May 10, 2014 Media

QUEENS PRESS

United Black Golfers Break Stereotypes BY NATALIA KOZIKOWSKA The United Black Golfers Association, a newly-established not-for-profit, is seeking to swing past stereotypes by rolling out a new co-ed golf club in Southeast Queens. According to the group’s president, Vernel Bennett, UBGA’s mission is two-fold. The first is to expose residents in his community to the sport. The retired tax auditor from Laurelton said that he hopes this new golf club will help shatter the myth that golf is a “white man’s sport.” Southeast Queens residents Vernel Bennett (right) and Jacques Leandre (left) have started a golf club in an effort to break racial stereotypes about the sport and to give back to the community. “A lot of Blacks don’t play this particular sport because they don’t know it or understand it because they didn’t grow up with it as a child,” he said. “Some people still associate Black guys with basketball and white guys with golf. What we’re doing is opening of the eyes of the Black community to say you can play this sport.” Bennett, who founded the group with Laurelton attorney Jacques Leandre, also said he has hopes of reaching out to the community’s youth by introducing them to a sport they might not normally consider playing. “We’re trying to introduce the game to the younger guys also because this is a sport from the blue collar worker to the doctor,” he said. UBGA’s second goal, Bennett said, is to become a beneficial resource in the community. The not-for-profit has vowed to donate funds raised at fundraisers to neighborhood kids in pursuit of higher education – either in college or a trade school. “College is not for everybody, and we understand that. You might be a good mechanic and want to go to trade school,” he said. “If they are in a quality school, we will award them scholarship money toward school as a way to give back.” Bennett also noted that UBGA will aim to support other nonprofits and charities in the area, so long as they share the same goal of serving the community. Ironically, Bennett admits that when he first touched a golf club about seven years ago, he was put off by the sport. His first experience on a cruise ship with a less-than-pleasant instructor, he said, had driven him away from golf. But luckily, a year later, Bennett decided to give golf another shot and this time around, there was no tearing him away from the course. Soon after his passion for golf ignited, Bennett joined a golf association in Roosevelt, L.I., where he slowly began to rise up the ranks as a member of the executive board. A few years later, having realized there was a need for something like this in Southeast Queens, Bennett left the association to start UBGA. “This is a club that is for anybody who wants to join. Our club is co-ed and is open to people who are expert golfers to people who have never played…
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May 10, 2014 Media

THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Black Golfers Launch Group to Shatter Stereotypes, Get Urban Residents Onto the Green BY MELISSA CHAN  Monday, May 5, 2014, 2:00 AM Queens United Black Golfers Association — the first co-ed club of its kind in Queens — formed in March to nix the deep-rooted prejudice in the predominantly white sport. MELISSA CHAN - Vernel Bennett (left) and Jacques Leandre, both from Laurelton, started the United Black Golfers Association with hopes of uniting urban communities. Their strokes on the green still draw stares and snide remarks in what is supposed to be a “post-racial” America. A Queens-based group of black golfers has launched a nonprofit called the United Black Golfers Association — the first co-ed club of its kind in the borough — to nix the deep-rooted prejudice in the predominantly white sport. “Sometimes you don’t even get the verbal racism,” said Vernel Bennett, 62, who leads the progressive club. “It's in the silence. That doesn’t bother me, but it could bother people. I just smile because it’s typical.” The retired Laurelton man said he wants to shatter stereotypes and get urban residents of color into the game and onto the borough’s four public golf courses. Pro golfer and former champ Fuzzy Zoeller landed in hot water after the 1997’s Masters when he told Tiger Woods “in jest” not to serve fried chicken at the champions’ dinner. More recently, disgraced Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s racist remarks got him banned from the NBA for life. “This isn’t something we can get away from,” said Jacques Leandre, the group’s vice president, of the bigotry. “That’s historical, and the remnants of that still exist.” The face of the sport has been changing, the golfer said, but it has been slow to come. MELISSA CHAN - Vernel Bennett, 62, learned to play golf on a cruise ship about seven years ago. The retired tax auditor said the game brings strangers together for sometimes five hours. “A lot of us would like to believe we live in a post-racial America,” said Leandre, a 43-year-old Laurelton attorney who unsuccessfully ran for City Council last year. “That doesn’t exist. Any time you go into a community or setting where you’re not the majority, there are going to be some stares. Some of them are from folks curious about why you’re there. Some wonder how you can afford the game.” The seven-member group, which formed in March, will welcome all races and genders, ranging from rookies to experts. Monthly membership is $20 after a one-time $100 fee. The fees go toward reduced-rate lessons with Professional Golf Association-certified trainers and biweekly group trips. Some Queens golfers teeing off at Kissena Park Golf Course Friday applauded the club’s efforts, saying they see more diversity on the city’s courses each year. “I don’t see race,” said Bayside resident Michael Scricca, who was at the golf course with others. “It's old-fashioned thinking, and every generation is getting smarter.” Club in hand, golfer Marty Puntus, 72, said it all boiled down to ability. “As…
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May 7, 2014 Media

THE QUEENS COURIER

New Queens golf group hopes to grow sport in black community BY LIAM LA GUERRE Wednesday, May 7th, 2014 12:28 PM EDT (Photo courtesy the UBGA) UBGA Vice President Jacques Leandre and President Vernel Bennett hopes to foster golf in the black community with their new group.   They’re not specifically looking for the next Tiger Woods, but two golf-loving Queens residents are hoping their new nonprofit can help foster the sport in the black community. Vernel Bennett, of Laurelton, and Jacques Leandre, of Rosedale, started the United Black Golfers Association(UBGA) — the first of its kind in Queens, they said — and the group will begin hosting meet-ups on golf courses shortly. Both Bennett, the president of the nonprofit, and his vice president, Leandre, were convinced to play the sport by others and know there is interest, but the sport isn’t as readily available. The nonprofit seeks to provide opportunities for people to play the game. “If we were exposed to it, we would love it,” Bennett said about the black community. “But our community is exposed to the typical stuff: a basketball court, a baseball field, a football field …” Bennett, a retired accountant, started playing golf after his son’s recommendation and a lesson on a cruise about seven years ago. He fell in love with the sport and after competing in tournaments and joining the Roosevelt Golf Association, and he realized the benefits of golfing, including the networking side. He believes through golf, members of the organization will be able to connect even if there is a generational gap. The UBGA is co-ed and accepts anyone over the age of 18. There is a monthly membership fee of $20, after a one-time $100 fee. The UBGA will make group trips to golf courses around the city, Long Island, and even New Jersey several times each month. And for beginners, there are private lessons available from certified trainers, with group and individual packages. Since announcing the creation of the association, Leandre said they have gotten a positive response from the community on social media. “The interest is there, but the engine isn’t. Right now UBGA is going to serve as the vehicle to take people to the golf course,” Leandre said. “It’s about exposing and creating an outlet for people to have a game that will last a lifetime.” http://queenscourier.com/2014/new-queens-golf-org-hopes-to-grow-sport-in-black-community/
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