African American Golfer's Digest
NEWS: According to findings by the National Golf Foundation, minorities have a definite presence in golf and the relationship between income and participation is as strong, if not stronger, in minority populations. INFO:Minorities are attractive candidates for golf and there is a large untapped pool of latent demand. STATS: Total golf participation by minorities is 5.5 million with non-Hispanic Whites making up 31.2 million. INFO: Of the total of minority golf participants African Americans make up 2.2 million, Hispanic Americans make up 1.7 million and Asian Americans make up 1.5 million. STATS: In total golf participation White males make up 64.4%, White females make up 20.6%, African Americans make up 6.3%, Hispanic Americans make up 4.6% and Asian Americans make up 4.1%. NEWS: Golf participation rates among those age 5 and up who played at least one round of golf or visited a practice facility: Non-Hispanic Whites 16.7%, Asian American 13.7%, African American 7.0%, Hispanic American 5.4%. STATS: Golf participation rates by household income and race for African Americans:  $25-$39K up 7.80%, $40-$49K up 7.10%, $50-$74K up 11.40%, $75-$99K up 11.90%, $100-$149K up 25%, $150K+ up 27.80% INFO: Latent demand studies indicate that there are 5.5 million participants in golf with 9.8 million interested non-participants. STATS: Where do minorities play? Junior participants make up 21%, exclusive alternative 12%, exclusive range 6%, golfers 61%. NEWS: Minorities are highly aware of golf and 9.8 million are interested, 3.4 million are committed regular golfers, 2.1 million are trial golfers (alternative, range and juniors) INFO: According to the U.S. Census and the Compound Annual Growth Rate, African American population growth is expected to increase 1.2% between 2002-20020. STATS: With managed participation African American golf participation is assumed to increase from 2.3 million to 3.9 million between 2003-2020.
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Spring 2005
Vol. 3 No. 2

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Cerebral Golf
With “Dr. J.”


According to mental game expert, Dr. Michael Johnson, "Golf is a funny game. One day you shoot your physical best (for an amateur), and the next day it seems nothing goes right. But, two days later you shot a really good game and the cycle continues. So how do we get more consistent with our game? We build on the mental game of golf."
(...read more in the Summer 2006 issue.)



 












Tyrone Wallace
Chairman/President & CEO
of Nirvana Golf Technologies

Tyrone Wallace is leading the way for customized golf equipment and he is now on a quest to make it available to the novice and the professional. Read more in the Spring 2004 isssue.






The Presley Tour

Northern California Minority
Jr. Golf Scholarship Assoc.
Willie Simmons, Founder

Email: Willie Simmons


John Linton

has traveled from Thailand to Austin, Texas and he shares his enthusiasm for golf with us. While finishing a 20-year stint with the Air Force he was constantly being hounded by his roommate to take up golf.

Then, after just one swing in January of 1971, Johns tell us what it was that so attracted him to have a 'love affair' with the game.

Linton underwent instruction training for the United States Golf Teachers Federation (USGTF) and then align himself with the PGA's First Tee program and to form a local chapter in
Autsin, Texas.

(...read more in the
Fall 04 issue.)


Albert Crews

After being selected for the "Big Break Seniors", presented by The Golf Channel, he's now making his way around the circuit playing several qualifiers this year.

Spend a day 'Crews-ing on the Course' with Albert through our pages and you'll find out exactly why his ambition to join the professional ranks of the Champion's Tour is just within reach, despite his unique cross-handed grip.

(...read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)


Artis Granvel "Jack" Hall

Meet "Jack" of Ormond Beach, FL. A military veteran, life member of the NAACA and Kappa Alpha Psi and member of the Ebony Golf Association.

Jack earned a Bachelors Degree from Bethune-Cookman College, a Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Florida Atlantic University and was a member of its football, basketball and golf teams.
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Golfer Profiles


Quincy Heard
PGA Professional
Perseverance: The Quincy R. Heard Story

Quincy R. Heard was born on May 17, 1969 in Montgomery, Alabama. He was raised by his Aunt Harriet and Uncle Earl Marsh, while his mother
completed her Bachelor of Science in Education at Alabama State University. In 1988, he joined the Navy and began playing golf when he was 21 years old.
Quincy entered the PGA of America as a novice in 1998. It took him many years of hard work and dedication to pass the PGA of America's Playing Ability Test requirement (PAT). In 2006, he completed the requirements and was elected for membership to the Professional Golfer's Association of America, becoming Oregon's second African American golf professional.
(...read more in the Spring 2007 issue.)
Willie McRae:
A Living Legend


For more than six decades Willie McRae has walked the pristine and historic fairways of Pinehurst Golf Club and Resort with a humble and quiet dignity. He has helped carry on the proud tradition of the black caddie and for almost 80 years the McRae family has played a prominent role in the history of Pinehurst.
The McRae Family is just as much a part of the history of Pinehurst as it’s more famous guests. Thaddeus McRae, the son of a sharecropper started caddying at the Pinehurst Golf Club in 1927. He was one of many black caddies that traveled from the Taylortown, NC a small town just two miles from the resort to work at the Golf course that the Tufts Family owned. Caddying was a way to earn money and support his wife and twelve children.
(...read more in the Winter/Jan. 2007 issue.)
John Robinson
expects to attract some of today's most elite junior golfers with his inaugral G3 Tour(Got Guts Golf) that kicks off in August 2005. The fundraiser is an opportunity for youth to showcase their skills and gain national exposure while benefitting a worthy cause.
(Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)
Albert Crews says, "I still keep the faith," as he reflects on how he almost made the cut for the U.S Senior Open in July at the NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio. Gain insight into how the 53-year-old, baptist minister and full-time mason drove his five-year-old SUV with over 130,000 miles on it for more than 14-hours just to reach the tournament, only to come three shots short of realizing his dream. (Read more in the Summer 2005 issue)
Leonard Jones
knows the golf scene better than most people you'll probably ever meet. He's played pro, worked with youth, founded the Minority Golf Foundation, held a Tiger Woods clinic and still manages and teaches at two golf venues in Dallas, Texas. How does he do it? Learn more about this man on a mission. (Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.
)
Jay McNair
was one of the few Blacks who got an opportunity to participate on "The Big Break," The Golf Channel's hit reality TV show that captured America's attention.
McNair found himself in the living rooms and homes of many who never knew he and his exceptional golf skill existed. (Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)
The Fairplay Foundation held its annual Celebrity Open and it has become the hottest ticket in town during June, when they hosted the "Kids Night Out" at Six Flags in New Olreans. Chairman, Dale Brock was ecstatic with the success of the event that attracted over
155 youngsters out for an evening of enjoyment and festivities. (Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)
The Urban Chamber of Commerce President, Hanna Brown along with Golf Chair, Edgar "Tee" Taylorand Ann Gregory's daughter, JoAnn Gregory-Overstreet filled the course with excitement at Siverstone GC during their 6th Annual Las Vegas
Tournament.Legendary golfer, Lee Elder was also on hand as 52 scholarships were awarded to deservinf youth. (Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)


(L-R): Dennis Cone,
PCA President with
Walter "Cricket" Pritchett
Walter "Cricket" Pritchett Inducted Into PCA Worldwide Caddie Hall of Fame

Walter "Cricket" Pritchett was honored with induction into the Professional Caddie Association (PCA) Worldwide Caddie Hall of Fame in January 2007.
Pritchett’s longtime caddie buddy, Alfred “Rabbit” Dyer, nominated him for the award.

Pritchett, now 63 years old, started caddying when he was 10 years old in Houston, Texas. Walter, who grew up without a father, was able to provide most of the family’s income by caddying after school and on weekends. (...read more in the Spring 2007 issue.)

Soulful Golf is a meticulous duo serving the community while providing access to high quality golf activities on demand. Find out how partners Jandi Smith Turner (left) and Debby Stroman(right) keep focused on their non-profit firm that offers a full spectrum of sports marketing services.
( Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)
 

Fore The Kids Classic

On May 17, 2007 The First Tee of Washington, DC, held its annual “For The Kids” classic with special guest and golf legend, icon

Calvin Peete in attendance. (L-R) Jimmy Garvin, President, Langston Legacy Golf Course with Calvin Peete and Certified Instructor, John H. Coleman, USGTF, helped the youth to enjoy the day while providing tips and instruction. (...read more in the Summer 2007 issue.)


First Place winners of the Inner City Youth Golfer's Assoc. Scholarship Tournament are all smiles after their team effort on May 22 at the Links on Madison Green, Royal Palm Beach. Fl. (...read more in the Fall 04 issue.)

Atlanta Chapter of 100 Black Men  raised more than $150,000 in proceeds during their annual golf classic at the Golf Club of Georgia. The fundraiser benefits "Project Success", a youth initiative aimed at helping participants develop academic, leadership and life skills. (...read more in the Summer 2005 issue)
PGA Pro, Scott Kennedy is an instructor of Golf Management at Southwestern Wisconsin Technical College is lucky to be flanked by his Golden Knights Youth Porgram memebers.The two-day academy is held in
Milwaukee and sponsored
by the Grace Feelowship Church. The program provide students and parents with the rules of golf and evening session on careers and educational opportunities. (Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)

Paula PearsonTucker
is on the right track towards qualifying to play for the LPGA Tour and make a name for herself in golf.

The life that she leads is proof of her determination to overcome all odds while helping others who are less fortunate in her community.

(Read more in the Spring 2005 edition.)

Glenn Pratt owns the Minority Professional Golf Development Association and says, "African Americans watch white golfers play on TV, but they don't compete against them."
Pratt says this was what he was told by his family and community when he was growing up in Nassau, Bahamas. By age 20, he was Bahamas Nation Golf Champion and left to go to th
US to compete in professional golf. So, he grabbed his favorite golf gear, stuffed $400 into his pocket and left home to play the mini-tour circuit in the United States. Today, the 41-year-old golfer is Founder and President of the Minority Professional Golf Development Association (MPGDA) and he is on a mission to help others compete at the professional level (...read more in the January 2004 issue)

Steve Hogan
IN MEMORIAM
(April 10, 1953- November 22, 2008)
Miller Park Golf Course - Omaha,Neb.

Steve Hogan, a PGA member since 1997, is head professional at Miller Park Golf Course in Omaha, Neb., home of
"Hogan's Junior Golf Heroes," one of the country's most remarkable inner-city golf success stories. Hogan, 40, is the first Nebraska PGA Section member to win the PGA Junior Golf Leader Award, which is presented to a PGA Professional who demonstrates leadership in junior golf and reflects the ideals of those who work with youth.

Hogan, who attended Bellevue (Neb.) College for two years before turning professional in 1989, is a two-time (1999, 2002) Section PGA Junior Golf Leader Award winner. Among the many community service awards he has received are the 2001 Dr. Martin Luther King Living the Dream Award and the 1997 American Institute for Public Service Jefferson Award. He also received the 2003 Nebraska Hall of Fame's Dr. Herbert H. Davis Memorial Award.

"When someone asks me where I went to college, I say The PGA of America," said Hogan. "The PGA is my college. Being a golf professional is an ongoing education. For me to pass through Business School II was very hard. Thanks to my wife and kids, who quizzed me as I was studying, I made it. I have tried to instill in kids I meet that it is never too late to reach your dreams. I came off a tractor and I had dreams. You have to never give up on yourself and never quit working."

Hogan and his lovely wife, Denett, are the parents of two children: Steve Jr. and Sierra.
Get to know Buddy Cooper who has 25 years of teaching golf under his belt. Cooper started out in Philadelphia, PA at Cobb's Creek Golf Club, a public 36 hole venue designed as the "little sister" layout of the world famous Merion Golf Club in nearby Ardmore, PA.

Cooper is in the midst of completing
the requirements for the PGA of America's Class "A" designation and currently serves as Lead Instructor at the Bronx Golf Center in New York City. He's also taught at the prestigious Jim McLean Golf Academy at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. While there he worked with all levels of golfers, including local pros and he ran the Junior Golf Academy for two years.

Prior to moving to New York Cooper was the General Manager and Head Professional of Freeway Golf Course in Sicklerville, N.J.-the first 18-hole venue owned and operated by African-Americans in the U.S. At Freeway Cooper sharpened his tournament playing skills under the tutelage of PGA life member, Bill Bishop-winner of over 70 professional tournaments.
Renny Roker
You'll have a lot of fun checking out this fellow golfer. And surprising, he's a cousin of Today Show weatherman, Al Roker.

Renny is on a mission to provide top quality lessons and playing time for kids, ages 10-17, at upscale resorts and golf courses. His Miramar, Florida-based organization has teams in over 30 cities.
Discover how his program helps kids with their studies and fosters a professional attitude while they learn the rules and business of golf.

More importantly, Teens on the Green works to insure that all members earn a scholarship to the college of their choice stemming from their commitment to the education and experience they received while participating in the program on and off the course. (...read more in the Summer 2003 issue.)
Dr. George Thomas understands why "It's never too late." According to Dr. Thomas, president of the Learning Academy which carries his name. Though his job was too consuming for him to take up golf, immediately upon his retirement from the Federal Aviation Administration in 1994, Thomas, now 74, started taking lessons.
He's cut his handicap down to an amazing 12. Thomas' academy just hosted its 13th annual golf tournament in Silver Spring, MD, that benefits its tutoring and mentoring program for students of Montgomery County, the George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy.

Jairus (center) with parents
Jerome and Suzanne
 

Jairus Gaines

Finding His Heritage and Future in Golf

It was an interview with Tiger Woods and being asked what he expected to do for the next fifty years, that pointed Jerome toward golf. Woods’ response was, “Play golf.” That’s when Jerome bought his son, Jairus, (then 18-months-old) a plastic golf club and started

taking him to the public golf course to watch adults play the game.

Last year, Jairus, now seven, placed second in his home state of Maryland, fifth in Virginia, and took first place in Delaware and Pennsylvania. This qualified him to go to the world championships in North Carolina. He also discovered that his fourth cousin, a slave in the 1800, was a caddy and was inducted into the Caddy Hall of Fame. (...read more in the Summer 2007 issue.)

PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA
Military Golf Program

For 91 years, The PGA of America has made it a mission to promote the game of golf and elevate the role of the professional. On May 17th the Association took a new step forward to

enrich the lives of the nation’s Wounded Warriors. The PGA of America/Disabled Sports USA Military Golf Program laid the foundation for what officials believe is a new chapter in connecting golf with those who have served this country and paid a major sacrifice. As part of the Association’s initiative, it has joined the America Supports You team, a Department of Defense program that highlights and recognizes citizens’ support for members of the U.S. Armed Services and their families.
(...read more in the Summer 2007 issue.)


Steve
"The Predator" Monroe

 

Golfer To WATCH! Steve has established himself as one of the nations best Long Drive Champions. His top 10 finish in the 2007 ReMax Long Drive Championship in Mesquite, Nevada, only reinforces his skill and talents.

This Clearwater, Florida, resident is certainly headed for more wins and we predict that Steve will have a good season in 2008.(...read more in the Winter/January 2008 issue.)

Hercules O. Pitts Becomes Owner Of Two Maryland Golf Courses

The Greeks described the mythological “Hercules” as a man of prodigious size and strength and one of very great courage.
The Greater Metropolitan Washington Area has its own “modern day Hercules”.

He is Hercules O. Pitts, a local Developer and General Contractor, who has become the State of Maryland’s only African American 18-hole golf course owner. He adds his name as another of the very few minority golf course owners in the U.S. (...read more in the Winter/Jan. 2007 issue.)


Kennie Sims

Simms is President of the West Central Chapter of the North Florida Section of the PGA. Learn what Sims' plans for the next two years include.

(...read more in the Winter 2004 issue.

 

Connor Graham
"LOVE AT FIRST PUTT"

While on a family vacation in Hilton Head, South Carolina, a life changing experience happened to five-year-old Connor that would change her families dynamic forever...she discover the game of golf.

Now, the game has propelled them all to greater heights in every

aspect of life and they have another option for how they spend their 'quality family time.'

She has been names "The Most Improved Golfer" 2006 Georgetown-Horry Chapter. She placed 9th at the All-Stars State Championship at Wescott Plantation Golf Course in Summerville, SC, and has won several medals from Mutual of Omaha Drive, Chip and Putt Competitions.
(...read more in the Fall 2007 issue.)


For an opportunity to appear in the African American Golfer’s Digest (AAGD) "Golfer Profile" section print out the form below, complete and mail or email back with your color photo.

Due to the tremendous amount of feedback we receive, all materials and photos become the property of AAGD and cannot be returned.


CLICK HERE FOR FORM

Mail the completed form with your photo to:

Attenton: Editorial Dept.
African American Golfer's Digest
139 Fulton Street, Suite 209
New York, NY 10038

Or Send EMail to: Editors@AfricanAmericanGolfersDigest.com

All materials become the property of the African American Golfer's Digest and cannot be returned.

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Hooters Tour Player,
Kevin Hall Takes You Inside:

"Kevin's World "



Robin Aikens, LPGA
On-Course Training Steps


 



This Is A Must-Have
Book For Your Golf Library!


The African American Woman Golfer
Her Legacy


by M. Mikell Johnson
Foreword by
JoAnn Gregory-Overstreet
































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Hundreds of sq. ft. of
exhibit space and 45,000 attendees expected.
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and 3-Day Golf Cruise
to the Bahamas
following the PGA Show

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Email: Foresam@aol.com



Newly Released
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The African American Woman Golfer
Her Legacy

by M. Mikell Johnson
Foreword by
JoAnn Gregory-Overstreet


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