Tiger Woods has not won in quite some time; however, his impact on the game of golf is far reaching. Anybody who plays the game and is serious about it tries to play like Tiger, or look like him when they play.
Every week you can see the eye of the Tiger on Wednesday about 12:30-1:10 pm, when as many as 25-30 business people get together for a competitive fun round of golf. We play at (Interlachen North) Meadowbrook in Hopkins. This is the third year we have gotten together to enjoy the great game of golf and play a challenging course, as well as conduct business. It’s open to everyone, men and women. The price to play is very reasonable; we have a Big Skin game, and it costs just $20 to play with a cart.
If you plan to play with us, you must call Raymond Boyd at 612-226-3007 ahead on Monday or Tuesday to reserve a spot. We play by USGA rules as serious golfers. The player that shoots the low round of the day wins a prize and gets mentioned on the radio, Larry Fitzgerald’s sports show Thursdays at 8:25 am on KMOJ 89.9 FM on. It’s amazing; you find out a lot about a person’s character playing a round of golf.
I’ve made many deals on the golf course over the years, and this is a great opportunity to test your game against some really good players. A number of players with the Travelers and Twin Cities Golf Club join us every week. I hope you can join us and make a point to come and play — you’ll be glad you did.
Fitz Notes & Quotes
For a long time in this country, Black players were denied the opportunity to join the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA). Back then, the PGA had a Caucasians-only clause from 1934-61. That is one of the reasons there are few if any Black-owned private golf clubs in the United States.
The PGA of America allows its members to qualify to work and manage those private clubs and promote and teach the game of Golf. Recently Ted Rhodes, John Shippen and Bill Spiller — who because of the color of their skin were denied that opportunity to join the PGA — along with former World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis have been voted into posthumous membership by the PGA of America’s board of directors.
Shippen, who was African American and Native American, finished fifth in the second United States Open at Shinnecock Hills and is recognized as the first American-born golf professional. Rhodes and Spiller were leading players on the United Golf Association tour; they joined Louis in challenging the legality of the PGA’s discriminatory policy back in the 1940’s and 50’s.
Had they been able to be members, they would have and could have learned how the White members got together pooled their money to get tax breaks, buy land and build private clubs and golf courses.
Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday-Friday at 12:17 pm and 4:17 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.
