South Dakota, in the golfer’s mind, is known for its two precious gems, namely the sisters Marlene and Alice Bauer, who made not only their state proud, but also their country.
The Bauer sisters contributed greatly to American golf with their numerous accolades and their role in establishing the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Today we will tell you about their fascinating lives and their impressive golf careers.
The Bauer Sisters: First Successes
Alice Bauer was born on October 6, 1927 in Eureka, South Dakota. Six and a half years later, her sister, Marlene Bauer, was born on May 16, 1934. Their father, Dave Bauer, owned a golf course in Aberdeen, SD called Hyde Park (now Lee Park). He naturally instilled the love for golf in his children.
The younger sister, Marlene, actually started playing golf first, supposedly at the age of three. Alice didn’t initially show an interest in golf, but according to Marlene, her older sister sought the attention that Marlene was getting from locals and decided to pursue the sport at the age of 10, or in 1937.
By that time, Marlene Bauer had already established herself as a great amateur golfer.
She won the Long Beach City Boys Junior in 1944, which was her first significant trophy. Marlene had an impressive season at the age of 13, winning the Western and National Junior Championships, the Los Angeles Women’s City Championship, the Palm Springs Women’s Championship, the Northern California Open and the Indio Women’s Invitational.
This success won her a spot in the US Women’s Open the same year, making her the youngest golfer thus far to compete in it. She finished eight.
Meanwhile, her sister Alice was also reaping success in golf. At the age of 14, in 1942, Alice won the South Dakota amateur golf championship, being the youngest person to win the coveted trophy.
Perhaps to aid their daughters’ careers, the Bauer parents decided to move their family to California in 1943, as the Golden State had more golf opportunities than their native South Dakota.
As you already know, Marlene immediately benefited from the move and won a bunch of tournaments only a few years later. Alice also scored some wins, most famously becoming the Southern Cal Amateur winner in 1949.
The same year, 1949, Marlene was named Associated Press Athlete of the Year, Golfer of the Year and Teenager of the Year after winning the US Girls’ Junior and the WWGA Junior gold medals, thereby becoming the youngest athlete to be named all these prestigious titles.
In 1950, Alice Bauer famously won an exhibition match against professional golfer Patty Berg which made national headlines.
Founding the LPGA
The two sisters were at the peak of their game and they both went on to establish the Ladies Professional Golf Association, or LPGA, in 1950. The LPGA is the oldest and biggest women’s association of professional golf in the world which makes the Bauer sisters’ contribution very significant.
Marlene was only 16 years old at the time, making her the youngest founding member of LPGA and the youngest member of the association, a record still held by her today.
The other founding members of LPGA, besides the Bauer sisters, are golfers Patty Berg, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson, Sally Sessions, Marilyn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs and Babe Zaharias.
Later Career
Marlene Bauer won her first LPGA title at the Sarasota Open in 1952. In 1955, Alice also came close to winning a title, reaching the playoffs against fellow LPGA founder Marilynn Smith but sadly lost.
Her sister Marlene proved to be more successful as she won her first major championship the next year, namely the 1956 LPGA Championship. In her career, Marlene has won 26 LPGA events and she continued to play golf until the impressive age of 62 when she made her final professional appearance in an LPGA tour in 1996.
Unfortunately, Alice never managed to reach those heights. She couldn’t win an LPGA tournament in her lifetime, with some speculating that motherhood and family drama set her back.
Alice married Bob Hagge in 1952 and quickly gave birth to two children. However, the couple divorced only three years later, in 1955, and ex Bob immediately married her sister Marlene, which is why the younger sister is now commonly known by her married name Hagge. That’s some next-level sibling competition. Yikes!
Still, despite all this, Alice didn’t give up golfing. She entered top 10 in many golf tournaments in the latter half of the 1950’s, including the 1956 Women’s Western Open, the 1956 LPGA Championship (which Marlene won), the 1956 Women’s PGA Championship and the 1958 U.S. Women’s Open.
Alice became notorious for her long hits, putting many professional male golfers to shame, especially considering her short stature of 5’1″. Tragically, Dave Bauer, the sisters’ father, died in 1958 which was the final straw for Alice and she barely competed after that.
Legacy
The Bauer sisters led lives full of success and they are now renowned in South Dakota and all around the world. Alice was inducted in the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, and more recently in the World Golf Hall of Game in 2024. Marlene was similarly inducted in both halls of fame.