By the time she reached the age of 8, Barbara Berkmeyer already had her life planned out. From the minute she played in her first golf tournament, Berkmeyer knew she had found a passion in life and one that she was really good at. Berkmeyer’s success in the golf world spans over six decades worth of wins and titles. She has claimed five Missouri Amateurs wins and seven St. Louis District title wins. She played in four Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournaments and competed in five different U.S. Women’s Amateur Tournaments. In 1999 and 2000, she played in the United States Golf Association (USGA) Senior Amateur Golf Tournaments and was the runner-up in the 2002 USGA Senior Women’s Championship. Berkmeyer was named the St. Louis Metro Senior Player of the Year in 1997, 1999, and 2000. Not only has she received all these titles for her amazing talent, Barbara was inducted into four different halls of fame including Missouri’s Sports Hall of Fame, Iowa’s Golf Hall of Fame, St. Louis’ Sports Hall of Fame, and the University of Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame. Despite being a wonderful amateur golf player, one of her biggest accomplishments that has been quickly overlooked due to her golf career is her jump-starting the women’s athletic program at the University of Missouri.
Before Berkmeyer began playing at the University of Missouri, her golf career started at 11 when she played in her first competitive tournament. In her youth, there were very few junior tournaments for girls, creating limited opportunities. Eventually, after moving from her hometown in Fort Madison, Iowa, her father found a stable job in St. Louis, Missouri as the head pro at Algonquin Golf Course. Berkmeyer is now 17 years old and sparking quite the conversation from her talent and now with many trophies to add to her shelf. Even Don Faurot, the Mizzou Athletic Director at the time, attended a golf tournament Berkmeyerplayed in and immediately saw her potential to succeed at the university. Berkmeyer became the ticket to jump-start the program, not only for the golf team but the whole women’s athletic program. Berkmeyer became the official first woman to ever be offered a sports scholarship at the University of Missouri and helped to finally put the women’s golf team in motion.
Before Berkmeyer, women’s sports were extremely unbalanced between men’s sports. Berkmeyer by simply competing in these events and winning brought recognition to the women’s golf team. “In the 60’s women’s sports were not on the same par as men’s sports. However, I was able to find a home at the university golf course to practice and play. I was lucky to compete individually in NCAA championships representing Mizzou,” Berkmeyer said. She brought that needed attention to women’s sports during her time at the university and allowed a conversation to start to help women athletes get the support they deserved. After graduating, Berkmeyer’s work was not finished helping women athletes. From 1977 to 1979, she served on the board of curators at the University of Missouri and even served as president her last year. She loved serving on the board so she could continue making the university a more diverse place. Berkmeyer recalled a time when the football coach requested a whole locker room and practice room renovation for his players and no option for the softball athletes. She refused to put her stamp of approval on the project until the plan included a women’s locker room area as well. After serving, Herbert Schooling, the dean at the time, saw that the university needed a formal law to be instituted that removed gender stereotypes in athletics. He came up with a group of people he deemed fit to create Title IX including Berkmeyer.
“I feel golf is the greatest of all games. It is an equalizer between men, women, young, old together.”
Barbara Berkmeyer
Besides Berkmeyer making headway for all women college athletes and being a fantastic golfer, she inspired many including her oldest granddaughter to write a story about her. I am extremely lucky to have the privilege of calling Barbara Berkmeyer, “Grammy.” She has been such a great female role model in my life that did not let anything hold her back from having a phenomenal golf career. Throughout my life, she has not only taught me life lessons but also taught me the game of golf. We continue to share this joy and play golf whenever we get the chance. Even at the age of 81, Berkmeyer is still out there ruling the golf course. Berkmeyer continues to keep up with the women’s athletic programs today. When asked about her favorite part about the sport, Barbara said, “I feel golf is the greatest of all games. It is an equalizer bringing men, women, young, old together.” Berkmeyer became a pioneer for women’s athletics knowing no one else would make the change unless she became a part of the spectacle herself. Berkmeyer is a one-of-a-kind athlete on and off the golf course, exemplifying what it means to be a true role model for me and all women everywhere.
