This groundbreaking history of African Americans and golf explores the role of race, class, and public space in golf course development, the stories of individual black golfers during the age of segregation, the legal battle to integrate public golf courses, and the little-known history of the United Golfers Association (UGA)--a black golf tour that operated from 1925 to 1975. Lane Demas charts how African Americans nationwide organized social campaigns, filed lawsuits, and went to jail in order to desegregate courses; he also provides dramatic stories of golfers who boldly confronted wider segregation more broadly in their local communities. As national civil rights organizations debated golf's symbolism and whether or not to pursue the game's integration, black players and caddies took matters into their own hands and helped shape its subculture, while UGA participants forged one of the most durable black sporting organizations in American history as they fought to join the white Professional Golfers' Association (PGA). From George F. Grant's invention of the golf tee in 1899 to the dominance of superstar Tiger Woods in the 1990s, this revelatory and comprehensive work challenges stereotypes and indeed the fundamental story of race and golf in American culture.
Lane Demas is professor of history at Central Michigan University.
"A terrific book that will hold the interest of anyone who wants to gain a fuller understanding of [golf's] development and the role that African Americans played in it." -- Michigan Historical Review "An accessible, detailed history of African Americans and the history of golf. Demas challenges the accepted ideas of who has traditionally played golf and the popularity of the sport among various classes, races, and genders . . . [to demonstrate] the importance of sport in understanding the history of society as well as the important and pioneering connections between sports and civil rights."--Florida Historical Quarterly "Demas's research, use of images, extensive footnotes, and historical tables make his book invaluable for researching leisure, African American and southern history, and, of course, golf itself."--Journal of Southern History "Provides the most complete account of the African-American experience in golf."--Journal of African American History "Shows how a single pastime--golf--provides a unique and powerful lens through which to examine and better understand the African American experience. The book concludes with a fascinating look at the Tiger Woods phenomenon, rejecting the standard view that Woods and his 1997 Masters victory represented a turning point for race and golf."--American Historical Review "The story [Demas] has to tell is enthralling. . . . Reminds us that golf can be serious business--and that it's much more than a game." -- Wilmington Star News "There are a number of lessons to be learned from this book. . . . An unsettling but solid perspective on America." -- Library Journal "This book is layered, fascinating, and tells an important history." -- CHOICE
