CHARLIE
SIFFORD Inducted into the World
Golf Hall of Fame, becoming the first
African American to receive this honor.
The ceremony took place, November 15,
2004 in St. Augustine, Florida, and AAGD
was there to capture all of the highlights. Order this historic magazine copy for
your archives and personal library
TODAY! PLUS--This issue features
Charlie Sifford on the cover of a golf
magazine for the first time EVER!
Unbelieveable, but true.
Read his historic speech word-for-word,
see intimate photos captured during the
program and witness the numerous friends
and family members who came out from all
across the country to be with him at this
historic, momentous event.
(Order
your copy of this historic Winter 2004
issue.)
Cerebral Golf
With “Dr. J.”
According to mental
game expert, Dr. Michael Johnson,
"Golf is a funny game. One day
you shoot your physical best (for
an amateur), and the next day it seems
nothing goes right. But, two days
later you shot a really good game
and the cycle continues. So how do
we get more consistent with our game?
We build on the mental game of golf."
(...read the Summer 2006 issue.)
Tyrone Wallace
Chairman/President & CEO
of Nirvana Golf Technologies
Tyrone Wallace is leading
the way for customized golf equipment and he
is now on a quest to make it available to the
novice and the professional. Read more in the
Spring 2004 isssue.
Northern
California Minority
Jr. Golf Scholarship Assoc.
Willie Simmons, Founder Email:
Willie Simmons
Benjamin Straker
harambeegc@aol.com
John Linton
has traveled from Thailand to Austin,
Texas and he shares his enthusiasm for
golf with us. While finishing a 20-year
stint with the Air Force he was constantly
being hounded by his roommate to take
up golf.
Then, after just one swing in January
of 1971, Johns tell us what it was that
so attracted him to have a 'love affair'
with the game.
Linton underwent instruction training
for the United States Golf Teachers Federation
(USGTF) and then align himself with the
PGA's First Tee program and to form a
local chapter in
Autsin, Texas.
(...read
more in the
Fall 04 issue.)
Albert
Crews
After
being selected for the "Big Break
Seniors", presented by The Golf Channel,
he's now making his way around the circuit
playing several qualifiers this year.
Spend a day 'Crews-ing on the Course'
with Albert through our pages and you'll
find out exactly why his ambition to join
the professional ranks of the Champion's
Tour is just within reach, despite his
unique cross-handed grip.
(...read
the Summer 2005 issue.)
Artis
Granvel "Jack" Hall
Meet "Jack" of Ormond Beach,
FL. A military veteran, life member of
the NAACA and Kappa Alpha Psi and member
of the Ebony Golf Association.
Jack earned a Bachelors Degree from Bethune-Cookman
College, a Masters Degree in Guidance
and Counseling from Florida Atlantic University
and was a member of its football, basketball
and golf teams. --Send us
your golfer profile using the Story Tip
Sheet!
Long Drive Hitter Phenom Most golfers would jump for joy if they hit a 300 yard drive. This guy pokes his tee shot over 450 yards.
The term, “bombs away” should be the middle name for lock n’ load phenom Maurice Allen, a 28-year-old Orlando, FL native who is hot on the scene as one of the world’s longest drive hitters.
Allen graduated from Florida A&M University
in Tallahassee with a B.S. in Biology
and lives on campus at Life University
in Marietta, GA. The bachelor and
certified personal trainer is studying
hard as a student and has his sights set
on becoming a chiropractor.
Allen’s father, Jessie (Allen) introduced him to golf and took him around to watch the pros play at places like Bay Hill in Orlando. Years later, while attending Florida A & M, Allen met Steve Harrison and Kenny Knox, owners of a company called Silk Golf. “They were blown away and impressed by my hitting distance and put up $40.00 to enter me into my first long drive competition, sponsored by Re/Max,” says the 5’ 8”, 210 pounds striker. At the PGA Merchandise Show (January 2011) Allen set the WORLD record for fastest club head speed.
(Read more about Maurice Allen in the Winter/Spring 2011 issue.) Watch Video
Quincy Heard
PGA Professional
Perseverance:
The Quincy R. Heard Story
Quincy R. Heard was born on May 17, 1969 in Montgomery,
Alabama. He was raised by his Aunt Harriet and
Uncle Earl Marsh, while his mother
completed her Bachelor of Science in Education
at Alabama State University. In 1988, he joined
the Navy and began playing golf when he was 21
years old.
Quincy entered the
PGA of America as a novice in 1998. It took him
many years of hard work and dedication to pass
the PGA of America's Playing Ability Test requirement
(PAT). In 2006, he completed the requirements
and was elected for membership to the Professional
Golfer's Association of America, becoming Oregon's
second African American golf professional.
(...read more in the Spring 2007 issue.)
Willie
McRae:
A Living Legend
For more than six decades Willie McRae has walked
the pristine and historic fairways of Pinehurst
Golf Club and Resort with a humble and quiet dignity.
He has helped carry on the proud tradition of
the black caddie and for almost 80 years the McRae
family has played a prominent role in the history
of Pinehurst.The McRae Family is just as much
a part of the history of Pinehurst as it’s
more famous guests. Thaddeus McRae, the son of
a sharecropper started caddying at the Pinehurst
Golf Club in 1927. He was one of many black caddies
that traveled from the Taylortown, NC a small
town just two miles from the resort to work at
the Golf course that the Tufts Family owned. Caddying
was a way to earn money and support his wife and
twelve children. (Read Winter/Jan. 2007 issue.)
Buddy
Cooper: Buddy Cooper Golf
Once the Director of Instruction for over 9 years at the Bronx Golf Center in the city of New York, Buddy is entering his 21st year as a golf professional.
Starting in the business in Philadelphia, PA at historic Cobb’s Creek Golf Club, Buddy is a former PGA of America member.Currently teaching at both the Fairview Golf Center in Elmsford, NY and at Marine Park Golf Course in Brooklyn, NY, he has been an instructor at the prestigious Jim McLean Golf Academy at Chelsea Piers in New York City.
In addition to teaching all levels of golfers, including local pros and competitive juniors, he oversaw the Jim McLean Junior Golf Academy each of his two years on staff. Learning to teach McLean’s methodology from Jim and his senior staff was invaluable as McLean is a Master PGA Professional and was the PGA of America’s Teacher of the Year in 1994. He also was a staff instructor of the Jim Colbert/Jimmy Ballard schools with the Family Golf Center of the Bronx. >read more
John
Robinson
expects to attract some of today's most elite
junior golfers with his inaugral G3 Tour(Got Guts
Golf) that kicks off in August 2005. The fundraiser
is an opportunity for youth to showcase their
skills and gain national exposure while benefitting
a worthy cause.
(Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)
Albert
Crews says, "I still
keep the faith," as he reflects on how he almost
made the cut for the U.S Senior Open in July at
the NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio. Gain
insight into how the 53-year-old, baptist minister
and full-time mason drove his five-year-old SUV
with over 130,000 miles on it for more than 14-hours
just to reach the tournament, only to come three
shots short of realizing his dream.
(Read more
in the Summer 2005 issue)
Leonard
Jones
knows the golf scene better than most people you'll
probably ever meet. He's played pro, worked with
youth, founded the Minority Golf Foundation, held
a Tiger Woods clinic and still manages and teaches
at two golf venues in Dallas, Texas. How does
he do it? Learn more about this man on a mission.
(Read the Summer 2005 issue.)
Jay
McNair was one of the few Blacks who got an
opportunity to participateon "The Big Break," The
Golf Channel's hit reality TV show that captured
America's attention.
McNair found
himself in the living rooms and homes of many
who never knew he and his exceptional golf skill
existed. (Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)
The
Fairplay Foundationheld its annual Celebrity Open and it
has become the hottest ticket in town during June,
when they hosted the "Kids Night Out" at Six Flags
in New Olreans. Chairman, Dale Brock was ecstatic with the success of the event that
attracted over 155 youngsters out for an
evening of enjoyment and festivities. (Read more
in the Summer 2005 issue.)
The Urban
Chamber of Commerce President, Hanna Brown along with Golf Chair, Edgar "Tee" Taylorand Ann Gregory's daughter, JoAnn Gregory-Overstreet filled the course with excitement at
Siverstone GC during their 6th Annual Las Vegas Tournament.Legendary golfer, Lee Elder was also on hand as
52 scholarships were awarded to deservinf youth.
(Read more in the Summer 2005 issue.)
(L-R): Dennis Cone,
PCA President with
Walter "Cricket" Pritchett
Walter
"Cricket" Pritchett Inducted
Into PCA Worldwide Caddie Hall of Fame
Walter "Cricket" Pritchett was honored
with induction into the Professional Caddie Association
(PCA) Worldwide Caddie Hall of Fame in January
2007.
Pritchett’s longtime
caddie buddy, Alfred “Rabbit” Dyer,
nominated him for the award.
Pritchett, now 63 years old, started caddying
when he was 10 years old in Houston, Texas. Walter,
who grew up without a father, was able to provide
most of the family’s income by caddying
after school and on weekends. (...read more in
the Spring 2007 issue.)
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE
ADDIE COBB GOLF ACADEMY IN VALDOSTA, GA?
Soulful
Golf
This meticulous duo serves
the community far and wide while providing access to high quality
golf activities on demand.
Find out how partners
Jandi Smith Turner (left) and Debby Stroman(right)
keep focused on their non-profit firm that offers
a full spectrum of sports marketing services.
( Read the Summer 2005 issue.)
Fore
The Kids Classic
On May 17, 2007 The First Tee of Washington,
DC, held its annual “For The Kids”
golf classic with special invited guest and golf legend,
icon Calvin Peete in attendance. Peete greeted guests and demonstrated his skills to the youth during the day that attracted dozens of youngsters from throughout the area.
Calvin
Peete (center). with Jimmy Garvin(r), President,
Langston Legacy Golf Course and Certified Instructor, John H. Coleman, USGTF, (l)
helped the youth to enjoy the day by providing
tips and instruction. (...read more in the Summer
2007 issue.)
First Place Winners
Inner
City Youth Golfer's Assoc. Scholarship Tournament winners were are all smiles after their team effort
on May 22, 2004 at the Links on Madison Green, Royal
Palm Beach. Fl. (...read
more in the Fall 04 issue.)
Atlanta Chapter
of 100 Black Men raised more than $150,000 in proceeds during
their annual golf classic at the Golf Club of
Georgia. The fundraiser benefits "Project
Success", a youth initiative aimed at helping
participants develop academic, leadership and
life skills. (...read more in the Summer 2005
issue)
PGA
Pro, Scott Kennedy is an instructor
of Golf Management at Southwestern Wisconsin Technical
College is lucky to be flanked by his Golden
Knights Youth Porgram memebers.The two-day
academy is held in
Milwaukee and sponsored
by the Grace Feelowship Church.
The program provide students and parents with
the rules of golf and evening session on careers
and educational opportunities. (Read more in the
Summer 2005 issue.)
Paula
PearsonTucker
is on the right track towards qualifying to
play for the LPGA Tour and make a name for herself
in golf.
The life that she leads is proof of her determination
to overcome all odds while helping others who
are less fortunate in her community.
(Read more in the Spring 2005 edition.)
Glenn
Pratt owns the Minority Professional
Golf Development Association and says, "African
Americans watch white golfers play on TV, but
they don't compete against them."
Pratt says this was what he was told by his family
and community when he was growing up in Nassau,
Bahamas. By age 20, he was Bahamas Nation Golf
Champion and left to go to thUS to compete in professional golf.
So, he grabbed his favorite golf gear, stuffed
$400 into his pocket and left home to play the
mini-tour circuit in the United States.
Today,
the 41-year-old golfer is Founder and President
of the Minority Professional Golf Development
Association (MPGDA) and he is on a mission to
help others compete at the professional level
(...read more in the January 2004 issue)
Steve
Hogan IN MEMORIAM
(April 10, 1953- November 22, 2008)
Miller Park Golf Course - Omaha,Neb.
Steve Hogan, a PGA member since 1997, is head
professional at Miller Park Golf Course in Omaha,
Neb., home of"Hogan's Junior Golf Heroes," one
of the country's most remarkable inner-city golf
success stories. Hogan, 40, is the first Nebraska
PGA Section member to win the PGA Junior Golf
Leader Award, which is presented to a PGA Professional
who demonstrates leadership in junior golf and
reflects the ideals of those who work with youth.
Hogan, who attended Bellevue (Neb.) College for
two years before turning professional in 1989,
is a two-time (1999, 2002) Section PGA Junior
Golf Leader Award winner. Among the many community
service awards he has received are the 2001 Dr.
Martin Luther King Living the Dream Award and
the 1997 American Institute for Public Service
Jefferson Award. He also received the 2003 Nebraska
Hall of Fame's Dr. Herbert H. Davis Memorial Award.
"When someone asks me where
I went to college, I say The PGA of America," said Hogan. "The PGA is my college. Being a golf
professional is an ongoing education. For me to
pass through Business School II was very hard.
Thanks to my wife and kids, who quizzed me as
I was studying, I made it. I have tried to instill
in kids I meet that it is never too late to reach
your dreams. I came off a tractor and I had dreams.
You have to never give up on yourself and never
quit working."
Hogan and his lovely wife, Denett, are the parents
of two children: Steve Jr. and Sierra.
Renny Roker
You'll have a lot of fun checking out this fellow
golfer. And surprising, he's a cousin of Today
Show weatherman, Al Roker.
Renny is on a mission to provide top quality lessons
and playing time for kids, ages 10-17, at upscale
resorts and golf courses. His Miramar, Florida-based
organization has teams in over 30 cities. Discover how his program helps kids
with their studies and fosters a professional
attitude while they learn the rules and business
of golf.
More importantly, Teens on the Green works to
insure that all members earn a scholarship to
the college of their choice stemming from their
commitment to the education and experience they
received while participating in the program on
and off the course. (...read more in the Summer
2003 issue.)
Dr.
George Thomas understands why
"It's never too late." According to Dr. Thomas,
president of the Learning Academy which carries
his name. Though his job was too consuming for
him to take up golf, immediately upon his retirement
from the Federal Aviation Administration in 1994,
Thomas, now 74, started taking lessons.He's cut his handicap down to an
amazing 12. Thomas' academy just hosted its 13th
annual golf tournament in Silver Spring, MD, that
benefits its tutoring and mentoring program for
students of Montgomery County, the George B. Thomas,
Sr. Learning Academy.
Jairus (center) with parents Jerome and Suzanne
Jairus
Gaines
Finding His Heritage and Future in Golf
It was an interview with Tiger Woods and being
asked what he expected to do for the next fifty
years, that pointed Jerome toward golf. Woods’
response was, “Play golf.” That’s
when Jerome bought his son, Jairus, (then 18-months-old)
a plastic golf club and started
taking him to the public golf course to watch
adults play the game.
Last year, Jairus, now seven, placed second
in his home state of Maryland, fifth in Virginia,
and took first place in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
This qualified him to go to the world championships
in North Carolina. He also discovered
that his fourth cousin, a slave in the 1800,
was a caddy and was inducted into the Caddy
Hall of Fame. (...read more in the Summer 2007
issue.)
PGA
of America/Disabled Sports USA
Military Golf Program
For 91 years, The PGA of America has made
it a mission to promote the game of golf and elevate
the role of the professional. On May 17th the
Association took a new step forward to
enrich the lives of the nation’s Wounded
Warriors. The PGA of America/Disabled Sports
USA Military Golf Program laid the foundation
for what officials believe is a new chapter
in connecting golf with those who have served
this country and paid a major sacrifice.
As
part of the Association’s initiative,
it has joined the America Supports You team,
a Department of Defense program that highlights
and recognizes citizens’ support for members
of the U.S. Armed Services and their families.
(...read more in the Summer 2007 issue.)
Steve
"The Predator" Monroe
Golfer To WATCH! Steve has established himself as one of the
nations best Long Drive Champions. His top
10 finish in the 2007 ReMax Long Drive Championship
in Mesquite, Nevada, only reinforces his skill
and talents.
This Clearwater, Florida, resident is certainly
headed for more wins and we predict that Steve
will have a good season in 2008.(...read
more in the Winter/January 2008 issue.)
Hercules
O. Pitts
Becomes Owner Of Two Maryland Golf Courses
The Greeks described the mythological “Hercules”
as a man of prodigious size and strength and one
of very great courage.
The
Greater Metropolitan Washington Area has its own
“modern day Hercules”.
He
is Hercules O. Pitts, a local Developer and
General Contractor, who has become the State
of Maryland’s only African American 18-hole
golf course owner. He adds his name as another
of the very few minority golf course owners
in the U.S. (...read more in the Winter/Jan.
2007 issue.)
Kennie
Sims
Simms is President of the
West Central Chapter of the North Florida
Section of the PGA. Learn what Sims' plans
for the next two years include.
(...read
the Winter 2004 issue.
Connor
Graham
"LOVE AT FIRST PUTT"
While on a family vacation in Hilton Head,
South Carolina, a life changing experience happened
to five-year-old Connor that would change her
families dynamic forever...she discover the
game of golf.
Now, the game has propelled them all to greater
heights in every
aspect
of life and they have another option for how
they spend their 'quality family time.'
She has been names "The Most Improved
Golfer" 2006 Georgetown-Horry Chapter.
She placed 9th at the All-Stars State Championship
at Wescott Plantation Golf Course in Summerville,
SC, and has won several medals from Mutual
of Omaha Drive, Chip and Putt Competitions.
(...read more in the Fall 2007
issue.)
William
J. Powell (right) tells you all
about it himself in this special issue.
The 91-year-old, WWII veteran
has decades of experience at his historic Clearview Golf Course (East Canton, OH) that he built, now managed by his beautiful daughter
and Head Golf Professional Renee
Powell, PGA/LPGA (left). (...read more about the "Living
Legacy of Clearview" in the Spring 2004 issue.
Congratulations
Ulysses "Junior" Bridgeman
The PGA of America has appointed Bridgeman,
a former University of Louisville and NBA
standout, to serve on the PGA Board of Directors.
Bridgeman, 54, one of the most respected restaurant
entrepreneurs in the country, will succeed
lt. Gen. Normand (Norm) Lezy of Garden Ridge,
Texas, and was sworn in at the 92st PGA Annual
Meeting, January 16, 2008, at the Orange Country
Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The
event coincided with the 55th Annual PGA Merchandise
Show & Convention.
Sam Puryear
Named Men's Golf Assistant Coach at Stanford
Samuel
Puryear has joined the Stanford men's golf staff
as an assistant coach. Puryear most recently
was executive director of the East Lake Junior
Golf Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, where he oversaw
the development of golf instruction and curriculum
for the academy, which served 700 youth.
He
is most definitely on the move to make a statement
on how the game is growing rapidly among African
Americans. (...read
more in the Summer 2006 issue.)
Congratulations!
Ashley Cox
Cox graduated from the PGA's Certified
Professional Program and joins the rank of the
industry leaders who cally this prestigious
designation. Currently, there are more than
3,000 PGA Professionals across the country,
who have begun the process of obtaining certification.
(..more in the Winter 2005 issue.)
The First Teeof
Canton
This Grand Opening was held in
style on August 6 as Joe Louis Barrow Jr. (left)
and PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem (r) flank
excited area participant
(...more
in the Fall 04 issue.)
Carlos Brown Makes Junior Golf Easy Using The
G.P.S. Method
(Grip, Posture & Stance) Read More in the
Spring 2010 Issue
SPECIAL COLLECTIBLE
POSTER OBAMA PULL-OUT --FREE inside of the Winter/ Jan. 2009 issue.) ORDER
HERE!
Maurice Allen
Willie
McRae: 
Buddy
Cooper: Buddy Cooper Golf
John
Robinson
Glenn
Pratt owns the Minority Professional
Golf Development Association and says, "African
Americans watch white golfers play on TV, but
they don't compete against them."
Steve
Hogan 
Renny Roker
Dr.
George Thomas understands why
"It's never too late." According to Dr. Thomas,
president of the Learning Academy which carries
his name. Though his job was too consuming for
him to take up golf, immediately upon his retirement
from the Federal Aviation Administration in 1994,
Thomas, now 74, started taking lessons.He's cut his handicap down to an
amazing 12. Thomas' academy just hosted its 13th
annual golf tournament in Silver Spring, MD, that
benefits its tutoring and mentoring program for
students of Montgomery County, the George B. Thomas,
Sr. Learning Academy.
PGA
of America/Disabled Sports USA 
Hercules
O. Pitts 
William
J. Powell (right) tells you all
about it himself in this special issue. 
