As any golfer passionate in regards to the sport will let you know, not a lot could possibly be worse than having no place to play. However it will be far worse in case you have been surrounded by golf programs and never permitted entry to any of them. Such was the scenario for each Black golfer in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., the place one-third of the inhabitants is Black and many of the nation within the Twenties and Thirties.
The Common Enchantment of Golf
Enjoying golf has such common attraction that it cuts throughout each racial, non secular, cultural or different demographic IN THE WORLD. Golfers are most likely probably the most pushed individuals in any sport who will pounce on a chance to smack a bit of ball throughout completely manicured greens or burnt out rocky fairways and thru any climate circumstances. It’s a common urge introduced out by the distinctiveness and attract of the sport.
The Golden Age of Golf and the Wrestle of Black Golfers
Throughout the “Golden Age” of golf within the Twenties, programs have been being constructed all around the USA as demand elevated geometrically. By the mid-Thirties, there about 5200 programs in the USA, but solely 20 permitted Blacks to play. Blacks have been simply as enamored of the sport as whites, however had just about nowhere to correctly take a stroke. Within the Twenties, after years of battle, a small and wholly insufficient course for Blacks to play was constructed close to the Lincoln Memorial, however inside a number of years, the course was destroyed to make approach for different developments, leaving a gaping gap for Black golfers, as a result of D.C.’s different public programs have been formally “whites solely”.
The Battle of the Black Golfers
By the mid-Thirties, regardless of having no place to play, Black golfers in D.C., organized each a males’s group, The Royal Golf Membership, and an identical girls’s group, The Wake Robin Golf Membership. In 1937, they took the struggle for a brand new public course that was accessible to Blacks to the Division of the Inside, the place Harold Ickes was Secretary and its Nationwide Park Service, which managed all public land within the nation’s capital. Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly turned concerned as an advocate for a brand new course and introduced the matter to her husband’s consideration.
Secretary Ickes, effectively forward of the racism that existed within the nation, authorized the mission and in 1939, underneath the aegis of the Nationwide Park Service, opened a 9-hole course alongside the banks of the Anacostia River in D.C. and named it for John Mercer Langston (1829-1897), first dean of Howard College Legislation College and first Black to symbolize Virginia within the US Home of Representatives.
The course was extraordinarily well-liked within the Black AND white communities of Washington and have become one of many first sports activities establishments within the nation that was utterly desegregated. Pleased with their success with Langston and looking for to develop the enjoying potentialities for Black golfers, in 1941 members of the Royal Golf Membership tried to play at East Potomac Golf Course, the capital’s different public course. Till then, the course was open to whites solely. The police have been known as and Ickes was requested to intervene. He mentioned, “I can see no motive why Negroes shouldn’t be permitted to play on the golf course. They’re taxpayers, they’re residents they usually have a proper to play golf on public programs on the identical foundation as whites”. Ickes additional issued an Order the following day to desegregate all public programs within the metropolis. In 1955, a second 9 was added to Langston, designed by William and David Gordon, to carry the course to a full 18-hole par 72 format, because it exists right this moment.
A Wealthy Historical past of Golf Legends
Since opening day in 1939, the course has attracted the very best Black golfers within the nation and often hosted tour occasions on the Black skilled circuit. The “Caucasian Solely” clause of the PGA, till it was repealed in 1961, stored many excellent Black golfers from competing in PGA occasions. Lee Elder, the primary Black golfer to play within the Masters, was Langston’s supervisor and educating professional within the later a part of his profession. Charlie Sifford, Calvin Peete and Jim Thorpe, amongst many different Black golfers who ultimately have been in a position to play in PGA occasions, all frolicked at Langston. Quite a few Black sports activities figures and entertainers, like Joe Louis, Billy Eckstine, Ella Fitzgerald, Dionne Warwick, and Invoice Russell, all got here to Langston for a spherical.
As did I. Having performed a minimum of one spherical in all 50 states, I had by no means golfed in D.C., so Langston, with all its historical past and custom, was the apparent alternative. My spouse and I received there early, so we may expertise the extremely beneficial breakfasts of Melva’s Kitchen within the clubhouse. We couldn’t have been welcomed extra warmly by Ben Foster, the Supervisor on Obligation, who exuberantly expounded on the historical past of the course. The clubhouse serves as a group middle for anybody who desires to return in for a spherical, a meal or a recreation of playing cards along with his buddies, or all three. There have been numerous children round, kids taking part in Langston’s wonderful First Tee program and youngsters studying how you can play and caddie. Langston additionally runs a Summer season Youth Program and teaches children how you can get into the golf enterprise. As a result of this was the primary day of the epic authorities shutdown that started on October 2, 2025, the tee sheet was full of out-of-work federal staff, together with our enjoying companions, Carl Ashley and Matt Wasniewski. Carl is the Historian for the U.S. Division of State and Matt is the Historian for the Home of Representatives. These guys knew every little thing about every little thing that had ever occurred within the USA, together with Langston historical past, making it a enjoyable and informative spherical.
The course itself, now managed by The Nationwide Hyperlinks Belief, and on The Nationwide Register of Historic Locations since 1991, is a effectively designed observe, however badly in want of funds to enhance just about every little thing, particularly carts and cart paths. The unique entrance 9 is vastly totally different from the extra country-like setting of the again, however each current all of the problem any golfer wants for an attention-grabbing and enjoyable spherical. Randall Thompson, the Common Supervisor and Tim Krebs, PGA professional, do all they will to make a spherical at Langston the very best expertise it may be for everybody who reveals up able to play.
