Although African Americans were barred from membership at many of the United States’ most prestigious golf courses until well into the 20th century, they have always had a presence on golf courses nationwide. Many learned to play golf while serving as caddies, honing their golf game during their days off. While some of the golfers on this list aren’t well-known, they made significant contributions to the sport, including inventing the modern golf tee, and helping to desegregate the sport.
Tiger Woods
When people think of African Americans and golf, Tiger Woods often comes to mind. After all, few golfers, of any race, have done more to bring golf into the mainstream than Woods. During his prime, golf odds often listed Tiger Woods as a favorite. As the 2022 Masters approaches, many wonder if Tiger could pull off a stunning comeback and take home the green jacket like he did in the year 2019. It’s still unclear whether he’ll compete this year, but all eyes will be on him if he does.
Whether or not Tiger returns for another appearance at the Masters, he’ll go down in history as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, golfers of all time. During his professional career, he’s amassed 15 major championship victories, and 81 PGA tour wins, while introducing countless people to the sport.
George Franklin Grant
The inventor of the modern golf tee was a faculty member at Harvard, and a dentist, who played golf in his free time in a field near his home in Arlington, Massachusetts. In 1899, Grant created the tee using wood capped with a latex resin that dentists used for root canals. His invention, a small wooden stand used to support a golf ball, is still used on golf courses worldwide.
Charlie Sifford
Sifford was the first African American to play on the PGA tour, demonstrating a mastery of the game long before Tiger Woods became a household name. In recognition of his achievements, Sifford was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 and posthumously received the Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association—their most prestigious award. President Barack Obama awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.
Known as the “Jackie Robinson of golf,” Sifford learned the game as a caddie in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1948 he began his career, competing in all-Black tournaments, winning the National Negro Open six times. He made history when he officially became part of the PGA tour in 1961.
Althea Gibson
While Gibson is best known as the first African American to win a Grand Slam title in Tennis, she was also the first Black golfer in the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Although there’s not a lot of information about Gibson’s time in the LPGA, we do know she participated in 171 events from 1963 to 1877. Gibson didn’t win any golf tournaments, and compared to her tennis career, her golf career may seem uninspiring. However, she broke barriers at a time when African Americans weren’t welcome on many of the nation’s golf courses.
Lee Elder
In 1975, Elder became the first African American to participate in the Masters Tournament, crossing the color line to play at Augusta. He endured death threats when it became known he’d play, but he persevered with style and courage. Although Elder didn’t make the cut that year, he didn’t let that stop him. He continued to leave his mark on the game with four wins on the PGA tour and eight wins on the Champions Tour. In 2019 he received the US Golf Association’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award. He passed away in 2021, and many of golf’s biggest names have petitioned for him to be selected for the World Golf Hall of Fame. Only time will tell if he will be posthumously bestowed with this honor.
