The Green’s Ladies Golf Club, Inc. (GLGC) was founded in 1954 and is the oldest African American women’s Golf Club in the Delaware Valley. On May 1, 1954, Ms. Lorraine Sawyer met with seven other women in West Philadelphia to lay the foundation of the Green’s Ladies
Golf Club. These women were motivated by the need for a totally governed black female golf club to be respected in the golf community and to inspire other black women interested in sharing in the joy of golf. The Charter members were: Lillian Cherry, Gladys Gray, Alma Fay Horn, Lorraine Sawyer, Opal Shields, Mary Frances Simpson, Lubertha Slocum and Ann Wilson.
Through the years the GLGC has traveled extensively participating in tournaments along the eastern coast. The first tournament hosted by the GLGC was held in 1955.
welcome to the junior golf
podcast a podcast dedicated to helping
parents and juniors navigate through the
Journey of junior golf from Fitness to
mental coaching we cover it all on this
podcast here’s your host Ro
Thompson good afternoon everybody
Welcome to the junior golf podcast I’m
your host Ro Thompson man we got a
special guest on the podcast today is
none other than the great Dr Veronica
Florence mcferson how you doing doc I’m
doing fine and you can just call me
Ronnie okay okay I sure will I like that
um so so so uh Ronnie listen you know
before we get into all the the the great
things that the the green ladies of golf
are doing um tell us a little bit about
your background and how you got in the
game of
golf okay well golf is something that um
I always liked I always used to watch it
um was always interested in it but you
know life came first and between a
husband and children home working just
didn’t have the time to put into it so
I’m I was mainly on the on the uh
Sidelines watching it on television
participating every once in a while when
I had a little time and then as I said
life happened um one kid left the second
kid left then my husband got sick and
then he passed and I was all by myself
and I said oh you know what now’s my
time let me really get into what I’ve
always wanted to do so around 2005 2006
shortly after my husband passed that’s
when I really put all my effort into it
and I started taking lessons and um it
just Grew From there now what now what
What attracted you to the game of golf
though um I’m not really sure because I
had the attraction even before Tiger
Woods came on the scene wow and there
weren’t very many you know
African-American or people of color in
the game but it was just something about
it I guess the tranquility and and so
forth and seeing people out there and it
just um it was just something about it
the environment that attracted me to it
and then as I said once once my when my
husband passed away and I started
playing it it really helped me cope
because being outside um just looking at
the the green grass the trees um it just
reminded me of how much of at peace that
he was and so and I think that’s another
thing that motivated me to stay in the
game that is awesome now did you have
any uh family members other than your
husband that played like like Dad no
nobody else plays nobody else I got I
got some family members that go to you
know that putt putt stuff and whatever
but nobody nobody’s into it like me now
my daughter played in college but I
can’t get her on the golf course and she
swears I need a 12 step
program gotcha yeah golf is you know
golf is you know once you start game of
golf is it’s very addictive and it’s
hard to let go once you get started you
know and it it it always tickles me when
people say how can you sit and watch
golf it’s so boring I said but you don’t
know how it’s scored because if you do
you it will have you sitting on the edge
of your seat and I said some sometimes I
have to close my eyes and I just wait
for the sound of the crowd to let me
know whether or not the person made that
put or made that child or whatever but I
I can’t even imagine how people say golf
is boring yeah you’re you’re addictive
like we are we we’re a golf family so I
I I I get
the passionate it’s addictive and you
know you just can’t let it go right so
that’s right so so give us a little
background U you know you’re part of a
special uh organization called the green
ladies golf club uh give us a little his
history and a little little background
on the on the ladies golf club The
Greens ladies was formed in
1954 okay um africanamerican women
golfers it was uh founded by a woman
named Lorraine Sawyer and many of the
women who were in The Greens ladies had
husbands that golf okay and of course
you know the only time they participated
is when the guys were having a
tournament and they needed them to sell
tickets or fried chicken or whatever and
so they got tired of being golf widows
and so they decided to take up the game
on their own and so as I said it was
formed in
1954 and it’s been around ever since the
the uh membership has ebed and you know
the tide has gone up and down um many of
our of course many of the regional 54
members are gone um and even the person
who brought me into the club has since
passed away many of my um good golfing
buddies have you know uh have moved on
but the um we we work Tire tirelessly in
trying to keep the club keep the
membership up and motivating young women
you know women and and I’m the type of
person if I go in the Golf Galaxy and I
see a black woman and I’m like do you
play golf and they say oh no I’m here
buying for my husband or I’m here buying
for my son or if I see one and I and I
say do you play and she says yes I said
have you ever heard of the greens ladies
and she’ll say no and I then I’ll go
into my field I pass it I always keep a
card with me and I pass out my card and
she said well I usually just play with
my husband I said yeah but when you get
tired of him hauling at you just give us
a call you know right so so actively
recruiting for the club um all the time
that’s great and and the greens ladies
is based out of what state well
originally um they were based out of
cerville New Jersey at freeway Golf
Course
um you may not know but it was the first
African-American owned golf course in
the in the Delaware Valley and it closed
a few years ago so now we we have a new
club now Walnut Lane Golf Course okay
that’s in Philadelphia that’s our home
course yes but we we play we play
Philadelphia New Jersey Delaware uh we
rotate around because we have many
members in Philadelphia many members in
New Jersey I think we have one or two
from Delaware okay and then we travel we
we we go to we go to Florida we go to
Myrtle Beach we we we travel and uh
myself I played in South Africa New
Zealand oh wow Hawaii you know yeah so
we we we move around that is that is
awesome now what’s now what’s one of the
most memorable trips the greens ladies
have have taken over the past few
years um I don’t know I can’t speak for
people in individually but for myself it
was it was the trip to South Africa oh
wow and I was on the um it was at one of
the nature reserves okay and I was out I
think I was maybe like on the third or
fourth hole and the gazel kept running
back and forth running back and forth
the fair way and I said to the caddy I
said well wait a minute those things are
the lowest thing on the food chain if
they running should I be running too
right
he said oh no madame no Madam they just
play they just play don’t worry don’t
worry so and and then you had families
just kept walking across the of the
Fairway and I kept saying why are people
walking across the Fairway but it was a
hippo run on the other side and people
who didn’t play go figure okay we’ll
take the shortcut and go that way not
realizing they could have gotten hit in
golf right so that was that was what my
favorite trips yeah I I can’t speak for
for other green ladies but that was mine
to Africa that’s great yeah getting hit
with a golf ball is not pleasant at all
yeah I I have been hit so I know too me
too I got hit in the back of the head
with a drive and it wasn’t it wasn’t
pleasant well I got I got hit in the
stomach so I okay okay now how do you
become a member of the club well if you
know a greens lady you can approach us
and say hey I’m interested in joining
your Club yes you can go on our website
and download a membership application
and send it to us um but those are two
the primary ways either either you go on
our website download the membership
application or you approach a greens
lady and say I’m interested I heard
about your Club of interested and then
we and I encourage women to say I say
hey come out and play with us a couple
of times you don’t you don’t have to be
a member you don’t have to join come out
and play see if you like the Dynamics of
the club and so forth and if you do then
you know put in a membership there you
go test the waters a little bit see if
you you know even like it right that’s
great so now what what type of you know
Phil philanthropic Endeavors have y’all
um supported when it you know of course
it’s the junior golf podcast and we want
to you know we like to talk junior golf
and so what type of you know efforts
have y’all support it when it comes to
Junior Golf well we support the first te
program in Philadelphia the pr at at wut
Lane golf course our home course we we
support that course and then um not that
but I mean that program right and then
um I I came across I was just surfing on
the internet one day and came across a
group of kids in Africa playing being
taught how to play golf right and they
were out in this this field didn’t look
like a golf course but they were out in
his field and they had clubs and so
forth and it took me a while but I was
finally able to contact the woman in
that it on the internet and said you
know I you know I told who I was you the
club and so forth and I said we like to
support you and so um I ended up sending
clubs over there to the kids oh I know
they I know they’re appreciative of that
yeah it cost more to send them than it
cost to buy them oh
and it took it took I think I think it
took about three months or so for them
to get there because and uh the post
office said well once they got to a
certain point they couldn’t track them
anymore and so I had to stay in touch
with her and say hey they’re coming
they’re coming they’re coming and then
finally I got that email message for her
we got them we got them right right
that’s a that’s a great uh thing that
y’all did because you know the resources
over there are probably next to none
right right clubs and balls and you know
other equipment that you need you know a
lot of time we take that for granted in
the you know yeah and I have I’m I’m
preparing a box now with um clothes and
other things that you know unfortunately
I probably will never get back into
again so I said rather than hold on to
these things I said let me pack up this
stuff and send it to these kids over in
um Africa because um I’ll probably I’ll
probably have to have some type of
detrimental disease or something get
small enough to get back into some of
this
stuff because you know if it it’ll just
sit there and collect dust you know
right right now why do you feel it’s
important for the green ladies to
support programs like the first T and
you know other Junior programs why why
is that
important well I I think because golf
has the ability to teach kids number one
how how to how to play in teams how the
Integrity of the game um and and you go
and math because you gotta learn how you
gotta know how to count yes and and
there’s so many aspects of playing golf
that are conducive to young people that
I I think as a group of African-American
women we owe it to these young people to
support that endeavor and um and so I
think that’s one of the reasons why you
you know we support the the first he
program as well as as the kids in Africa
who don’t have nearly the resources that
the kids have here right but um but just
the just the just knowing how many
different um I say uh traits or or
things that they they they will
accomplish in life because they have
golf as a back Rail and I think that’s
extremely important you are right Dr Ron
and let me tell you one of the things
that I always use is the fact that golf
teaches you about ups and downs and
that’s that’s life you know sometimes
you’re gonna be up sometimes you’re
gonna be down and it’s not it’s not
about how it’s not about what you go
through it’s about how you go through it
are you going to stay are you going to
stay negative are you going are you
going to you know react positive way so
golf golf teaches you a lot about you
know a lot about life you know like you
just said you know teach you how to
count you know
that’s teaches you how to be honest you
know about you know what your Strokes
are so those are some great great great
characteristics of and not to mention
not to mention the exercise and I said
if I had if I if I had one thing it
would one wish it would be to be able to
walk a 18ho course carrying a golf bag
and
when I see these young kids out there
walking and carrying their bags I’m said
God I wish I could do that again Hey
listen my wife and I talk about it all
the time because some of some of my
son’s tournaments that we go to we
literally Lo walk seven miles and so
when we walk those seven miles the first
thing we think about okay we walk seven
miles but the kids are walking seven
miles with 20 to 30 pounds on their
right that’s that’s even a better
workout so right know now when they say
you walking a ride and I’m thinking I
look down at my knees and I said I’m
riding yeah you bet you have to get that
walking in when you’re young you know so
so can so can junior girls get involved
with the greens
ladies unfortunately um we can support
the first te program okay but we can’t
have anyone under the age of 18
basically for liability issues we just
don’t we just couldn’t afford to have to
pay for the kind of insurance that we
would need for you know the liability
issues for you know anyone under the age
of 18 that makes sense so as long as
they you know join you know as a part of
a first te program y’all can support yes
that’s great that’s great and what type
of um what type of special events do you
have coming up uh that you that you want
to highlight on the podcast today well
on May 28th we will be our hosting our
second annual Invitational at our home
Course Walnut Lane golf course and um we
encourage people to go on event brigh
and um look for the greens ladies golf
course greens ladies golf club and sign
up for our event as I said this is our
second one and so we are you know we’re
really hyped up about it and um we’re
selling we’re con we’re selling tickets
already um they’re moving along so if
anybody’s interested they need to hurry
up and get one
now so now this event that you’re having
is it a is it a Captain’s Choice is it a
women’s division it is is it a Junior’s
division it’s a it’s a Junior’s division
a women’s division men’s division and a
mixed and a mixed uh group oh wow yeah
so you gota you got a mix force them you
want to play all women all men and and a
junior category so we don’t leave out
anything okay so it is a it is for yes
okay okay great individual if but if you
sign up as an individual we’ll just put
you in a force oh there you go right
right right okay that’s good that’s good
so it sounds like uh it sounds like a a
Captain’s Choice uh where you have four
four people and you just everybody gets
a shot at you know at at hitting the
shot so um that sounds like that sounds
like what what it’s yes okay okay good
good good all right because we we
because we encourage people who we
encourage people who don’t play often or
don’t think they don’t play well come to
our um Invitational
because because it gives you an
opportunity to play in a group you get
to play and and it’s just it’s just not
on all on you because everybody gets a
shot at the at on the tea and then you
know you play best ball that’s exactly
right yeah those are fun fun outings and
you know people tend to like to be a
part of that then that way all the
pressure is not on them it’s all yeah
play that good right right so in
addition to that event what are some of
the future plans that that you have as
the president of the greens ladies golf
club well I’m glad you asked that
question because in
2024 we will be we will be celebrating
our 75th Anniversary wow and we plan we
plan to do a whole weekend of events not
just golf we proably we’re planning a
health fair where’re we’re going to be
showing a um a film about a a woman
golfer but we’re we’re putting together
a whole weekend of events to celebrate
our 70th 75th Anniversary that’s gonna
be and that will be the Memorial Day
Weekend 2024 2024 okay good y’all gonna
host that at
Walnut uh we will do what we will do we
we’re planning to do something there but
we’re also planning to do something at
other places around the city so we could
spread out our events oh that’s good
that’s good sounds like something uh
similar my um my mother she’s a part of
a program called Neo which is you know
it it helps HBCU students you know with
scholarship money to get into you know
schools and whatnot and uh we do a we do
a white wine concert to raise money for
that effort but this upcoming year we’re
going to do a golf tournament on Friday
we’re going to do a a a a college fair
where the kids can come in and register
for college and so it’s we’re g to do
something similar because what we
because what we typically do is we just
typically do a concert but we’re going
to add a couple of Dynamics to it this
year and when will that be oh that’s
going to be uh Labor Day weekend Labor
Day Sunday weekend um this year oh okay
my daughter went to HBCU she graduated
from taloo for in Mississippi okay okay
yeah I’m a HBCU uate as well I graduated
from uh South Carina State University oh
okay yes yes all right great well it
sounds like y’all have some some great
things going on uh Dr Ronnie is there is
there any final remarks that you want to
leave uh with our audience that will be
listening to the podcast I just want to
tell people to come out and support us
on May 28th at our second Invitational
at Walnut Lane golf course and um you
can find us on Instagram you can find us
on Facebook just look for greens ladies
golf club and um we also have a website
greens ladies golf
club.com and um if you want to know more
about us you know check us out on the
web as I said Facebook Instagram and if
you think you want to play golf or you
can play golf or you just want to come
out and hang out a little bit you know
call us up and come and check us out
there you go so that would so that’s so
that would be Delaware Jersey
New Jersey Delaware and pyl so if if you
live in Delaware you can still play with
us if you live in Jersey you could play
in or your Philadelphia it doesn’t
matter yeah great well great we got
something for everybody something for
everybody that’s
great listen Dr Ronnie thank you so much
for coming on the podcast um you know
you know good luck with all the things
that the ladies are doing um in in in
Pennsylvania Delaware New Jersey sounds
like y’all are doing some great things
up there and I just want to say keep up
the great work
okay well thank you for the opportunity
to let us promote the greens ladies golf
club I really appreciate it all right
you’re more than
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