HCBA Lawyer Magazine No. 35, Issue 2 | Page 3

THE HIllSBOROUGH COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION

LAWYER

NOV - DEC 2024 | VOl . 35 , NO . 2

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features & events

15CongraTulaTionSToThe2024-25 barleaderShipinSTiTuTeClaSS

3 TheTrueSpiriTofCommuniTy inTimeSofneed

­Editor ’ s­Messageby­Jim­Wimsatt

6riSingToTheChallenge : hillSboroughCounTybar memberSinTheafTermaTh ofhurriCaneShelene andmilTon

HCBA­President ’ s­Messageby­Anthony­ “ Nino ” ­Martino

10WhyyouShouldJoinTheyld aSagovernmenTlaWyer

YLD­Messageby­Christian­Katchuk

12 # TampabaySTrong

Executive­Director ’ s­Messageby­John­F . ­Kynes

16Clerk ’ SoffiCeprovideS hopeCardSauTomaTiCally TodomeSTiCviolenCe peTiTionerSWiThfinal proTeCTionorder

Clerk­of­the­Court­ & ­Comptrollerby­Cindy­Stuart

17SeConddCaCourThouSe ToppingouTCeremony

24yldgolfTournamenT

32WelComebaCk memberShipreCepTion

38yldholdSfallhappyhour

45ConSTruCTionlaWSeCTion holdSCle

51laWyerreferral & informaTion ServiCeholdSappreCiaTion breakfaST

59appellaTelaWSeCTion & TrialandliTigaTionSeCTion holdJoinTCle

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about the Cover

We continue with highlighting historic golf courses in Hillsborough County on the magazine cover , featuring Rogers Park Golf Course in this issue . The park is named after African American businessman and philanthropist Garfield Devoe Rogers who donated the land to the City of Tampa for a park and golf course . In 1947 , the Tampa Mayor gave permission to a group of African American caddies , who worked at Palma Ceia Country Club , to build a 9-hole golf course at Rogers Park . The work was led by Willie Black , who had previously helped build several golf courses in Georgia . Black directed a group of volunteers to remove trees and shape the land painstakingly by hand . Work on the 9-hole course was completed in 1952 , and Willie Black became the first Head Golf Professional at the course .

In 1961 , the course was expanded to 18 holes , after which it became a popular spot on the so-called “ Chitlin ’ Circuit ” of tournaments run by the United Golf Association , an organization of Black professional golfers , and hosted some of the best African-American players at the time , including Charlie Sifford , Jim Thorpe , and Lee Elder . In November 2014 , the original Rogers Park Golf Course site became the fourth golf course in Florida to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Learn more about Rogers Park Golf Course at : https :// rogersparkgolf . net /. Photos on cover courtesy of Rogers Park Golf Course , Tampa Sports Authority .

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