Emanuel “Red” Robinson was one of the best golfers in the south. When I say one of the best golfers in the south, this includes Black, whites, and others. Red was a master of the short game and around the green.
After a contentious first meeting, Coach Red and I became best friends. But, unfortunately, after a lengthy battle with health issues, Brother Red has passed on to glory. Emanuel William Robinson was born February 9, 1939, to the late Willie and Pauline Robinson. Unfortunately, he passed this life on December 2, 2022.
Emanuel grew up in Huntsville, AL, and was well-known in the community. He was a very outgoing person, played softball and golf, but was best known as a golfer. Red was good. He won numerous golf tournaments throughout Alabama and some in Kentucky. The Kentucky sites included the old United Golf Association (UGA). The United Golfers Association was a group of African American professional golfers who operated a separate series of professional golf tournaments for Blacks during the era of racial segregation in the United States. Emanuel (Red) was also an instrumental instructor in teaching young golfers the art of golfing in Huntsville’s First Tee program.
I was new to golf and new to the North Alabama Golf Club (NAGC). In addition, I assumed with my speech impediment, the guys needed to understand me and trust me. So some of them (jokingly) said when I would stutter sometimes, I was not telling the truth.
When I first introduced myself to the North Alabama Golf Club (NAGC) members in 2002, a few members questioned my motive. Lloyd Gardner and Emanuel Robinson were two members of NAGC that openly questioned my motivation for starting my youth golf development program. I’m sure other members suspected me and my motives, as well. I remember Lloyd and Emanuel because they both apologized to me. Lloyd Gardner and Emanuel Robinson accused me of stealing money I never had.
Because they were not familiar with how non-profit organizations operate on grants, they assumed I was putting the grant money into my pockets.
Because I explored this new world of golf, which I discovered at the age of 44, I learned how to apply for golf grants and run programs and became successful at the mission part, but the money part eluded me because my focus was on the mission, not money.
I will write more about this in a future Blog called the M&M Factor, Mission & Money, or Money & maybe a mission.
When I realized the powerful possibilities of golf, my spiritual passion drove me to commit my time and the little resources I had to the mission.
Before I went to the NAGC for help, I applied for and was awarded, a PGA Growth of the Game Grant, where the funds was designed to pay area PGA Professional instructors to work with youth in granted programs. Still, being new to golf, I had to go to area PGA Professionals and ask them to help me. Now mind you, at this time in 2002, I’m new to golf, and in Alabama, where historically, Blacks were denied access to golf.
In addition, one of the PGA Professional instructors I heard about and met was still part of the “old boys club.” I remember going to this older PGA guy and sharing the grant paperwork and the timesheet that I would submit to PGA Headquarters in Palm Spring, FL, for his pay for helping me; he turned down my ask for helping with the youths and the money.
But, as time passed, I realized that most people have never seen a person committed to their mission like Howard Bankhead. At that time, the NAGC had at least 42 dues-paying members; most had families and regularly attended worship services. But, they had yet to hear of or meet someone like me. I was mission-driven, not money driven; they had never heard of such a thing in golf.
Out of the history of golf in Huntsville and probably the state of Alabama, there had never been an organized program for Black youth to learn the sport and game of golf until I created one.
As we all know, it takes money to be in golf, and as I previously stated, Coach Red and the other golfers had never met a person like Howard, who put their mission before money. They had never met a person that gave to others for the betterment of others (youth) without a monetary return. Even preachers don’t work for free, one guy said jokingly, but seriously.
What these good men didn’t know about me was that the Jim Crow white supremacy system affected people in various ways. Growing up in the ’60s and ’70s, I experienced the legal end of Jim Crow. As I grew older and got into golf, I learned how Black people were denied access to golf. However, the most devastating impact on me came when I realized that as a youth in the’60s and ’70s, countless other Black youth like me were denied golf simply because of being Black in the southern parts of America.
With that newly found awareness, in 2001, I created the Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development-Huntsville, so youth would have the opportunity denied me. The Tennessee Valley Youth Golf Development- Huntsville grew into The First Tee of Huntsville; now, Par Excellence Youth Development (PEYD. I will write more about these transitions in another future blog.)
I can go on and on about my experience, but this is about my once dear friend, Coach Red Robinson.
When Red saw that I was committed to helping introduce Black kids and youth to golf, he was all in. Coach Red volunteered his time with golf instructions and encouragement. When The First Tee of Augusta had a competition for regional First Tee Chapters, Coach Red helped raise money for the trip, including hotels, travel, food, and other costs.
Coach Red was there when we took our youth to The First Tee of East Lake in Atlanta. In 2008, when Shoal Creek in Birmingham hosted the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, Coach Red, our participants, and I rode down to experience a practice round.
Yes, Coach Red was as passionate about helping underserved Black youth as I was. We were a good team. If we had better health and more time, I think of how many more lives we could have impacted!
Yes, thank you, heavenly father, for delivering Emanuel William “Red” Robinson to golf and especially to First Tee of Huntsville.
