Ben Davis the First African American Golf Course Pro !

The country's first African-American head golf pro

Ben Davis, turned 99 years old February 5th, 2011 !

Ben Davis became the country's first African-American head golf pro in 1968, just a year after the infamous Detroit riots. Legendary heavyweight champion Joe Louis, a Detroit native, held an annual tournament at Rackham for black amateur golfers. Davis still lives in the area. "At a time when we were not allowed to golf on many courses, Rackham Golf Course stands today as a reminder of the equality we enjoyed when we were turned away at other courses," he wrote in a letter to Detroit officials which was quoted in a July Detroit Free Press article. "It is a great and successful golf course and it should remain as it is today."

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 6:20 PM, Dorothy King <dking1117@gmail.com> wrote:

Forty-five years ago, Ben Davis became the first African-American to be admitted to the Michigan Professional Golfers’ Association. Davis was born February 19, 1912 in Pensacola, FL. He was a talented golfer as a youth; however there were few opportunities in 1920’s Florida for African-Americans in golf. His instructor golf pro Toney Penna, encouraged him to leave Florida for better opportunities up North.

Davis moved to Detroit in 1925 and graduated from Northern High School. He began his professional golf career in 1936 at the Pine Crest Driving Range in Ferndale, MI. He began teaching golf at Rackham Golf Course, in Huntington Woods, MI in 1952 where he would become a Class A Head Professional. Ben taught golf there for over 50 years. He was also the Head Pro at Palmer Park Golf Course in Detroit for a number of years. Although he began teaching golf in Michigan in 1936, it would be 30 years before Davis would break the color line at the Michigan PGA.

Ben Davis held the course record at Rackham for eight years. He was admitted to the Michigan PGA in 1966. He won the Michigan Senior PGA Championship in 1974 and the U.S. National Senior Tournament in 1979 in Las Vegas. He was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 1992. The Ben Davis Youth Golf Tournament was established in 2000 by the Detroit Recreation Department.

Over his expansive career his many students included boxing legend Joe Louis and Detroit Piston’s Hall of Famer Bob Lanier.

Birthday greetings can be sent to Ben Davis c/o MediLodge of Southfield, 26715 Greenfield Road, Suite 211, Southfield, MI 48076.

Ben Davis Photo Gallery....

Additional information: “Benny Davis (Ben Davis)” on facebook

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