Golf expo seeks to raise sport's profile among African Americans

Golf expo seeks to raise sport’s profile among African Americans

Posted by Admin August 25, 2024 Golf

African Americans’ lower participation in golf could mean missing out on more than just sporting fun.

LAKE WORTH BEACH — David Curry was propelled from his Miami Gardens home to Palm Beach County’s golf training center Saturday morning by more than just his skill in showing small hands how to grip a golf club the right way.

Curry, 78, a retired educator, was one of several volunteer coaches taking part in the African American Golf Expo and Forum on Saturday at John Prince Golf Learning Center, where he explained how to hit the perfect drive. But he also was hoping that his students grasped how the game he’s been playing since 1969 is about much more than concentration and coordination.

“It teaches honesty, trust and how to get along with people,” said Curry, who is the president of the Sunshine State Amateur Golfers Association, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing golf participation among minorities. “You can tell a lot about the character of a person by the way they play golf.”

And more than getting into the inner circle of business and influence, Curry sees golf another way: “You don’t make deals on the golf course; you build relationships.”

The African American Golf Expo and Forum rolled into Palm Beach County with the goal of expanding the appeal of a sport long associated with elites and exclusive clubs. The event, which wraps up Tuesday, drew people from across the country to Saturday’s youth and adult golf clinic, various exhibits, a fashion show and a presentation about how African American golf organizations are making a difference across the country.

The idea for the expo and forum — now having its fourth annual event — was born after a 2019 Professional Golfers Association of America show in Orlando attended by Jim Beatty. There, the Nebraska-based owner of Jim Beatty Golf Ventures immediately saw a need to concentrate on cultivating a new constituency for the greens.

Expanding golf’s appeal

“As people of color, we need a focus on us … to promote golf, identify opportunities and educate,” Beatty said, noting that the number of African Americans who play golf amounts to a fraction of their percentage in the population.

It means that 27 years since Tiger Woods stunned the golfing world by becoming the youngest player and the first African American to win the Masters Tournament, a portion of the population is still missing out on sporting fun that all ages, even some centenarians, can enjoy. And it could also be costing them some serious green, Beatty said, adding that golfing is a $102 billion-a-year industry.

“Ten out of 200 jobs in America are golf-related,” Beatty said, citing statistics from the National Golf Foundation.

For now, Derron Blake, 13, of West Palm Beach, just likes the way it feels when the club hits the ball.

“It gives me a good feeling every time it goes onto the fairway,” Derron said.

When a downpour hit midmorning, Drew Cody, 38, of Wilmington, North Carolina, retired from Major League Baseball, and James Anderson, 40, of Myrtle Beach, retired from the National Football League, drew the crowd into the clubhouse. They offered some testimony about how they’ve channeled their passion for sports into golf, training themselves to hit faster and faster long drives.

And they expect to continue it for a long time.

“My grandfather played until he was 87,” Cody said.

Vanesa Fields, 42, of Palm Beach Gardens, who works in quality management, sees in golf the foundation of a good life for youths. Three of her five children were there Saturday getting pointers on their swings.

They encountered it quite by accident at a sports expo in Riviera Beach, Fields recalled.

“Seven years ago, they tried it for the fun and kept on it for the sport,” Fields said. “Not only does it build character and discipline, it’s connected to health, wellness, business and potential scholarships.”

Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at ageggis@gannett.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.