Renee Powell recently accepted the 2020 ASGCA Donald Ross Award from Jan Bel Jan, ASGCA, at Clearview Golf Club in Canton, Ohio. The video of her acceptance can be seen here.
Powell was the second African-American woman to compete on the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour, the first African-American woman to earn a Class-A PGA of America membership, and in 2015 was one of the first women to be named Honorary Member of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews, Scotland.
The ongoing positive impact Powell is making continues from where it all began for her at Clearview Golf Club in Canton, Ohio. Powell’s father, William, remains the only African-American to design, build, own and operate his own golf course. Seventy years later, Renee and her brother, Larry, continue to operate the club and add to their father’s legacy. The course was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of Interior in 2001.
“I accept this on behalf of my entire family, which has worked so hard to diversify the game, all for the love of the game.”