About the UGA
The United Golfers Association (UGA), founded in 1925, was born out of necessity and resistance—an organized response to the racial barriers that excluded Black golfers from the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), which maintained a “Caucasian-only” clause until 1961. In the face of widespread segregation and discrimination, the UGA became a vital institution for African American golfers, offering not only a competitive platform but also a sense of community, visibility, and dignity in a sport that actively denied their presence. It was not just a tour; it was a movement.
By establishing their own circuit of professional tournaments, UGA members created opportunities where none existed. The UGA nurtured and elevated a generation of trailblazing athletes whose talent rivaled—and often exceeded—that of their white counterparts, even as they were denied access to the same courses, prize money, and endorsements. Legends such as Ted Rhodes, Bill Spiller, Pete Brown, Ann Gregory, Althea Gibson, Renee Powell, Lee Elder, Charlie Sifford, Jim Dent, and Jim Thorpe all sharpened their skills and built their legacies within the UGA framework. These pioneers did more than compete—they shattered myths, challenged policy, and inspired generations. The UGA was not only the proving ground for Black excellence in golf but also a critical force in the long march toward equity in American sports.
WHY WE ARE HERE
The game of golf has long been celebrated for its tradition—but buried in that tradition is a painful legacy of exclusion. For decades, the PGA of America enforced a “Caucasian-only” clause, barring Black golfers from competing in its events until 1961. The LPGA, while not as explicitly exclusionary, offered few opportunities or pathways for women of color to rise through its ranks. These systems—rooted in segregation, reinforced by policy, and perpetuated through access gaps—effectively shut out generations of talented Black athletes, leaving them to build their own parallel institutions, like the United Golfers Association, to compete, grow, and be seen.
Today’s golf industry still reflects that inequity. From the underrepresentation of Black professionals on tour, to the lack of access to private courses, elite instruction, sponsorship deals, and media exposure for players of color—especially Black women—the game remains largely inaccessible to those outside its traditional circles of privilege. The current climate in our country has made one thing clear: silence and inaction are no longer acceptable.
That’s why we’re here. We believe now is the time to take the biggest swing yet to dismantle these historic barriers—to right the wrongs of the past with the most intentional and sustained diversification effort in golf’s history. We are not asking for handouts—we are building pathways, creating pipelines, and rewriting the narrative for the next generation of Black golfers. The future of golf depends on what we do now.
MORE WORK TO DO
In the last 60 years, there’s been approximately 15 Black Men & Women on the PGA and LPGA Tour. Since, 1996 when Tiger Woods earned his Tour Card there hadn’t been another African American golfer on the tour until Joseph Bramlett earned his card through the 2010 Q School. The PGA of America has over 29,000 members and only 127 (less than .5%) of those are African American. There’s a lack of qualified professional golfers and golf professionals that have the necessary resources and training to succeed in the golf industry. The UGA will provide the highest level of training to increase a talented and credentialed pool of qualified African Americans who will contribute to the success of the game of golf.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
What is at stake is that if the UGA doesn’t grab the baton and run with it in TODAY, we possibly can see another 60 years go by with minimal growth in the sport of golf. The lack of a talent pool consisting of Black Golfers both men and women from teens to adults is considerably small. If we as African Americans don’t identify and cultivate the current talented dozen of ready golfers we have, we could lose an entire generation of potential Tour Ready Golfers. They will require UGA’s dedication to their needs; mentally, spiritually, physically and financially to execute their dreams of getting their Tour Card and competing at the top.
