Few golf professionals embody the connection between legacy and opportunity quite like Jeff Dunovant, PGA. Following in the footsteps of his pioneering father, Harold Dunovant, Jeff has built a career that bridges professional golf, youth development and the preservation of African American golf history. As president and chairman of the National Black Golf Hall of Fame, he is helping ensure that the pioneers who broke barriers are remembered while creating pathways for the next generation to follow.
Born in High Point, North Carolina, Jeff spent much of his childhood in the Bronx, New York, before graduating from West Carrollton High School near Dayton, Ohio. Although he participated in football and basketball, golf became his lifelong passion. His father introduced him to the game at an early age, surrounding him with the influence of prominent Black golf professionals.
In 1983, Jeff accepted a golf scholarship to Fayetteville State University, a historically Black university in North Carolina. Graduating in 1987, he helped lead the Broncos to consecutive Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) golf championships in 1985 and 1986. He earned First Team All-CIAA recognition throughout his collegiate career and was named team captain and Most Valuable Player in 1987. That year, he also received All-American recognition at the National Minority Collegiate Championship, now known as the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship.
Dunovant became a PGA member in 1993. He and his father made history as the first Black father-and-son duo to attain PGA membership and Quarter Century Member status, recognizing at least 25 years of membership. In 2022, Fayetteville State University inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame.
Throughout his career, Dunovant, age 60, lives in the Atlanta, Ga area and has received numerous honors for his contributions to golf. His distinctions include the 2001 Southwest Section Junior Golf Player Development Award, 2012 Georgia Section Junior Golf Leader recognition, the 2015 Georgia PGA Player Development Award, the 2018 Georgia Section Merchandiser of the Year award for a public golf course, and the 2021 Georgia PGA President’s Award. His professional experience includes work with American Golf Corporation, the PGA TOUR and TPC Sawgrass and TPC Scottsdale. He has also served on the Southwest and Georgia PGA Section boards and the National PGA Junior League Golf Committee.
Youth development and community impact
Dunovant’s commitment to young people is central to his work. He has served as a First Tee National Trainer and coached the Drew Charter School golf team in Atlanta since its establishment in 2015. In 2019, Drew Charter’s boys’ team won the Georgia High School State Golf Championship with an all-Black roster and coaching staff—a landmark achievement in American high school golf.
Explaining his commitment to representation, Dunovant told the PGA of America: “I love this game, and I’m willing to do anything to see it grow.”
Preserving Black golf history
Since his father founded the National Black Golf Hall of Fame in 1986, Dunovant has worked to preserve its mission of recognizing Black golf pioneers and celebrating people who expand opportunity in the sport. Under his leadership, the organization has grown beyond its original family operation and is preparing for a permanent home at the redeveloped John A. White Golf Course clubhouse in Atlanta.
Family and personal life
Dunovant is married to Marie, who serves as treasurer of the National Black Golf Hall of Fame. They have three children—Marshall, Kendall and Sydni—and a grandson, Idris Jr. His daughter Kendall has pursued a career in golf administration, working as a rules coordinator for the USGA. The family’s involvement in golf reflects the lasting influence of Harold Dunovant’s example.
Through coaching, professional leadership and historical preservation, Jeff Dunovant continues to turn his family’s legacy into opportunity for the next generation of golfers.
