By Tiffany Mack Fitzgerald, Special Contributor
Golf wasn’t love at first sight for me. It was more like a slow burn. The better I got, the more I wanted to play.
I think that had something to do with the fact that my confidence was building, but I never felt completely confident until I had a level of proficiency that I felt was respectable. I realized the people I felt the most uncomfortable around were White men. I assumed everyone playing golf was so much better than me.
I was surprised to learn that most recreational golfers never break 100. This was a fact that helped reset my expectations as a golfer. But even with a pretty impressive tee shot that can cut a par-5 in half for the men on my scramble team, I was still uncomfortable in most golf settings. I’m sure I was uncomfortable because most of the time, there was no one there who looked like me.
Often, I noticed being noticed.
To understand my discomfort, first you should know how I got into golf. I invited myself. You may be asking, who goes to a party uninvited? No one usually, but I wanted to be part of the game that seemed to be leveling the playing field in Corporate America and helping people cultivate relationships. For years, I watched my White, male colleagues build an informal network amongst themselves, never inviting anyone else to reap the benefits of this closed circle of influence. So, I invited myself.
I bought my first set of golf clubs from Kmart, took a Get Golf Ready Class, and infiltrated what I considered the good ol’ boys club. I was in for a rude awakening. Although I had taken the Get Golf Ready classes, I wasn’t ready for the course. I didn’t know the rules, the etiquette, or how to prepare for a round. I had never even driven a golf cart before. I didn’t know how to check in and pay or how to strap my bag to the back of the cart.
Needless to say, my first experience playing a round of golf was a disaster. I was intimidated and embarrassed by the entire experience. I was a fish out of water, but I wanted to learn. So, I focused on getting better.
Fast forward to 2013. I was feeling more confident about my game, but still I wasn’t enjoying golf. Mostly because I wasn’t getting invited to play until they needed a woman on their tournament team. So, I created what I needed: Black Girls Golf, a community of women with whom I could learn, practice, and play. Little did I know, I also was creating the momentum for a movement that would ultimately help the golf industry invite a new generation of golfers into the game.
After founding Black Girls Golf, I was on a mission to involve the larger golf community in helping me build this ecosystem of new golfers.
The Texas Golf Association answered the call.
Having a partner like the TGA was important because some of my most active members learn, practice, and play in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I can attribute the growth of the DFW chapter to something so simple: an invitation. Ninety percent of Black Girls Golf members are new to the game, and it all started with the invitation from a golfer.
The ladies in Dallas are doing everything from taking lessons to planning small group outings together. Over the past few years, I’ve watched their confidence grow. They’re now playing in tournaments and traveling to enjoy courses across the state.
Among others, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned through my work with Black Girls Golf is the power of an invitation. Extending your hand to help someone else experience the joy you have for the game is priceless. Again, it all starts with an invitation. It can be as simple as inviting someone to the golf course for lunch and sharing what golf has done for you and explaining to them why you enjoy the game.
Of course, the game is available to everyone, but what if people around you are just waiting for an invitation from you? Let’s work together to share this game we all love.
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Tiffany Mack Fitzgerald is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker who bootstrapped her way to becoming an industry influencer working with brands like: Topgolf, AT&T, Adidas, BMW, and GolfTec. She has been featured on the Golf Channel, Women’s Golf Journal, Ebony Magazine, Essence.com, Black Enterprise, African American Golfer’s Digest, and more. Tiffany is a native of Oakland, CA; an alumna of Grambling State University; the mother of three children; and currently resides in Atlanta.
