November 21, 2020 | BY AAGD STAFF
Originally founded in 1925, the United Golfers Association (UGA) was comprised of a group of African American golfers who operated a separate series of professional golf tournaments for Blacks during the era of racial segregation in the United States. The collaborative was on a focused mission to increase golf amongst their constituency.
The UGA was relaunched this year as a Winter Garden, Fla., registered charity and is lead by an executive team that includes Executive Director Tarek “Ty” DeLavallade and UGA Academy & Player Development Andy Walker. This week, via its Facebook page, UGA announced the rollout of two levels of membership: Member Club ($25) and the 1925 Club ($100).
“United Golfers Association has officially launched our Membership Platform! Exciting times ahead UGA Family!” said a Facebook post by DeLavallade. “We are excited about our journey and look forward to providing our supporters with more opportunities to be apart of the goals of UGA.”
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The formation of the UGA follows a story similar to baseball’s Negro Leagues, where Black athletes were restricted from competing in professional sports because of their race. The significance of the UGA runs deep in American history, as prior to the end of the PGA’s caucasian only clause in 1961, the UGA was the only national professional golf tour for Black players.
Virtually every Black pro before Tiger Woods experienced playing in UGA events, a long list that includes John Shippen, Robert “Pat” Ball, John Brooks Dendy, Howard Wheeler, Charlie Sifford, Bill Spiller, Ted Rhodes, Lee Elder, Jim Thorpe, and Jim Dent, says the UGA website. The UGA also supported a full women’s division, which over time featured gifted stars like Marie Thompson, Lucy Williams, Geneva Wilson, Ann Gregory, Thelma Cowans, Ethel (Powers) Funches, Althea Gibson, and Renee Powell.
For more information on membership in the United Golfers Association visit https://www.unitedgolfersassociation.org/uga-membership
