GLADYS M. LEE
Blog: May-July 2012

DICK CLARK AND
MY GOLF GAME

Hello Confidants, Constituents and Comrades,

My heart was saddened as I returned home yesterday from golf practice with my Estrella Mountain Women’s golf team and heard the news that my former boss had passed away. I gasped as though someone had punched me in the stomach….

I sat in front of the TV with tears in my eyes as I listened to different people tell what they remembered about Dick Clark.

It was not until the mid night hour when there was no TV or no day time sounds and noises that the images of people, memories and stories started to play as reels of tapes in my mind.

I remember the glitz and glamor of Hollywood and how the appreciation of the game of golf was introduced to me by Dick and Carrie Clark ( Dick’s wife).

I remember they were members at Lakeside Country Club along with Bob Hope and several other celebrities. During off day’s from production in the studio’s, Carrie would spend time relaxing by playing a round of golf. It was listening to Carrie talk about the game when I started to realize and see a side of golf that would forever change my life to this very day– Even though I putted around with the game a couple of years before taking a course in continuing education at Tarrant County College in Ft. Worth.

I was home on a leave of absence for a few months, it was Carrie Clark that really got me to think seriously about ” The Wonderful World of Golf.” I remember her saying to me, ” Gladys golf will open door’s for you that you can not imagine….You will meet people that you would never dream of meeting!” Carrie spoke those words in May of 1986 and, as I look back, she was so right.

There are so many memories I have of Dick Clark but the one I cherish most is the day we had a bar-b-que at his Malibu home. Mr Clark along with Jeff Morgolis was producing “The Miss Hollywood Pageant” and I was working as a Production Coordinator. Dick decided we had worked very hard so we had a day of fun and relaxation at his beautiful beach home. As I was sitting on the deck looking out over the Pacific Ocean, Dick sat down next to me and he said, “Gladys you are special. You don’t get bothered or excited by things.” I remember saying to him, “Mr Clark I’ve never been a Star Gazer, there are no Big i’s or little u’s and vice versus in my life. I serve a mighty God that’s bigger than us all and even though you have asset’s as much as 250 million dollars you are poor if you don’t have God.” He had a gleam in his eye, a smile on his face, and a warm embrace for me.

As I said previously, I have lots of stories and many fond memories, but that particular memory was so special for the both of us.

Dick Clark will forever live in my heart as a very good and kind man. I thank God for him and his wife Carrie, they were gifts to me. They brought Golf to Go along with American Bandstand and the decades of music in my life.

Rest in Peace Mr. Clark,
Gladys

P.S. I made it to the professional ranks of golf……….. Thank You !

Many blessings and please to all who read my blog. Please share your thoughts on this with me. Send me a message.

Until next time,

Coach Gladys M. Lee
LPGA Professional Teacher & Coach
Founder / Executive Director
Roaring Lambs International Junior Golf Academy
www.roaringlambsjrgolf.com
[email protected]
214-212-9475

Send Gladys A Comment!

GLADYS M. LEE
Blog: August 2013

I love you dearly and it would be very nice to get an award…

Hello Confidants, Constituents and Comrades,

Yes, I love you dearly and it would be very nice to get an award, but my goal and main objective is not to continue collecting awards, but to bring awareness to the many years of work we have put into the industry and to get answer’s to the questions of when is bias, unfair, unethical procedures going to continue to be allowed and practiced at many of the golf courses, and when will these practices cease to be called normal?

In addition to some of the things that continue to concern and puzzle me. I am really interested in seeing how the PGA is going to handle this situation with the PGA Jr. Golf League All Stars. And, if the PGA is going to stand behind the pro’s associated with the league, here in the Dallas Ft. Worth area, who have not done their job and put together an All Star Jr. League Team worthy to represent Texas in the National Championships in Atlanta. And, again I reiterate, when is enough going to be enough with the unfair practices?

I was asked, and after researching what it was all about , I agreed to put together a PGA Jr. Golf League team. I followed the rules, I collected the money to be sent to the Jr. League Headquarters, I put together a real live All Star Team.

Above, L-R: A few of the PGA Jr. League members prepare for their upcoming matches with instruction and strategy from Coach Gladys Lee and Coach Wes Francis. The team warms up with stretching exercises, chipping and putting in Ft. Worth, TX. (Photo Andrea Smith)

I met the timelines and now some of the pro’s are not willing to play our team because we are, and I quote from an e-mail sent to me”… that they were not going forward with the matches because we were … “too strong and too good???”… the majority of our team is made up of LPGA-USGA Girls, some beginner players to more advanced 8 to 13 year olds. I’ve heard some dumb excuses before, but this one is unacceptable and I’m not buying it !

One team totally dropped out of the league a few day’s prior to when it was our time to play them… A parent watched as we were warming up on the driving range and quit… the man actually took his kid out of the tournament and left the course; he
said our kid’s were too big (or was he was thinking we were too dark):( … a couple of the teams in order to acquire points are playing their own teams against each other, how incestious is that ? 🙁

If our team does not play (Thursday July 18), some of my main players will not have the required number of matches set by the league and will not be eligible for the All Star’s, I have never heard of such fool crockery in all my life.This act is as unjust and unfair to these kid’s as denying them food, water and sleep because they were too strong and too good 🙁

“Life can make you bitter or it can make you better, but this crap has made me MAD…

I won’t stay mad too long it’s not in my DNA, but while I am mad for now, I am going to fight for what is right for these children and their parent’s who have sacrificed and worked very hard striving everyday to reach their goals. They paid their money to play in this league environment, and they have a right to join this team which has been a lot of fun learning and being together as a team …we have become family:)… However it is not fair, and it does not meet the standards of what golf represents by changing the rules to fit or benefit another team or player.

Even the sacred rules set by The Royal and Ancient St. Andrews and the USGA are altered to benefit other teams when we play them, but keep in mind the rules are adamant and strictly enforced if we just think about not following them.

I refuse to continue sticking my head in the sand, pretending I don’t see what is happening, or becoming so complacent until I don’t care. I refuse to abandon my dreams or the dreams expressed by the children. I want to be an example for the children and their parent’s and I will continue to inspire and encourage and motivate them to NEVER GIVE UP!

I sincerely wish LPGA member Wendy Boyd had stayed the course. Life became too bitter for her and she paid the ultimate price for what she thought was peace….she took her life, leaving this earth believing that there was no solution to better the situations, and the circumstances we as African American female folf professionals face everyday somewhere in the ” Wonderful World of Golf .”

Wendy Boyd’s last message, before she took her life was a note written to the African American Golfer’s Digest editor, and I quote one sentence of her letter that included: “…Unfair practices of
W*&%^$ PGA Pros.”

read the complete letter HERE.

….Well the Devil is a lie and Wendy SHOULD NOT have checked out like that….Even though we get so tired and weary, the solution is NEVER to give up. (Above: Cover, Summer 2006)

Keep a passionate fire in your belly for what you believe if it’s honest, morally and spiritually right, for whatever your religious beliefs are, and if it’s within the law–whether it’s playing golf, flying a plane, reading a book, jumping hopscotch or pitching pennies–always trust the truth; and if a crock of crap is thrown your way, dig a very deep hole to bury that mess, wash your hands, shake the dust from your feet, step off and keep on keeping on.

The last thing is snatch the cover’s off of those that hide while doing wrong so that their deeds are exposed for the world to see.

In the words of my dear friend Colonel Richard “Dick” Toliver, 2nd Generation Tuskegee Airmen Fighter Pilot, United States Air Force. These young Players represent true freedom and are worthy to be called “Uncaged Eagles.”

Marilynn Smith, my dearest friend and co-founder of the LPGA, is so proud of these young players and, says: “Have Clubs will Travel,” just stay the course!

Many blessings and please to all who read my blogs. Please share your thoughts on this with me. Send me a message.

Until next time,

Coach Gladys M. Lee
LPGA Professional Teacher & Coach
Founder / Executive Director
Roaring Lambs International Junior Golf Academy
www.roaringlambsjrgolf.com
[email protected]
214-212-9475

Send Gladys A Comment!

GINGER HOWARD

Blog: December 2011

Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and is getting ready for Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or whatever holiday you celebrate! This is such an exciting time of the year. I love the mystery, the magic and the miracle of the season. I always feel like a little kid this time of year. It’s a fun time for me.

Just a short sum of things that took place for me during November: I played two SunCoast Series events in Daytona Beach, FL at LPGA International. At the first one, I shot 75-80-72… Not a good showing but brought some momentum back the last day for the next event the following week, where I shot 71-72-70 and felt more comfortable on the course.

It really is all about patience when it comes to golf… and just wanting to succeed in anything. I’m sure all will go well this following week of last stage, if I just let go and let Him (Christ) pave the way! 🙂

The last stage of Q-School starts November 30th-December 4th. Not sure what tournaments I’ll have afterwards, but I’ll let you know next month. For updates on daily scoring, go to lpga.com.

Wish me luck!

Happy Holidays and may God Bless.

Also remember, I have more exciting news! I just created my very own account on Twitter! Follow me on Twitter @GingerTHoward for the latest personal updates about my golf and such. And on Facebook at the link below!

Thank you all for the support!

Ginger Howard
Professional Golfer

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