August 30, 2021 | BY ALEXANDRIA J. MALONEY
When first walking toward the Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel & Conference Center Grand Ballroom, imagine encountering the enthusiastic and statuesque Angelique Y. Johnson of Angelique on the Links, excitedly reporting LIVE, interviewing Black golf legends and leaders of industry near the door, including golf professionals such as Callaway Master Staff Professional Carlos Brown and Oneida Castillo (LPGA).
Upon entering the ballroom, you are then met with the warm, smiling faces of exhibitors set up at over 20 colorful booths, showcasing a wide variety of products and services ranging from Black-owned golf retail businesses like Deuce Premium Golf Accessories to corporate and association booths such as ClubCorp and the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA).
It isn’t until further conversations that you realize you’re actually speaking to the organizations top executives like Mamee Groves, ClubCorp Regional VP of Food and Beverages and Jay Karen, CEO of the NGCOA. Spotting leadership actively engaging at this EXPO shows both their interest and commitment for engaging and increasing African American participation, access, and opportunities in the space.
Throughout the four days of the African American Golf EXPO & Forum (AAGE&F) that was organized by visionary Mr. James Beatty, over 450+ attendees from around the U.S.A. participated in panel sessions, a keynote address, a Sunday golf scramble, award ceremony, and multiple networking receptions all located at the beautiful Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel & Conference Center. Workshop sessions and discussion topics spanned the gamut of the golf industry and nonprofit space and featured key industry leaders, nonprofit experts, and PGA/LPGA professionals. There was also continuous and organic networking throughout the experience.
The EXPO started on Saturday, August 24 at 9:00 a.m. with a youth and adult golf clinic at the City Club of Marietta. That evening, a PGA TOUR/PGA TOUR Superstore invitation only reception and panel session featured leaders from the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Superstore discussing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and their experiences, insights, and lessons learned. On the next day, a beautiful Sunday, the EXPO hosted a well-attended golf scramble and award ceremony. The following two days were filled with the a special welcome ceremony for the opening of exhibit hall and informative and interactive panel sessions.
Outside of the sessions, it was common to find EXPO attendees comfortably networking in the lobby or over dinner in the hotel restaurant with newly acquainted colleagues. I personally attended dinner with a group of other youth-focused non-profit leaders where I shared the exciting Women of Color Golf (WOCG) happenings, such as Girls on the Green Tee Mentoring program led by WOCG Founder Clemmie Perry; and explored stories of industry challenges and triumph.
Commonly, the “after-event networking” conversations were “deeper dives” and first-hand experiences of the panel session topics, where organizations shared best practices on challenges in Black youth programs such as continuing the interest of students and parents, competing for funding, or maintaining an authentic identity against larger organizations.
Panel Session Topics Included:
- “HBCUs: Moving to the Future” on strategies of increasing the game of golf and golf as a business practice at HBCUs
- “Supplier Diversity” on how small Black-owned businesses can join the golf industry food and retail space
- “ClubCorp Opportunities” an intimate conversation with ClubCorp CEO David Pillsbury, and Regional VP of Food and Beverages Mamee Groves where attendees shared their positive ClubCorp experiences and the progress of removing “Plantation” from multiple country club names.
- “Managing & growing Your Organization” geared towards Community Based Organizations (CBOs) featuring Dr. Michael Cooper and industry area experts on build your leadership board and fundraising strategies for nonprofits.
- Being a PGA/LPGA Pro: a conversation on the experiences and advice from current professional golfers toward the next generation including PGA Master Professional Cathy Harbin (PGA/LPGA) and Global Education Instructor Oneida Castillo (LPGA).
- Golf Digest Journalism in Golf -A Black Perspective: How the golf journalism space can be more welcoming to Black journalists.
- Golf Course Ownership: featuring the Jay Karen, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association and current course owners including the Black-owned course led by Stanley Campbell who shared best practices, challenges, and insights of golf course ownership.
- Black Women Mean Business: featuring Black women LPGA members Oneida Castillo, Ashanti Epps, and the vibrant LaJean Gould, Founder of the Women In Golf Foundation on the challenges and opportunities in building grassroots golf organizations as Black women.
- Grassroots Grant Program Applications Workshops: Preparing community based organizations (CBOs) for successful grant applications.
- First Tee and CBOs Working Together: a thoughtful dialogue featuring Craig Kirby (Founder of Golf My Future, My Game), Marvin Hightower (Executive Director of First Tee Metro Atlanta), and leaders from First Tee headquarters on building partnerships and trust between First Tee programs and community based organizations.
If not for golf, I’m not sure if an event of this caliber would have brought these Black (and allies) leaders of industry together. There, I met small business owners like “OMG Lemonade” and “American Soul Brothers” who shared insights on supplier diversity, and the brilliant Dr. Walter Milton, the visionary behind “Black History 365”.
What I found most inspiring were the seven Black LPGA women in attendance. There was immense and well-deserved pride in their accomplishments and collective perseverance. There was also an emphasis on mentoring the next generation that is coming up behind them.
Captured by African American Golfer’s Digest’s onsite media team photojournalists JL Finney and Demetrice Burgess and lead by Debert Cook, publisher, this EXPO was of unprecedented historical significance.
Legends in growing the Black Golf community, including Dr. Michael Cooper, Chairman of the World Golf Foundation “We are Golf Diversity Taskforce” and Mr. Kennie Sims, PGA Member and VP of Golf Operations for the Tampa Sports Authority, were not only present but actively engaged in the AAGE&F programming.
This successful and impactful EXPO is a testament to the importance and validation of the involvement of African Americans in the $84 billion-dollar golf industry in the U.S.A.
If you are seeking a unique opportunity to network with industry leaders, professionals, golfer players, and golf enthusiasts, I would highly recommend attending this magnificent EXPO. I can’t wait to participate again next year, and bring others along with me!
Alexandria J. Maloney is Director of International Philanthropy, Women of Color Golf.
