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The Lack Of Diversity On And Off The Golf Course Was Topic Of Roundtable Discussion
ager of the Osceola Golf Course in Pensacola.
“Once they grow...and once the money value goes up, the contributions will go up and we’ll get more sup- port,” he said.
Roundtable participants also addressed how to in- crease the small number of Blacks working on the busi- ness side of the sport.
Deanna Molina, direc- tor of People and Culture at
the United States Golf Associ- ation, said the above is a pri- ority for her organization.
When pooling a slate of candidates for positions, the USGA makes it a point to ex- amine gender and multicul- tural ethnicity, she said.
Also, administrators push for more minority candidates to be included in the associa- tion’s P. J. Boatwright Intern- ship Program, which places interns at state and regional
golf associations to assist with tournaments, junior golf pro- grams, and membership serv- ices.
More participation from minorities in this program can translate to seeing more minorities in gold adminis- tration role, Ms. Molina said.
“We understand we have to change and evolve so that we better represent (the country),” she said.
John Sapora, vice president of Legal Services for The First Tee, right, talks as roundtable participants (from left) Belinthia Berry, a St. Petersburg College administrator, Craig Kirby, founder of Golf My Future My Game, and Sam Harris, a board member for Women of Color Golf, look on.
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
Lee Elder made history when, in 1975, he became the first African-American to play in the Masters Tournament.
Mr. Elder’s participation in the game garnered much publicity thanks to the dearth of professional black golfers. Fast forward to 2016 and pro- fessional Black golfers on the greens include high-profile players, Tiger Woods and former Advocates Pro Am player, Harold Varner, III.
But even now, some 40 years after Mr. Elder broke racial barriers in one of the four major tournaments, golf remains largely dominated by white men.
It’s a point of frustration that some Black golfers and golf industry insiders admit- ted to last week at a round- table discussion on diversity in golf.
Even Mr. Elder stated that he thought Black golfers would be much more plenti- ful and visible in the sport by now.
Increasing the number of African-Americans in the game requires a community- minded approach and buy-in from individuals who can sponsor players, Mr. Elder said.
“We have enough Blacks who are well-off who could help catapult these kids,” he said. “We are not together. We have to be together to get these kids where they need to be.”
On last Friday, the Advo- cates Pro Tour kicked off its weekend of golf, camaraderie, and networking with a group of panelists analyzing golf’s lack of diversity and sharing ideas on how to change it.
The tour’s mission is to bring greater diversity to the game of golf by developing African Americans and other minorities for careers in golf.
“Our goal is to make the game of golf look like Amer- ica,” said Kenneth Brant-
ley, the tour’s executive di- rector.
Now in its sixth year, the tour attracted more than 50 players to Rogers Park for a chance to win up to $7,500. Upcoming stops include At- lanta, Pensacola, and New Orleans.
The championship game, with a purse of $10,000, will take place in Los Angeles.
One goal of the round- table was to bring together stakeholders to explore the root of the lack of profes- sional Black golfers advanc- ing to the PGA tour.
A huge obstacle is a failure to attract the attention – and pocketbooks – of sponsors.
To combat that, Advocates Pro is creating a database of players that will make it eas- ier to recommend golfers when industry opportunities arise, Mr. Brantley said.
The tour also is imple- menting an advolution devel- opment program where players can learn how to brand and market themselves to sponsors, set and achieve career goals, and manage so- cial media.
Other suggestions from participants included making more training available to golfers and growing talent on the grassroots level through the educational system.
More support from the PGA also is needed, said Ian Baxter, executive director of The First Tee of Tampa Bay.
For example, the PGA could award money that helps young promising golfers attend special golf academies where they can de- velop their talent more quickly, he said.
“As we develop from the bottom up, it’s important that sooner than later we get them on the tour,” Mr. Baxter said.
More support also should be given to groups who are al- ready focused on developing talent, said Adrian Stills, an Advocates Pro Tour board member and general man-
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