CHEMOLA TO CWGA

The City Women’s Golf Association will be celebrating its 60th Playing Season in 2024.  However, the origins actually go back a decade further to the initial CWGA founding.

In 1952, a new women’s golf organization was formed in the Richmond area and was composed largely of former members of the Richmond Women’s Golf Association (RWGA) whose handicaps were above 28.  The new association was named CHEMOLA for the three founding clubs – Chesterfield Country Club, Monacan Hills Country Club and Laurel Links.  It was known as the Chemola Women’s Golf Association or “CWGA”. Mrs. Robert Houston of the Chesterfield Country Club served as the first President.  The inaugural play day was held at Chesterfield Country Club and events rotated between the three clubs with a variety of formats and the golf professionals at the three clubs providing lessons and practice sessions during the events.

The group was so successful that in 1953 several other clubs joined the association, and a heavier schedule was developed to rotate events between the increasing member clubs.  (Due to the expansion, 1953 is generally referred to as the founding of CWGA although technically it began in 1952.)

When the season opened with the additional participating clubs in 1954, Chesterfield Country Club had become Cherokee Country Club.  However, the CHE portion of CHEMOLA was still viable and so the league continued as Chemola Women’s Golf Association or “CWGA”.

By 1964, the private country clubs in the Richmond area had major changes with some closing, some changing names and several new clubs opening such as Meadowbrook and Willow Oaks in 1957, Hanover in 1959, followed by Salisbury in 1963.  Thus, at season’s end 1963, the Chemola Women’s Golf Association renamed itself the City Women’s Golf Association.  The new CWGA opened its first season at Meadowbrook Country Club on April 17, 1964.  When the second season opened at Meadowbrook the following year, CWGA had a full membership of 100 representing every private club in the Richmond area.

And the rest of the story of CHEMOLA……..what happened to the three founding clubs and where were they located?

Chesterfield Country Club became Cherokee Country Club before the golf course closed and was absorbed by the surrounding Cherokee Farms Subdivision.

Laurel Links, located in Glen Allen, also became residential homes.

Monacan Hills Country Club had opened in 1950, but by the late 1950’s in addition to golf, the Club had developed a “tainted” reputation for enthusiastic card playing.  The owners padlocked the doors and closed the club.  It was reorganized in 1959 with new investors and opened in 1960 as Richmond Country Club. Thus, the only surviving golf course of the founding “CWGA”.