Days after the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton inducted six of its newest members, I found myself sitting in a small golf pro shop about 5 miles from its steps. I had just learned of a golf course in East Canton that I doubt is well known by many in the sports world, unless they have been asked to play as a celebrity in Clearview Golf Club’s annual celebrity tournament. Much to my surprise, I learned that some of the NFL’s greatest Hall of Famers will find their way back to East Canton only weeks after their induction ceremonies to golf on the very course I found myself visiting, Clearview Golf Club.
Check out an exclusive Cool Cleveland video with Renee Powell, LPGA Pro-Am and Owner of Clearview Golf Club, where Sean Tuttle learns about the historic golf course, the story of the brave man who built it, and a golf outing that is the stuff of sports fan dreams.
Unless you’re an avid PGA fan, the name William “Bill” Powell might not mean much. The story of Mr. Powell is one that can be described as The Legend of Bagger Vance and Field of Dreams combined. Clevelanders might be surprised to learn that this story happened and continues to happen in their very own backyard, in East Canton, Ohio. William “Bill” Powell grew up in Minerva, Ohio, where he caddied and played golf. This was rare for an African-American boy in the 1930s. Powell continued in the sport he loved at Wilberforce University, an African-American private University. There, he helped found the university’s first collegiate golf team. In 1946, after returning from World War II, and playing golf in London, Powell had hoped that the climate had changed and he’d be able to golf. Much to his chagrin, he was not permitted to golf on any course here at home.
This less-than-warm thank you from a country he had just put his life on the line for didn’t stop Powell. Instead, with his GI Loan and the help of some local African-American investors, he decided to build his own course on land in East Canton that he purchased from a dairy farmer. “At Clearview Golf Club the only color that matters is the color of the greens,” was Powell’s message. He founded the only golf course in America that was designed, built, owned and operated by an African-American – a course that he made for anyone and everyone to play on.
Today, in its 65th year, the course continues under the watchful eye of Powell’s daughter, Renee Powell. Renee took the helm when Bill Powell retired. Powell passed away in 2009 at the age of 93 after receiving the PGA Distinguished Service Award, the Association’s highest honor, and being inducted into the Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame. “Bill Powell will forever be one of golf’s most unforgettable American heroes,” said Jim Remy, President of PGA of America, in a memorial to Powell written shortly after his passing.
Renee Powell walked in her father’s footsteps, blazing an incredible trail through the golf world. Although William was never allowed to play on the PGA tour, he made sure that his daughter learned the game, and she later became a member of the LPGA Pro-Am and became the second African-American woman to play on the tour. She played on the LPGA tour from 1967-1980, and was the last African-American woman to play on the tour until 1995. In 2008, Renee was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of St. Andrews. She was the first woman to receive the honor in its nearly 600 years of existence.
Now it’s your turn to get onto the green. The Clearview Golf Club has been hosting a celebrity golf outing for the past 27 years to benefit the Clearview Legacy Foundation. Local golfers have joined teams with sports celebrities like NFL Hall of Famers Franco Harris, Leroy Kelly, Jim Brown and many more on the Clearview greens. This year’s events will be held on Sat 8/27, and the registration deadline has been extended to Sun 8/21. To register, download the registration form here. According to Renee, “Leroy Kelley has been here every year and is scheduled to be here again this year.” Funds raised at the golf outing will benefit the Clearview Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable foundation established to preserve this national and Ohio historical site for future generations, to develop improved facilities for teaching the game of golf, and to expand tufgrass research. Foursomes will be partnered up with a celebrity for 18 holes on the historic Clearview course, enjoy lunch and attend a buffet awards dinner with fantastic prizes and a chance to meet over twenty celebrity sports legends. Homero Blancas will be a special celebrity guest at the Sat 8/27 event. He is a former PGA and Champions Tour player and will be joined with sports legends like Franco Harris, Leroy Kelly, James Bonecrusher Smith, and many others.
Just like the movie Field of Dreams, William Powell built the course — now everyone needs to come and experience the history, pride, and passion of his efforts for the great game of golf. What better way to do so, than on Sat 8/27 at the Celebrity Golf Outing? We hope to see you there!
Watch the exclusive video interview with Renee Powell here.
The celebrity golf outing takes place Sat 8/27, with registration at 9 a.m. and a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Download the registration form here. For more information, visit http://Clearview-gc.com, call (330) 488-0404, or email Renee Powell at cv46@aol.com. Visit the Clearview Legacy Foundation on Facebook.
Sean Tuttle is a Senior at the University of Akron. This is his first article for Cool Cleveland, written as part of a partnership between Cool Cleveland and his Public Relations Writing course, offered at U of A. He is a member of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and committee head of fundraising and philanthropy for PRSSA. He will earn his degree in Public Relations with a Minor in Sports Management in December 2011.