Over the years many of our readers and friends have asked why haven’t there been more minorities entering the professional ranks of golf since the Tiger Woods era. Good question. Many organizations and individuals have endeavored to answer this question with their actions in support of promoting golf for people of color. Minority Golf Magazine will devote one of its pages to organizations, institutions, and individuals who have played a significant role in the development of golf among people of color.
Among the organizations you’ll be reading about in the page of Minority Golf Magazine are traditional Black Colleges and Universities, local and regional golf clubs, and local and regional clubs. Not to be overlooked are the numerous pro-am tournaments organized and promoted within the Black community that reaches back to the forties and early fifties, some of which are still being played in many regions of the country.
One such organization has taken the quest of elevating minority participation in professional golf to the next level is The Advocates Golf Association (APGA). The leadership of this young organization has made great strides toward the development of professional golf for young African Americans. Ed.
The Mission (below) and many other aspects of APGA can be found on its website: www.apgatour.org. We invite you to learn and offer your support to a worthy organization.
Our Mission
APGA Tour is an eight-year old non-profit organization whose mission is to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA Tour board plans to accomplish this by sponsoring professional golf tournaments, establishing player development programs, mentoring programs and by introducing the game to inner city young people.
Professional Tournaments
The APGA Tour consists of six tournaments nationwide with nearly $200,000 in prize money. The Adrian Stills Bonus Pool provides an additional $22,000 for APGA Tour members. In addition to a professional division each APGA event features a professional senior division and an amateur division for players with handicaps of 5 or less.
Charlie Sifford Player Development Program
To develop the next generation of Minority College and professional golfers the APGA Tour Sifford Development Program provides free clinics, mentors, equipment and complimentary entries fees to young golfers.
Growing The Game
To bring greater diversity to the game of golf the APGA Tour has partnered with inner city youth organizations to introduce both boys and girls to the game. APGA also sponsors Diversity Symposiums where leaders of the minority golf community gather to discuss ways too best diversify the sport.
Of the many quality players of the Advocates Tour, Kevin Hall is a talented young man to watch in 2019.
Kevin Hall is one of the elite talents producing low scores and leading the way for other young African Americans seeking to join the ranks of professional golfers in America. All seeking the prize of achieving a PGA Tour card and following the foot -steps of Tiger Woods and PGA Tour winner Harold Varner III and newly appointed Portland, OR Parks & Recreation Director of Golf, and former Canadian PGA Tour Player, Vince Johnson.
