Violet Pooley (1997)

Victoria's "first lady of golf," Violet Pooley, was introduced to the sport at the age of eight when she caddied for her father at the United Service Macauley Point Course in 1892. By age 15 she was invited to play in the Mixed Foursomes championship. In 1905 Violet won both the British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Ladies Championships. By 1906 she was playing to a "scratch" handicap, a Canadian rarity in those days. She went on to claim the PNGA award on three occasions, the 1909 Oregon State crown and the B.C. title five times. Violet also represented Canada in the 1911 & 1913 British and the 1913 U.S.A. Ladies Championships. As Mrs. Violet Sweeney, she added four more PNGA plus four B.C. Ladies titles between 1920 and 1929. Throughout her career as a player and later, she played a pivotal role in the formation of the Canadian Ladies Golf Association and was the West's representative for a number of years. Violet (Pooley) Sweeny was inducted into the PNGA, B.C.& Canadian Golf Halls of Fame and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame.