Golf: What's wrong with golf's 'most beautiful women'

KEY POINTS:

• Former golf pro Anya Alvarez has explained why Golf Magazine's Most Beautiful Women feature makes her shudder.

Every year, Golf Magazine runs a feature profiling the sport's 'Most Beautiful Women', with the focus seemingly towards physical appearance as opposed to substance.

American golfer Anya Alvarez has penned her thoughts on the feature which she stated 'makes me shudder' in an article for The Guardian.

Alvarez addresses several things about the feature that disappoints her, but her main gripe is "that the golf pros showcased are dynamic young women, with talents and interests far more captivating than their looks".

She draws upon the example of Tiger Woods' niece Cheyenne Woods, who is active in the charity 'Golf Fore Africa', whose main goal is to provide clean drinking water on the continent.

Alvarez aims to inspire change in the way female golfers are viewed by the media, and compiled a shortlist of women "who are making moves in the male dominated world".

Her list features philanthropic golfers Annika Sorenstam - arguably the most successful female golfer on and off the course - and Diana Murphy, the second woman to serve as president of the United States Golf Association in its 122 year history.

Alvarez also explores golf media's complicated relationship with women.

Listen: Anya Alvarez talks to Newstalk ZB's Rachel Smalley

"Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and the Golf Channel are all guilty of reducing women to their looks alone. Women Crush Wednesday was a regular feature on the Golf Channel website, highlighting aspiring female golfer pros with racy Instagram accounts."

She also explains how she experienced "first-hand how the golf media uses women as props" and tries to make sure they are "sexed up".

Introducing 2017's Most Beautiful Women in Golf - https://t.co/ZyVUGC9Xid pic.twitter.com/YDI6r5xxSW

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) January 13, 2017

PHOTOS: The best of the Most Beautiful Women in Golf 2017 https://t.co/nOiCBZAsoD pic.twitter.com/8D4HKtjsjB

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) January 15, 2017

Her experiences have motivated her "to fight for better and equal coverage for my fellow female golfers" while "golf media continues to ignore the women in the sport who are compelling beyond their beauty".