credit, along with a couple of club championships.

But her true claim to fame may be that she runs one of the longest-running independent women's golf blog on the web. And it's easy to see why. Though she doesn't post frequently (not enough for me, anyway!), when she does it's always worth a read. Check out her post on snowshoe golf if you don't believe me. Kristen's got a loyal following (with over 1,500 followers on Twitter) so I'm not the only one who feels this way.

The Golf Chick

Golfgal (aka "Gayle") has been at the helm of Golfgal since 2007. In that time, she's built up quite an impressive archive of insightful posts on golf for women, the business of golf, and a healthy dose of "Big Break" thrown in. Don't go there for the quick reads — though those are fun too — go there for the well-written analysis of some pretty thought-provoking topics.

Perhaps start with her post on the lack of women in online golf forums for Golfgal's take on how to address the digital divide between men and women golfers. You'll be glad you did.

Golfgal

I'm guessing you've heard of this next blogger. Only the greatest woman golfer to ever have walked the earth, Annika Sorenstam is a blogger as well.

Even in retirement, Annika remains one of the most influential voices in women's golf. Her work as a coach and USGA ambassador continue to enhance the status of women's golf at the professional and amateur levels.

Annika's blog is definitely worth a read. Her most recent posts focus on her newborn son but past posts have featured golf tips, updates on here personal and professional lives, and the occasional recipe for you golfing foodies.

ANNIKA Blog

After being featured in Sports Illustrated, Sophie became the most searched-for topic on the web for two days in 2010. It may have been for her blogging, but I'm guessing it may have had more to do with the bathing suit she sported.

Independent of her status as an internet pinup girl, Sophie is quite the busy woman. In addition to being a 4-handicap, she works as a model, a personal trainer and a golf coach. And, of course, as a blogger. Sophie blogs at SophieHorn.com as well as at ImagineGolfClub.com

Sophie Horn

Susan Fornoff cut her teeth writing about baseball in the 1980's. Author of "Lady in the Locker Room", Susan's been a sportswriter for nearly thirty years. The latter half of that was spent at the San Francisco Chronicle where she was, among other things, a golf writer.

Her full-time passion these days is, no surprise, golf. Susan recently founded GottaGoGolf magazine — read the latest issue online — along with an accompanying blog. Though the blog is still relatively new, Susan's credentials are impeccable, so check back periodically for top-notching posting.

GottaGoGolf Blog

Nancy Berkley is a consultant to businesses and industry pros that want to do a better job of catering to women golfers. She also helps women with their golf travel plans.

Though her site doesn't sport a traditional blog format, don't be fooled. It's full of insightful tidbits as well as detailed analysis of the golf industry as it pertains to women.

Nancy also blogs at CyberGolf.com, GolferGirlCareers.com and LadiesGolfJourney.com. Phew!

Nancy Berkley

Most men don't understand what's so important about the role of fashion in golf. OK, most men don't understand fashion at all!

But Ashley Crain does. And she's turned that into a must-read blog at GolfWeek.com. Ashley (with some help from a handful of talented writers) goes way beyond reporting the latest news and releases from apparel manufacturers, though. Instead she conducts Q&A sessions with designers and apparel maker executives, reports on the latest trends on the pro tour, and offers the occasional critique of the pro golfer in need a bit of fashion advice.

Ashley's page at GolfWeek.com

A former collegiate golfer and 10-year veteran at GolfWeek, Beth Ann covers the LPGA. Her writing is as precise and professional as you'd expect from a top-tier industry journal, making it a must read for anyone interested in the top women's circuit.

Beth Ann's also a frequent "tweeter" so, if you're a Twitter user and want more than her periodic long-form blog posts, be sure to follow her there as well.

Beth Ann's page at GolfWeek.com

Emily Kay recently signed on to become a primary writer at WaggleRoom.com. WaggleRoom, of course, is one of the most popular golf blogs on the web, so this surely an "influential" platform for Emily.

Emily's sharp wit and great writing have been showcased at National Golf Examiner, several New England-based publications and — teaming up with Susan Fornoff — GottaGoGolf.

Emily's recent take on Charles Barkley's swing proves that she's not afraid to go jaw-to-jaw with one of the biggest loudmouths in sports. If she keeps that up at WaggleRoom, we're in for a treat.

Waggle Room

We've tried to cover the most influential women golf bloggers above. But, of course, that's just a small sampling of the world of women's golf blogs. Below find some more great golf blogs written by women. Since surely some of these will ascend to the ranks of "most influential" in due time, you might want to start checking them out now.

• Pink Diva Golf - News, fashion and shopping opportunities for women golfers. Updates tend to come in spurts, as with many blogs. But, if you're patient, you'll be rewarded with quality posts.
• Katharine Dyson - Katharine is Vice President of the Golf Travel Writers of America. She's also an avid blogger whose work can be found on TravelGolf.com
• Donna Hoffman - Donna's got a great thing going at WomenOnCourse.com, a women's golf networking site. The blog's got a nice backlog of insightful posts. Sadly, it hasn't been updated in a while. Hopefully Donna and her staff will get back to it soon.
• Even Par Round - Miranda of Even Par Round has been providing direct-to-the-point updates for nearly six years. No words wasted, no images, no fluff. Just quick reads, each one worth your time.
• Sherry Tabb - Sherry started Ladies on the Tee to be "The Voice of Women's Golf". And she's well on her way — having built up a nice backlog of witty and irreverent looks at the world of golf. Hopefully Sherry will get back to posting more frequently soon.
• Augusta Golf Girl - Sandie (aka "Augusta Golf Girl) has put together a great set of posts on golf, the Masters and the Battle of the Sexes. She's more active on Twitter than on her blog, so it might be better to check her out there. Or read both.
• Snooty Prima Dona - The woman behind Snooty Prima Dona may be a very nice lady for all I know. But the site represents her "alter ego who often appears when she's golfing and had one too many martinis" (her words, not mine). The result is a must-read if you don't mind your golf updates mixed in with a healthy dose of entertaining personal anecdotes.
• Monique Ignacio - I challenge you to read Monique's "Girl Golfing" and not book a Philippine golfing vacation. Especially after viewing Monique's luscious photographs that complement her light-hearted posts perfectly.
• Kristen Lewis - Kristen is awesome. And not just because she uses that word in EVERY single blog post. No, rather it's because her enthusiasm is infectious and her golf writing is inspriational to read.
• Liza Churchill - In some ways, "Goldie Bounce Golf" exists to support Liza's radio program. But in most ways, the blog stands on its own merits. Updates are infrequent these days, but you'll find enough already there to warrant plenty of browsing around.