The Black Golfer

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The Black Golfer

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The Future of the Black Golfer

Why aren't more black golfers in the game? It's all about visualizing the possibilities.

One evening while watching the show “Playing Lessons with the Pros” on The Golf Channel, professional golfer Jim Thorpe was talking about the deficit of black golfers in the game at the higher levels. He said it takes a lot of discipline and hard work to play golf at the pro level, and he mentioned that with all the junior programs that exist today for minorities, he’s not sure why more blacks aren’t involved in the game.

As a black pro golfer myself, I have a very good idea why. It’s all about visualization. I remember a conversation I had with my grandfather several years ago before he passed away. We were sitting on the porch, watching some of the local men around the neighborhood, when he told me that black people are visual people and a lot of what we do is based on what we see.

When we see black people being successful, we want to be successful, whether it’s the pimp riding in the car, the church deacon, the doctor, the lawyer or the hard-working garbage man. With that in mind, he said we have to be very careful how we project ourselves because our elders, our peers and our youth are always watching. So that raises the point: If we don’t see black people on professional golf tours, how are we going to visualize ourselves as top-notch players … or even consider learning the game at all?

In my opinion, the participation of blacks in the game of golf will not flourish until some fundamental things change, such as:

	Media Representation: Golf commercials and programs need to represent blacks positively in the game, not just by throwing in a black ex-football or basketball player, but by featuring real African-American aspiring tour players. When young people see ex-NFL players in a golf commercial or program, they connect the athletes to their respected sport rather than to the game of golf. We need to begin recognizing and identifying with our authentic black players.
	Opening up Sponsorships: Sponsors need to take more chances and open financial doors not only for our minority youth, but for the black players struggling to make it right now. If sponsors were more willing to give good black players opportunities to develop their skills, then we would see more African-American faces on tour.
	Helping in Small Ways: Lending a hand to an aspiring black tour player or a youngster interested in the game doesn’t mean handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s as easy as sponsoring a membership to a local golf course for a year, buying a needed piece of equipment, covering a tournament fee. In other words, if you see a man hungry, don’t give a speech -- buy him some food.
	A Groundbreaking Golf Event: After watching the recent Ryder Cup, I thought of an idea for an interesting African-American event. I’d love to see a Ryder Cup-style format that pits 24 talented black aspiring professional golfers and commemorates some of our golfing legends such as Teddy Rhodes and Charlie Sifford. I think this would give sponsors and the world an opportunity to see America’s black golfers playing at a championship level.

Two Cents' Worth

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