Remembering How It Started
By Margie Ludgood Lee - Founder
My husband, Dr. Joe A.Lee, former president of ASU, hosted a presidential golf tournament which was a tradition at ASU. For 5 years, I assisted in organizing this annual golf tournament. I observed during that time, that only two females participate in the tournament. During that same time, we attended Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church, where I met and chatted with Tom and Essie Mcghee. Sunday after Sunday, Essie would ask me to join her in playing golf. I told her that I didn't have a clue about golfing. In fact, it took me 5 years to realize that there were only 18 holes in a full round of golf and that the 19th hole was actually the after golf gathering, which was traditionally held at the ASU's President's home.
As fate would have it, I looked for an opportunity to exercise close to campus and found Crossroads, where I met Sandy Osborne. In my conversations with Sandy, I mentioned that Essie McGhee was encouraging me to play golf and that I didn't have a clue about golfing. I told Sandy that Essie had informed me that Tom could teach me and that I was thinking about calling Tom to set up a time for lessons. I left it at that and of course anyone who knew Sandy, knew that that was all I had to say. Sandy called Tom and set up a schedule for us to take lessons. And let me interject here, Tom was a great and patient teacher. He loves golf and it was evident in his willingness to stay long after the scheduled time to work with anyone who was willing to learn.
Tom and I talked about the limited number of Black females who golfed in the area, and how awesome it would be if we had a group of Black women who played golf. So, the idea was born to get a group together of women who were interested in playing golf. I informed Sandy that I was interested in getting a group together, and she immediately started thinking about the women she knew who might be interested. Sandy had met Hattie, an avid golfer, and introduced her to me. Somehow, we all started getting together to practice our game. I remember Essie invited us to play at Arrowhead, where she was a member. We had practiced a lot at Gateway, a newly constructed, city owned and operated, golf course in Montgomery. Essie's invitation to us to golf at Arrowhead prompted me to invite her and Tom to be my guest in a foursome with Joe and me in the annual ASU Presidential Golf Tournament. At that time, I announced that I was concerned about the low participation of women in this event and that I was going to invite all of their spouses and significant others to get prepared to join them in this annual tournament. Shortly there after, I informed Tom of my plans to invite a group of identified women, who were interested in golf, to come to the President's house to discuss establishing a women's golf club group. I informed Sandy of my intentions and she got to work. Initially, we had over 40 women who attended that organizing affair.
A couple weeks later, Sandy invited me, Essie, and Hattie to join her on a trip to St. Augustine, Florida, where we organized and wrote the mission statement and by-laws for a women's golf club. Needless to say, we had a great time in St. Augustine. We golfed on a couple of beautiful golf courses, visited a golf museum, shopped for golf outfits, and just had lots of fun. That was the beginning of the women's golf club. Our first real organizational meeting was at Arrowhead Country Club.
I often tell Tom and Essie that they changed my life forever. I have enjoyed golf here in Jupiter, Florida immensely. I am a member of Two women's group, one in which I was one of the six organizers. This group, which I was instrumental in starting, is called Chip-N-Sip. It is housed at the Abacoa Golf Club, where we live, on the ninth hole. Golf has been instrumental in making life here in Jupiter most enjoyable. I have won 7 trophies and over 300 dollars in prize money. In addition , I made two holes-in-one since playing golf here.
Thanks Tom for giving me this gift of golf in my life. I'm often told that I have a beautiful swing, even when the ball goes in a different direction than I intended.
By Margie Ludgood Lee - Founder
My husband, Dr. Joe A.Lee, former president of ASU, hosted a presidential golf tournament which was a tradition at ASU. For 5 years, I assisted in organizing this annual golf tournament. I observed during that time, that only two females participate in the tournament. During that same time, we attended Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church, where I met and chatted with Tom and Essie Mcghee. Sunday after Sunday, Essie would ask me to join her in playing golf. I told her that I didn't have a clue about golfing. In fact, it took me 5 years to realize that there were only 18 holes in a full round of golf and that the 19th hole was actually the after golf gathering, which was traditionally held at the ASU's President's home.
As fate would have it, I looked for an opportunity to exercise close to campus and found Crossroads, where I met Sandy Osborne. In my conversations with Sandy, I mentioned that Essie McGhee was encouraging me to play golf and that I didn't have a clue about golfing. I told Sandy that Essie had informed me that Tom could teach me and that I was thinking about calling Tom to set up a time for lessons. I left it at that and of course anyone who knew Sandy, knew that that was all I had to say. Sandy called Tom and set up a schedule for us to take lessons. And let me interject here, Tom was a great and patient teacher. He loves golf and it was evident in his willingness to stay long after the scheduled time to work with anyone who was willing to learn.
Tom and I talked about the limited number of Black females who golfed in the area, and how awesome it would be if we had a group of Black women who played golf. So, the idea was born to get a group together of women who were interested in playing golf. I informed Sandy that I was interested in getting a group together, and she immediately started thinking about the women she knew who might be interested. Sandy had met Hattie, an avid golfer, and introduced her to me. Somehow, we all started getting together to practice our game. I remember Essie invited us to play at Arrowhead, where she was a member. We had practiced a lot at Gateway, a newly constructed, city owned and operated, golf course in Montgomery. Essie's invitation to us to golf at Arrowhead prompted me to invite her and Tom to be my guest in a foursome with Joe and me in the annual ASU Presidential Golf Tournament. At that time, I announced that I was concerned about the low participation of women in this event and that I was going to invite all of their spouses and significant others to get prepared to join them in this annual tournament. Shortly there after, I informed Tom of my plans to invite a group of identified women, who were interested in golf, to come to the President's house to discuss establishing a women's golf club group. I informed Sandy of my intentions and she got to work. Initially, we had over 40 women who attended that organizing affair.
A couple weeks later, Sandy invited me, Essie, and Hattie to join her on a trip to St. Augustine, Florida, where we organized and wrote the mission statement and by-laws for a women's golf club. Needless to say, we had a great time in St. Augustine. We golfed on a couple of beautiful golf courses, visited a golf museum, shopped for golf outfits, and just had lots of fun. That was the beginning of the women's golf club. Our first real organizational meeting was at Arrowhead Country Club.
I often tell Tom and Essie that they changed my life forever. I have enjoyed golf here in Jupiter, Florida immensely. I am a member of Two women's group, one in which I was one of the six organizers. This group, which I was instrumental in starting, is called Chip-N-Sip. It is housed at the Abacoa Golf Club, where we live, on the ninth hole. Golf has been instrumental in making life here in Jupiter most enjoyable. I have won 7 trophies and over 300 dollars in prize money. In addition , I made two holes-in-one since playing golf here.
Thanks Tom for giving me this gift of golf in my life. I'm often told that I have a beautiful swing, even when the ball goes in a different direction than I intended.
