Playing Our Way: Contributions of Social Groups to Women's Continued Participation in Golf

This study builds upon research on leisure based social worlds and recent work identifying the potentially valuable roles of social groups in women's continued participation in recreation. This study is an ethnography of a group of women who regularly played golf. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The analysis suggested two overarching themes that explained persistence in golf for these women: connecting with group members and constructing a group culture. Importantly, the processes that facilitated the development of group connections were also identified, thereby adding a further understanding of how socializing is made possible in leisure contexts.