Gordon Brown Sr. has received the title of PGA Southern California San Diego Chapter Honorary Life Member, an esteemed recognition bestowed upon individuals who have made significant contributions to the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) and the game of golf. A beautiful plaque was presented to Brown on November 27 at the San Diego PGA Chapter meeting at Miramar.
Born on May 5, 1936, in Charleston, South Carolina, Gordon Brown Sr. was introduced to golf at the tender age of 10. By the time he turned 18, Brown began honing his skills under the guidance of an experienced golfer who believed it was crucial to play on a regulation golf course. Unfortunately, the Charleston Municipal Golf Course, where they sought to practice, was an exclusive establishment that prohibited individuals of color from using its greens. This led to a legal dispute in which Brown actively participated in the fight for civil rights. Together, they filed a petition against the city of Charleston, South Carolina, questioning the reasons behind the denial of access to their golf course.
In 1995, the NAACP Charleston Chapter recognized Brown’s significant contribution to desegregating Charleston’s Municipal Golf Course in South Carolina. He was among 14 men acknowledged for their roles in the civil rights struggle of 1958. Following his graduation from Burke Industrial High School, Brown pursued a golf career. At 22, he married his sweetheart Harriet in 1959, shortly before being drafted into the U.S. Army. Despite his dreams of professional golf, Brown made the military golf team in Columbus, Georgia, winning the Camp Leroy Johnson All Infantry Golf Championships. Discharged in 1962, he joined the all-Black professional Golf Tour, interacting with notable figures like Jackie Robinson, Lee Elder, Charlie Sifford, Ted Rhodes, and Pete Brown.
Brown relocated to San Diego, where he earned recognition as one of the city’s top amateur golfers. Winning three consecutive San Diego Industrial Golf Championships, he retired the Silver Cup, a tradition dating back to 1943 with past winners like Sam Snead and Ted Rhodes. Although his dream of a professional golf career waned, his passion for the game endured.
The Brown family are pioneers in golf. In 1970, Brown and his wife Harriet initiated the Southeast Junior Golf program, aiming to involve community children in golf and instill life skills. In 1996, Gordon and his son Horace revamped the program into the non-profit San Diego Inner City Junior Golf Foundation and Academy. Dedicated to teaching golf and life skills, the foundation impacted hundreds of children, partnering with 13 elementary schools in the National School District in National City. The program extends its influence beyond golf, incorporating lessons in leadership, personal growth, health, and fostering parent-child interaction.
Gordon Brown Sr., now 87 years old, remains dedicated to teaching golf. Upon learning of the PGA Honorary Life Member designation bestowed upon her father, Brown’s daughter, LPGA Teaching Pro Avis Brown-Riley, in a social media post admitted to having tears of joy and extended gratitude to the PGA Southern California San Diego Chapter and Mr. Thomas Addis III, former CEO of the Chapter, now semi-retired and the Executive Director Emeritus, and Nikki Gatch, current CEO, for acknowledging her father’s profound contributions to the sport.
Avis has endeavored to follow in her father’s footsteps, pursuing golf, assuming managerial roles, and nurturing a beautiful family. She concluded with heartfelt congratulations to her father, hailing him as an amazing man and suggesting that their remarkable story deserves to be told in a movie. Avis is the first African American to become an LPGA Head Golf Professional at Golf Galaxy in the history of the retail chain store which offers golf equipment, apparel, shoes, gifts, accessories, books, and videos.
Mr. Brown has received numerous awards. He is a recipient of the 10News Leadership award and a 63 Anniversary Gala Honoree while receiving the Gerri Warren Humanitarian Award. (Feb 2023). The Browns as a Family received “The PGA Heritage Award,” (2012) presented every 10 years for outstanding performance in golf, a recognition they deeply cherish. Harriet Brown, at age 85, is still the glue to the family. Her role was very instrumental in the Brown Family’s golf success.
When daughter Avis called to congratulate her dad. He replied, “Avis, we have the plaque in our bedroom, and Momma Harriet and I can’t stop staring at it…It makes us very happy to be recognized for all of our hard work in the community. Special thanks to the PGA Southern Chapter and to Mr. Thomas Addis III for all his support over the past 40 years.” He also told her “Avis, we are so proud of you too! Keep up the great work! You have made us so proud Pro, and we love you.”
The awarding of PGA Honorary Life Membership is at the discretion of the PGA of America. It is usually granted when the PGA recognizes an individual’s outstanding service, leadership, and impact on the golf community. Recipients may include individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the PGA, golf development, and the betterment of the sport over an extended period. The process typically involves nominations from PGA Sections, officers, or other recognized entities within the PGA. The nominations go through a review process, and if approved, the individual is officially announced and recognized as an Honorary Life Member.
