Golf ’s
Toughest Test
I
t’s been nearly 25 years since Tiger Woods debuted on the PGA TOUR, and many expected a huge influx of Black golfers to follow. But, it never happened. With a national conversation on race at the forefront of the country’s consciousness in the wake of the George Floyd murder in Minneapolis, many are again asking why there aren’t more Black golfers playing recreationally or competitively, and what can be done to change that. In talking with a number of Black golfers around the Puget Sound region, some common themes emerge: cost of equipment and greens fees; a lack of fellow players, coaches and professionals that look like them; a lack of developmental programs and other entryways into the game. And, outright racism. Jesse Jones, a prominent investigative journalist at KIRO-7 TV in Seattle and passionate golfer (pictured in the bottom left photo on the opposite page), has experienced far more than his fair share of negative encounters that would chase many others away from the game. “There were specific incidents where people 32
JULY 2020
BY JOSH KERNS
would refuse to play with me in a foursome when I was a single,” he says. “And, then they’d turn around and let a white person play with them.” He’s heard plenty of racist comments, too, such as the time a guy in line behind him in the pro shop muttered, “I didn’t know they let monkeys play here.” Durel Billy (pictured at top right) has plenty of similar stories. For years, the Clover Park High School graduate and avid golfer has been organizing group golfing events around the region. He says there have been many times when he’s had white golf course staff members who were perfectly friendly over the phone or email completely ignore him when he’s arrived with his group — or worse. “I’ve brought 25-30 people to a course, only to be told, ‘We don’t want your group back,’ for no reason,” Billy says. Myles Veal (bottom right, with Brooks Koepka) has been more fortunate. The 20-year-old Auburn-Riverside grad hasn’t experienced such overt racism, but he has certainly felt the spotlight of being among the few Black golfers to
play competitively in Washington state. “I definitely noticed from a young age that there weren’t many of us,” he says. “There are people who say, ‘Why are you even playing this game? You should be playing a Black sport, like basketball or football.’ “That’s kind of upsetting to me,” he continues. “But, at the same time, it’s their view. I just move on with my life and try to prove to them that it’s not all about race. It’s about your ability to play the game and, hopefully, your love of the game. That’s why we all play ... because we love it, right?” That love for the game we all share should be equal among all races, but, much like many other facets of American society, the numbers underscore huge disparities. A National Golf Foundation report says only three percent of recreational golfers are African American. The PGA Tour — where Tiger’s impact was supposed to have the greatest effect, inspiring a new generation of young Black men who should now be in the peak of their careers — has just three Black players. The LPGA Tour? One. cascadegolfer.com
