A viral list from travel creator @datravelgoddess (Daycation Goddess) recently spotlighted ten Black-owned golf courses and clubs across America — from Michael Jordan’s ultra-private Grove XXIII to historic fairways in Ohio and New Jersey. The post struck a nerve: thousands of shares, hundreds of comments, and one clear message — Black golfers want to know where their dollars build Black ownership.
BBR took the list and verified every course. Here is the rundown — eight verifiably Black-owned destinations, one historic landmark, and one to call before you book — all worth the trip.
Editor’s note: BBR independently verified ownership for each course below. Two notes before you pack the clubs: Shady Owner: Michael Jordan (majority owner; partners include former NFL star Dwight Freeney) The most exclusive tee time in Black golf. Jordan’s ultra-private, invitation-only club opened in 2019 on a former orange grove, designed by Bobby Weed and named for his iconic No. 23. If you ever get the invite, you take it. Owner: Sheila C. Johnson (via Salamander Hotels & Resorts) The BET co-founder and America’s first Black female billionaire bought this 900-acre resort for roughly $35 million in 2007 — two weeks before it would have gone bankrupt. Four 18-hole courses, including the Copperhead, home of the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship. World-class golf, Black-owned at the very top. Owner: The Powell family (founded by Bill Powell; run today by his children Renee Powell and Larry Powell) The most important course on this list. Opened in 1948 after WWII veteran Bill Powell was denied play at segregated courses, Clearview is the first — and still only — American course designed, built, owned and operated by an African American. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A pilgrimage every Black golfer should make. Owner: Stanley Campbell A Florida A&M alum and IT/healthcare executive who bought this PGA Qualifying course sight-unseen at auction in May 2021 for about $1.35 million — with retirement money. Now in a multi-phase revitalization. Proof that ownership sometimes starts with a bold bid. Historic owner: Progressive Realty Corporation, a group of Black investors (1921–1938) Not currently Black-owned — included for its legacy. The first Black-owned and operated country club in America, listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book, hosted W.E.B. Du Bois, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and Althea Gibson, and was home to John Shippen Jr., the first American-born golf professional. Acquired by the township in 1938 and operated today as a public course. The history alone is worth the visit. Owner: Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, led by Dr. Tony Evans Texas’s only Black-owned golf course, owned by one of America’s largest Black megachurches. The last course ever designed by legendary architect Perry Maxwell, it hosted the Byron Nelson tournament for eight years and now hosts the annual Juneteenth Golf Classic. Faith, community and fairways. Owner: Greg Jackson Auto magnate Jackson — the first African American to lead a billion-dollar dealership group — owns this 18-hole championship layout (opened 2000, 6,916 yards) with a full-service banquet center. Voted the area’s best course and banquet hall four years running. Ownership: African American co-owned and managed; James Draper III serves as GM and Head Golf Professional One of the oldest Black-owned and managed clubs in the country. A Gene Hamm design opened in 1930, operating today as a semi-private club. A quiet giant of Black golf history still going strong. Owners: HWV Enterprises, LLC (Vann Jones, Willie Blakeney, Henry Turner, Jimmy Garvin) A par-71 Ault-Clark design (opened 1998) bought by four Black investors in 2015 to drive diversity in golf with a youth focus. Heads-up: the course is currently closed pending an announced reopening — call before you travel. Owner: Wilbert Long Jr. (majority owner, CEO and Chairman) An 18-hole championship course (founded 1997, designed by John Sanford Jr.) with its own pub and grill — Black majority-owned and community-rooted in Saginaw Township. From Jordan’s gates to Powell’s legacy, Black ownership in golf spans billion-dollar resorts and family-run gems. These courses are not just places to play — they are assets, history and community wealth you can walk. Book the trip. Join Orbit — where Black professionals, entrepreneurs and leaders connect, collaborate and turn opportunities into action. https://orbit.blackbusinessreview.net/1. The Grove XXIII — Hobe Sound, Florida
2. Innisbrook Golf Resort — Palm Harbor, Florida
3. Clearview Golf Club — East Canton, Ohio
4. Martin Downs Golf Club — Palm City, Florida
5. Shady Rest Golf & Country Club — Scotch Plains, New Jersey (Historic)
6. The Golf Club of Dallas — Dallas, Texas
7. Copper Ridge Golf Course — Davison, Michigan
8. Forest Park Country Club — Martinsville, Virginia
9. Marlton Golf Club — Upper Marlboro, Maryland
10. The Sawmill Golf Club — Saginaw, Michigan
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