Martin Downs Golf Club in Palm City, Fla., which is owned by Stanley Campbell, is benefitting from increased traffic and golfers pitching in to help the property flourish. “You’re seeing Blacks and whites come together to help this man succeed against the odds,” says Larry Lee Jr., a longtime friend of Campbell’s.
Martin Downs Golf Club in Palm City, Fla. is now one of only four golf clubs in the state of Florida that are Black owned, WPBF reported. And Guy Schley, the Director of Golf at Martin Downs, is one of just 165 Black PGA professionals out of 29,000 total.
“Golf is just a melting pot of what is the greater community,” Schley said.
Stanley Campbell, the CEO and owner, purchased the property at an auction. Club + Resort Business reported on a possible hate crime at the property in January as graffiti was spray-painted in a cart path tunnel.
To better serve their community, the new management has taken a dilapidated course and revamped it, WPBF reported. Neighbors have pitched in and played … with more rounds logged this month than ever before.
Member and longtime friend of the owner Larry Lee Jr. told WPBF it’s the little engine that could.
“You’re seeing Blacks and whites come together to help this man succeed against the odds,” he said.
Lee has even mowed the fairways, because to him, it’s a place that represents progress, WPBF reported.
“If someone had told me back then in 1971 that a Black person would one day own a golf course, I would say no way, especially on the Treasure Coast and here we are,” Lee said.
Schley also reflected on the past saying, “When I started playing golf in 1986, it was not popular at all. No girl was trying to give you their phone number because you played golf.”
Fast forward 36 years and ladies’ memberships are up, and many are signing up for lessons, asking Schley how soon they can learn to play, WPBF reported.
Martin Downs is helping change the face of golf one tee time at a time, WPBF reported. Golfer George Bush said, “As a golfer, you have to play it, but especially being Black-owned, it’s a bonus.”
Frank Hall echoed that sentiment and said, “It’s phenomenal to have a Black course, especially of the caliber of this.”
“Think of it 18 months ago being this icky sticky caterpillar and it’s becoming this monarch butterfly,” Schley said.
Decades ago, Martin Downs Golf Club used to be a PGA qualifying course, WPBF reported. Now, Schley says he has no doubt these greens will return to their glory and they’ll have that PGA status again in the near future.
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