Ladies of the Links: Celebrating International Women’s Day Pt.1

International Women’s Day; a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The official day falls on the 8th of March and whilst the world gears up to celebrate then, in our little corner, we’re profiling a few of our own leading ladies here at the Links.

We sat down (two metres apart!) with Dorothy, Mairi, Rachel and Natasha to get their thoughts on the day and share a little more about them. Each has worked at the Links for varying lengths of time and ply their expertise in different areas of the Links – food and drink, retail, golf instruction and greenkeeping respectively. First up, Dorothy and Mairi…

Name: Dorothy Murphy


Shop the look: Check design, 1/4 zip pullover by Fairway and Greene

Title: Sales and Events Manager

Years at the Links: 14

Links memories: My favourite things about working for the Links are too numerous to mention but things that mean the most to me are the wonderful staff I’ve had the pleasure of working with (there’s certainly been a few characters along the way!) and the wide variety of customers I’ve met over the years. Some big personalities, some famous faces, some fascinating and some sad situations particularly around last wishes. I wouldn’t find life so easy to navigate if I hadn’t taken something from each of them.


Shop the look: Full zip, hybrid jacket by Peter Millar

Whilst there’s been many, three stand out moments that I was aware of being special at the time were:

  1. Meeting Seve Ballesteros sitting either side of the old fireplace in the Links Lounge chatting away while we were waiting to surprise a VIP group having dinner.
  2. Being part of the electric atmosphere that Barack Obama brought with him on his visit to The Old Course. I have been lucky enough to have been in the presence of other very special people but none of them (in my opinion) had the presence that he did.
  3. Talking to Buzz Aldrin: As an 8-year-old girl, I remember our whole family going to my Grandparents’ house to watch the moon landing (they had a TV). Little did I know I would actually meet the person who was the second human to stand on the moon…

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? The common bonding that women share if we are honest with each other and help one another.


Shop the look: Polo shirt with zip mock collar by Green Lamb

Cats or dogs: 100% dogs

TV shows or movies: Anything written by Agatha Christie because I love a murder mystery. The Talented Mr Ripley because it reminds me of Italy and some amazing trips there and one of my old favourite films is My Fair Lady. I also like Pretty Woman, Layer Cake – because anything Daniel Craig is in is ok with me and all the Tarantino films, especially Pulp Fiction but not Inglourious Basterds, didn’t like that one. (Editor’s note: It was posed as a one-or-the-other question but we loved Dorothy’s tangent on this one!).

Name: Mairi Herald


Shop the look: Polo shirt with white contrasting cuffs and collar by Peter Millar

Title: Retail Buyer

Years at the Links: 6

Links memories: My favourite thing about working for St Andrews Links is that I get to meet lots of different people from around the world. Through dealing with a range of suppliers on a daily basis I have been able to form lots of strong relationships. Most of all, I enjoy that every day is different and I’m able to be involved in lots of exciting projects within the retail department.


Shop the look: Floral design rain jacket by Kjus

My favourite moment during my career at the Links was working during The Open in 2015. It was my first year working with the company and there was such a great atmosphere in the town and a real buzz around the event. Although it meant late nights and long hours, it was a real honour to be part of the retail team at this time.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you? For me, International Women’s Day means taking a moment to reflect and recognise the many brilliant women in my life and their achievements. It’s great to see more women getting involved in golf too but there is still a big gap in the representation of women in golf in my opinion. I would love for more women to be involved in golf and would encourage them to give the sport a go. I only started playing last year and I am thoroughly addicted!


Shop the look: 1/4 Zip sweater by Peter Millar

Cats or dogs: Dogs, I would be lost without my Labrador Shadow.

TV shows or movies: TV Shows would be my preference, especially anything narrated by David Attenborough!

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