The tournament serves as both a community celebration and a fundraiser for the historically Black college and university’s golf program.
MATTHEWS, N.C. β Greenwood Golf will host its fifth annual Juneteenth Golf Classic this weekend at Emerald Lake Golf Club in Matthews, with proceeds benefiting Johnson C. Smith University’s golf team.
The tournament serves as both a community celebration and a fundraiser for the historically Black college and university’s golf program. Greenwood Golf aims to support historically Black communities through the sport.
“If we as a community of golfers can come together and raise money for our local HBCU golf team, that’s it, that’s what I am going after,” said Chris Word, founder of Greenwood Golf.
This year’s focus centers on supporting JCSU’s golf team, one of the few golf programs at HBCUs. The university faces funding challenges common among historically Black institutions.
“Obviously, like any other HBCU, we’re generally underfunded and under-supported in terms of our activities, and golf being one of those that is generally a second-tier sport,” said Steven Boyd, Β chairman of the university’s board of trustees. “For a golf team at an HBCU to survive, it needs outside support, and this is one of the things that Greenwood Golf is providing us.”
The weekend event includes more than tournament play, featuring beginner clinics, wellness activities, and a day party.
JCSU head golf coach William Watkins emphasized the sport’s character-building aspects.
“I feel that anybody that gets exposure to golf, the more they play, the better they’ll be, the better human they’ll be,” Watkins said. “It’s the only sport that you call your penalties on yourself, so you build your integrity.”
Organizers say the tournament represents efforts to increase diversity in golf while supporting student-athletes at historically Black institutions.
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