2022 – A Year in Review

UBGA’s 2022 Year in Review
We kicked off the 2022 season with eight people participating in our annual Black History Winter Golf Trip from February 28th through March 4th. We played three courses: Forest Lake Golf Club, Walt Disney World Golf at Magnolia Golf Course and Walt Disney World Golf at Lake Buena Vista Golf Course.
On April 12th our President, Vernel Bennett met with the fledgling golf club at Martin Van Buren H S, in Queens, NY.
On April 15th, our President gave a golf presentation to the Jack & Jill organization from Rockland County New York about Blacks playing golf (Millicent Lee).
On April 23rd, our President gave a presentation on the history of Black Golfers for the Cambria Heights Library, ‘From the Big House to the Club House, 1896- 2022- 126 years.
On April 30th, our President received the ‘Diamonds Among Us Award’ from Art Transforms, Inc.
The Golf Heritage Society magazine ‘The Golfer’, Spring 2022 issue, asked our President to write an article for ‘Playing Partners’. The African American Golfers Digest, reposted the headlined article in their magazine as well.
In May, our President was interviewed by USA Today Sports reporter Chris Bumbaca on Black Golf History and about Black Golfer Gregory Odom Jr. getting an exemption to play in the Wells Fargo Championship Tournament.
On May 23rd, UBGA members played at the Pine Hollow Golf Club, supporting the Pink Cans Cancer 10 Annual Fundraiser. Our President was video interviewed by organizers for this event.
On June 6th the NYC Public Library System archived the life story of our President for their Queens Memory Project.
June 24th through June 26th, 14 golfers participated in our annual Juneteenth Golf weekend at Foxwoods Resorts & Casino in Ledyard, CT. We played two rounds of golf at Lake of Isles North Golf Course (Mashantucket), rated by Golf Digest as “One of the best golf courses in Connecticut”.
On July 9th, UBGA member Cecillia Shepard won 1st Prize in the women’s long drive contest at the 3L Foundation & Nu Omicron Chapter (Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.) annual golf classic.
On July 23rd, UBGA member Howard Williams finished 2nd on the D-Flight Leaderboard at the annual Atlanta Pinseekers Golf Tournament, Myrtle Beach, SC.
On August 4th, we held a sold-out 8th annual Scholarship Golf Classic at Harbor Links Championship Golf Course in Port Washington, NY. UBGA Awarded eight high school students scholarships totaling over $6,400. From 2016- 2022, UBGA as awarded $37,600 in scholarships to 52 high school students entering colleges and universities.
The African American Golf Digest featured UBGA in their 2022 Fall edition.
In September, our President followed up with the fledgling golf club at Martin Van Buren H S, in Queens, NY with additional instruction.
On October 17th, UBGA members played at the PGA event hosting Shinnecock Hills Golf club golf course in Southampton, NY.
In December, UBGA donated $765.00 and toys to the Cornerstone Family Center SQPA after school program located in South Jamaica, NY.
On December 8th, held our annual holiday party at Thomasina’s Catering Hall, Queens, NY. The president’s wife, Delores Bennett, was honored with a plaque from the members for our appreciation of her dedication to UBGA.
UBGA supported the following golf organizations this season: Mid-Island Golf Club, Jamaica YMCA, Harlem YMCA, Christian Cultural Center (CCC), Shinnecock Nation Golf Association, Pink Cans 4 Cancer, Council of School Supervisors & Administrators (CSA), and Omega Phi Fraternity, Inc. (Nu Omicron chapter).
UBGA played 35 rounds of golf in three states: New York, Connecticut, and Florida.
We played golf on 21 different golf courses this year: Harbor Links Championship course (Port Washington, NY), Harbor Links Executive course (Port Washington, NY), Kissena Park Golf Course (Queens NY), Douglaston (Queens NY), Marine Park (Brooklyn, NY), Forest Park (Queens, NY), Van Courtland Park (Bronx, NY), Brentwood (Brentwood, NY), Pelham Bay (Bronx, NY), Sunken Meadows (Kings Park, NY), Lake of Isles (Mashantucket, CT), Dyker Beach (Brooklyn, NY), Bethpage State Park- Blue (Farmingdale, NY), Clearview Park Golf Course (Queens, NY), Pine Hollow Golf Club (East Norwich, NY) Bergen Point Golf Course (West Babylon, NY), Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (Southampton, NY), Scarsdale Golf Club (Hartsdale, NY), Forest Lake Golf Club (Ocoee ,FL), Walt Disney World Golf at Magnolia Golf Course, and Walt Disney World Golf at Lake Buena Vista Golf Course (Orlando, Florida)
We hosted seven practice/ instructional monthly Golf Academy sessions for adults and children at Harbor Links driving range.
UBGA was invited to, and our President is in talks with, the Montgomery County Revenue Authority (MCRA) in Maryland about UBGA playing golf on their nine golf courses in 2023.
At year’s end, we had 90 members 16 new members joined this year Our membership reaches across the globe in ten locations: New York, New Jersey, Missouri, North Carolina, California, Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Delaware, and Ghana (West Africa)
We established our first handicap system on the ‘My Online Golf Club’.
We scheduled our 2023 season kick-off event, our annual Black History Winter Golf Trip to Orlando Florida, February 27th through March 3rd, playing on four courses: Metro West Golf Club, Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course, Forest Lake Golf Club and Disney’s Lake Vista Golf Course.