Clearview Golf Club

Last updated
Clearview Golf Club
Clearview Golf Club greens.jpg
Golf course greens
USA Ohio location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location8410 Lincoln St SE East Canton, Ohio
Coordinates 40°46′19″N81°14′51″W / 40.77194°N 81.24750°W / 40.77194; -81.24750 Coordinates: 40°46′19″N81°14′51″W / 40.77194°N 81.24750°W / 40.77194; -81.24750
Area5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built1948
Architect Bill Powell
NRHP reference No. 01000056 [1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 16, 2001

The Clearview Golf Club (also Clearview Golf Course) [2] was the first golf course in the United States to be built, owned, and operated by an African American. The club was started in 1946, with Bill Powell purchasing the land and working on it in his spare time. It opened to the public and to all races in April 1948. The club, which is located outside of East Canton, Ohio, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Bill Powell's daughter, Renee Powell who learned to play on Clearview, went on to become the second black woman to play on the LPGA tour.

Contents

About

The Clearview Golf Club is currently the only golf course in the United States that was designed, built, managed, and owned entirely by African Americans. [3] It is one of 13 black-owned or operated golf courses in the US. [2]

The club is located two miles outside of East Canton, Ohio. [4] It is a par-72 course. [2] It has 18 holes and covers around 130 acres of land. [5]

The club is named "Clearview" because Bill Powell, the designer and first owner, wanted a place that "would represent his 'clear view' of what the game should be about: access for all." [6] The club is currently managed by Bill's children, Larry Powell and Renee Powell. [7]

History

The Clearview Golf Club was designed by Bill Powell and was begun in East Canton, Ohio in 1946. [3] As an African American, Powell had faced prejudice when attempting to join other golf clubs in the United States, so he chose to build his own. [3] First, Powell tried to get a GI loan, but was turned down. [2] Powell obtained financial support for his effort to build the golf club from two black physicians and from his brother who took out a second mortgage. [2] With this support, he was able to purchase a 78-acre dairy farm. [4]

Powell moved his family to a house on the golf course. [2] At the time, he was working as a security guard and in his spare time, he started converting the farm into a golf course. [3] [4] He worked on the course during the day, growing grass and clearing the land by hand while at night, he worked at Timken. [8] He completed the first nine holes by 1948. [8] The club opened in April that same year, with Powell's wife, Marcella, helping out. [6] [9] His young daughter, Renee Powell, began playing golf on the course shortly after it first opened at the age of 3. [10] Renee would go on to become the second black woman to play on the LPGA tour. [11]

Once the club was open, it welcomed everyone, regardless of race. [12] The club did experience some problems with vandalism and community hostility, but these did not impair the club's success. [12] A member of the Ku Klux Klan golfed his course, but Powell only told his daughter, Renee, about the incident. [13] Racists called the club the "nigger nine." [14] But Powell didn't care. [14] He said, "I wanted this to be a place where race didn't matter; where the only thing that matters is the game of golf." [14]

Powell expanded the club to eighteen holes in 1978. [12] In 1995, Renee took over as head golf professional at Clearview. [15] Her father, Bill, never saw a profit while running the course. [6] Like her father and her brother, Larry, Renee didn't draw a salary for working at the club. [6] Renovations sponsored by the PGA of America took place in 1999. [16]

Clearview Golf Club Historic Sign Clearview Golf Club Historic Sign.jpg
Clearview Golf Club Historic Sign

In 2001, the course was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. [17] Also in 2001, the course began to operate as a non-profit under the name, Clearview Legacy Foundation. [6] The foundation, the club and the Ohio Historical Society erected a historical marker on the site in 2001. [18]

The club was renovated for free in 2004 by Hurdzan-Fry Golf Course Design. [6] The Hurdzan-Fry renovation helped fix the main drainage system at the course. [19] The drainage system was connected to two ponds on the course. [19]

In 2007, civil engineering students from the University of Akron provided drawings and designs to help renovate the golf course. [20] The drawings helped the fundraising drive to raise $1.6 million for capital improvements. [21] In 2009, the club faced problems when Buckeye Industrial Mining was allowed to mine coal 370 feet from the club. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

Brecksville, Ohio City in Ohio, United States

Brecksville is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb in the Greater Cleveland area. The city's population was 13,635 at the United States 2020 Census.

Canton, Ohio City in Ohio, United States

Canton is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio, United States. It is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) south of Cleveland and 20 miles (32 km) south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes and Wayne counties to the city's west and southwest. Canton is the largest municipality in the Canton-Massillon, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Stark and Carroll counties. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 70,872, making Canton eighth among Ohio cities in population.

Mickey Wright American professional golfer

Mary Kathryn "Mickey" Wright was an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour. She became a member of the tour in 1955 and won 82 LPGA Tour career events including 13 major championships. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Robert Trent Jones Jr. Golf course architect

Robert Trent "Bobby" Jones Jr. is an American golf course architect. He is the son of golf course designer Robert Trent Jones and the brother of golf course designer Rees Jones.

Arthur Hills was an American golf course designer. He designed more than 200 new golf courses, including private, resort, upscale, and public golf courses around the world. In addition, Arthur Hills' firm, Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates, has been requested to renovate or modify more than 120 courses, including some of the country's most renowned clubs, often in preparation for major USGA and PGA Championships.

Trump National Doral Miami

Trump National Doral Miami is a golf resort in Doral in South Florida in the United States. It was founded by real estate pioneer Alfred Kaskel in 1962, with the name "Doral" coming from an amalgamation of the first names of Kaskel and his wife, Doris. It currently has 72 holes of golf and its signature course is the Blue Monster at Doral.

Renee Powell American professional golfer (born 1946)

Renee Powell is an American professional golfer who played on the US-based LPGA Tour and is currently head professional at her family's Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio. She was the second African-American woman ever to play on the LPGA Tour.

The 500 Festival Open Invitation was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played during the 1960s in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was sponsored by The 500 Festival, a not-for-profit volunteer organization created in 1957 to organize civic events to promote the Indianapolis 500.

Helen Dettweiler American professional golfer

Elizabeth Helen Dettweiler was an American professional golfer. She was one of the co-founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association. She won the Women's Western Open in 1939.

Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club

The Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, often referred to as Ottawa Hunt or the Hunt Club, is a private golf and curling club in Canada, located in Ottawa, Ontario. Founded 114 years ago in 1908 as a hunting club, it has hosted many world-class professional and amateur golf tournaments, along with many high-profile Canadian curling events.

Tanglewood National Golf Club

Tanglewood National Golf Club is a public golf course located in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, Ohio within the Tanglewood Lake housing development.

William J. Powell was an American businessman, entrepreneur, and pioneering golf course owner who designed the Clearview Golf Club, the first integrated golf course, as well as the first to cater to African-American golfers. He was also the first African American to design, construct and own a professional golf course in the United States. Powell was fond of saying "The only color that matters is the color of the greens".

The National Black Golf Hall of Fame was started by Harold Dunovant, the first African-American to graduate from the PGA of America's business school in 1964. He was unable to become a Class A PGA Member for six years because no one would sign his application. Inductees include:

Michael John Hurdzan

Michael John Hurdzan is an American golf course architect, author, and a retired United States Army Colonel, who served with the United States Army Special Forces. He is a member and past president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), who is noted for designing and renovating many golf courses and clubs, including U.S. Open golf courses.

Bert Way English golfer and golf course designer

William Herbert "Bert" Way was an English professional golfer and golf course designer. Way tied for second place in the 1899 U.S. Open, held 14–15 September 1899, at Baltimore Country Club in Baltimore, Maryland.

Meadowbrook Country Club is a historic country club and national historic district located near Garner, Wake County, North Carolina. The club was founded in 1959, with initial improvements made throughout the 1960s. The contributing resources are the lake (1961); pier (1961); picnic area (1962); driving range (1966); nine-hole golf course designed by Gene Hamm (1966); one-story, concrete block, Modern Movement style clubhouse ; and 18-hole putt-putt course (1962). Meadowbrook Country Club was founded as a private country club for African-Americans.

Florida State Seminoles womens golf Golf team representing Florida State University

The Florida State Seminoles women's golf team represents Florida State University in the sport of golf. The Seminoles compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). They play their home matches on the Don A. Veller Seminole Golf Course on the university's Tallahassee, Florida campus, and are currently led by head coach Amy Bond.

Oneda Maryon Castillo is a Global Education Instructor for the Ladies Professional Golfers Association (LPGA). She joined the LPGA in 1997. She is the third African American woman to achieve Class A status as a LPGA Teaching and Club Professional (T&CP), doing so in 2003. As of 2022 she is one of only 15 African American women golfers to become a Class A LPGA Teaching Professional.

Paige Spiranac American golfer

Paige Renee Spiranac is an American social media personality, golf instructor and former professional golfer. She has over 260,000 subscribers and 145 instructional videos on YouTube and 3.5 million Instagram followers. She played Division 1 college golf at both the University of Arizona and San Diego State University, winning All-Mountain West Conference honors during the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons, and leading the Aztecs to their first Mountain West Conference Championship in 2015.

Industry Hills Golf Club

Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms, is a golf club located in the City of Industry, California. It is made up of two 18-hole courses known as The Ike and The Babe. It is the location of PGA, LPGA, and Champions Tour qualifiers and hosted the 2011 Kia Classic.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hill, Justice B. (2016-09-30). "The legacy of love that is Clearview Golf Course". Andscape . Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Clearview Golf Course". Ohio History Central. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  4. 1 2 3 "Clearview Golf Club". The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  5. ↑ Kindred, Dave (July 2001). "Laboring to Fulfill a Dream" . Golf Digest. 52 (7): 59 – via EBSCOhost.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Shedloski, Dave (27 October 2006). "A Legacy in Jeopardy" . Golf World. 60 (15): 38 – via EBSCOhost.
  7. ↑ "Course History". Clearview Golf Club. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  8. 1 2 Pledger, Marcia (7 May 2016). "A Golf Legacy Lives". Cleveland.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2016. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  9. ↑ Buchanan, Leigh (March 2010). "Ever the Gentleman" . Inc. 32 (2): 132 – via EBSCOhost.
  10. ↑ "Renee Powell". LPGA. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  11. ↑ Johnson, M. Mikell (2007). The African American Woman Golfer: Her Legacy. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger. pp. 83–4. ISBN   978-0-313-34904-1.
  12. 1 2 3 Demas, Lane (2017-08-09). Game of Privilege: An African American History of Golf. UNC Press Books. p. 147. ISBN   9781469634234.
  13. ↑ "Playing On in an Unfair World" . Leadership Briefings. 33: 4. September 2018 – via EBSCOhost.
  14. 1 2 3 Wickham, DeWayne (5 January 2010). "Black Golf Course Trailblazer Opened Fairways to Everyone" . USA Today. Retrieved 18 February 2019– via EBSCOhost.
  15. ↑ Earl g. Graves, Ltd (September 1995). "Star Profile: Renee Powell". Black Enterprise. 26 (2): 130 – via Google Books.
  16. ↑ "East Canton's Clearview Golf Club added to National Register of Historic Places". GolfOhio.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  17. ↑ "Golf Club in Clearview Oh Designated National Historic Site". Golf Channel. 28 February 2001. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  18. ↑ "Clearview Golf Club, 1946 Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  19. 1 2 "Pre-Fabricated Retention Wall Protects Pond Drainage System" . Government Product News. 41 (10): 24. October 2002 – via EBSCOhost.
  20. ↑ "History in the Remaking: UA Students Add to the Inspiring Story of Clearview Golf Club" . Akron Beacon Journal. 15 May 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2019– via EBSCOhost.
  21. ↑ Ridenour, Marla (5 March 2007). "Course's Rescue is a Class Act" . Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved 18 February 2019– via EBSCOhost.
  22. ↑ "Clearview Golf Club: A legacy without a future?". Golf Digest. 31 December 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.