Craig Kirby is on a mission: He is working hard to diversify golf — one Black student at a time.
It’s not easy, said Kirby, 53, but it is rewarding.
His non-profit, “Golf. My Future. My Game,” has exposed young African-Americans to the predominantly white sport since 2014.
Kirby’s goal is to teach kids of color to play golf while helping them envision careers in that industry. Each of his 12-week classes enrolls about 80 students.
“We take our kids to golf courses and give them a whole new experience,” Kirby said in his Washington, D.C. office. “They get lessons, guidance and advice from experts in the golf industry who look like them.”
Kirby provides life chances for young people on the golf course and behind the scenes, as everything from golf club owners and professional caddies to golf-wear designers. He also educates them about college golf scholarships.
Among America’s 15,000 private golf courses, only four are Black-owned, Kirby said. He takes his students to one of them, the Marlton Golf Club in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
“We teach them the game of golf, the business of golf — from soup to nuts,” he said. “They learn everything — from the pro shop to the cart shop, to the back office and everything in between. It’s a complete golf experience. If kids don’t want to play golf professionally, there are plenty of great jobs in the golf industry.”
American golfers are 77-percent male and 80-percent white, according to Dr. Michael Cooper’s 2015 Golf Diversity & Inclusion Report. Among professional golfers, 75 percent are male and 86 percent are white.
Michael Cooper (left) shares a moment with former professional golfer Lee Elder.
Meanwhile, golf-industry workers are 90 percent male and 88 percent white. “These numbers are not disappointing,” Kirby said with a smile. “These are avenues of opportunities for kids of color.”
Cooper, 60, who has played golf for 48 years, said very little has changed in the industry since he first researched its demographics in 2003.
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