Former LPGA Tour player joins “America’s Course” as the historic club marks its 80th year
EAST CANTON, Ohio — August 20, 2026 – Clearview Golf Club, the only golf course in the United States designed, built, owned and operated by an African American, has named former LPGA Tour professional Shasta Averyhardt as its Director of Marketing. Averyhardt begins the role at the end of August and reports to Renee Powell, LPGA/PGA Head Golf Professional and daughter of Clearview founder Bill Powell.
The appointment links two chapters of the same history. Powell, in 1967, became the second African American woman to compete on the LPGA Tour. Averyhardt, in 2011, became the fourth.
In her new role, Averyhardt will lead brand strategy and storytelling for Clearview, building on the club’s identity as “America’s Course,” a place founded on the principle that the game is open to everyone. Her work will focus on broadening access and participation across the region, expanding junior golf programming, and growing the club’s outings, league play and community initiatives, including its veterans programming: Clearview HOPE for women veterans and PGA HOPE for veterans and active-duty military service members, which together made Clearview the first golf facility in Ohio to offer both programs.
“My father built this course so that no one would be turned away, and everyone who works here carries that forward,” said Powell. “Shasta knows this game from the inside as a competitor, as a businesswoman, and as someone who has spent her career opening doors for the players coming up behind her. She is the right person to carry Clearview’s story to the next generation.”
“To be trusted by Renee and the Powell family with helping tell Clearview’s story means a great deal to me. Renee has been a mentor to me since my rookie year on the LPGA Tour, which makes stepping into this role even more meaningful. Now my job is to make sure more people find their way here.” said Averyhardt. “I have tremendous respect for what she and her family have built and protected for generations, and I’m genuinely excited to pour my energy, creativity and experience into helping Clearview continue to grow while honoring everything that makes it so special.”
Averyhardt brings more than 15 years in the golf industry across competition, consulting and media. A standout at Jackson State University, she won nine collegiate titles and four individual SWAC Championships, and set a conference scoring record at six under par. She went on to compete on the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour and the Ladies European Tour, and won seven professional tournaments at various levels over the course of her playing career. She was inducted into the Jackson State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
In 2024, Averyhardt stepped back from touring to focus on the business side of the game. Through her consulting business, she has since advised brands and organizations on strategic initiatives, brand partnerships, golf programming and experiential work, alongside media and public-facing roles that draw on her perspective as both a former competitor and an industry professional. She is also co-founder and lead coach of Practice with Pros, an Atlanta-based junior girls’ golf program providing competitive young players with professional-level mentorship and development resources, and serves on the board of directors of Swinging with Purpose, a 501(c)(3) organization that uses golf-based fundraising to support grassroots groups serving women, girls and children.
ABOUT CLEARVIEW GOLF CLUB
Clearview Golf Club was founded in 1946 by William “Bill” Powell, a World War II veteran who, after being denied access to courses at home, built his own where players of every race and gender would be welcome. Working nights as a security guard, Powell cleared the land largely by hand with his wife, Marcella. The first nine holes opened to the public in 1948, and the back nine followed in 1978. Known as “America’s Course,” Clearview was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. That same year, the family established the Clearview Legacy Foundation for Education, Preservation and Turfgrass Research, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable foundation that supports the club’s educational and preservation work and accepts tax-deductible contributions. Clearview remains part of the family’s legacy and is operated by Larry Powell, Golf Course Superintendent and a Life Member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), and his sister, Renee Powell. Learn more at clearviewgolfclub.com.
