Dear Friend of Golf. My Future. My Game.,
As Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio, celebrates its 80th anniversary, I wanted to share a significant story regarding the history of collegiate golf.
Did you know that the first historic match between a predominantly Black and a predominantly White university took place in 1937? It was a men’s match between Wilberforce University and Ohio Northern University, both of which established their first golf teams that year.
On April 26, 1937, Ohio Northern was the only school to agree to play Wilberforce due to the racial climate of the time. Wilberforce won that historic match 9-3 and went on to win a second match on May 18 with an identical score. The first victory occurred at Fairmont Country Club, and the second took place at Lost Creek Country Club in Lima, Ohio.
On the morning of April 13, 2002, the Honorable Joseph Malone (Ohio Northern ’40) and William Powell (Wilberforce ’37)—the only two surviving players from the 1937 contest—hit the ceremonial tee shots to begin a celebration rematch. Ohio Northern won 313-383 at Clearview Golf Club.
The rematch was held at Clearview because Mr. Powell was the first African American to design, build, and own his own golf course in the United States. Notably, Clearview Golf Club was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
I am sharing this history because another milestone in collegiate golf will take place on July 17th. See below.
For more information visit https://www.clearviewgolfclub.com
