MICHAEL CARNRIKE ( 2 ) |
Greensboro , and fueled by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , members of the PVGA began an effort to integrate locally . Collectively , the group ’ s goal was to make golf available to those barred from playing on public courses . According to an article in the Roanoke Times , golf ’ s color barrier was first broken in the area at Salem Municipal Golf Course when Landers became the first black man to tee off on a public or private course in the Roanoke Valley . Other nearby courses slowly followed suit but not all .
In a certain respect , greater access to longer , more traditional courses such as Ole Monterey and Blue Hills was a positive thing for individual club members but may have had unintended consequences relative to the popularity of the Claytors ’ course as a gathering spot .
“ My fondest memories of the ‘ Farm ’ were the family outings at the pool with picnic lunches and later hitting the ball up through the apple orchard that was part of hole 2 ,” Wright reflected . “ When in season the apples were pretty good . In the summer we ’ d play golf all day several days a week . No other black girls were playing that we knew of , so we played with the boys . As a youngster , the yardages seemed long , when in actuality with today ’ s technology , some of the holes would be long par 3s . Mrs . Carter ’ s hot dogs and hamburgers were always a treat to look forward to when making the turn .”
In its early heyday , the “ Farm ” was the only game in town , but once club members had multiple options in the area , the facility became less of a focal point . As access to other courses increased , it lost its appeal , and apparently so too the PVGA , as the club basically went dormant . The land , which is located just north of the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport , is currently home to a church .
“ It was sort of like the stone we didn ’ t need to step on anymore ,” Will Claytor , one of Natalie and Frank ’ s sons , was quoted as saying in 1994 . After being inactive for many years , the association was revived in 1987 after the younger Claytor ran an advertisement in the Roanoke Tribune .
Today , nearly 35 years later , the club ’ s “ new breed ” as Gunter called them , proudly embrace the Pine Valley name . Most relish the opportunity to help mentor and equip younger understudies — providing valuable lessons both on and off the golf course . In a short video clip on the Pine Valley website , club secretary Gary Lewis offers a heartfelt invitation , “ It ’ s not just for Blacks , it ’ s for anybody that ’ s down
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ABOVE : Darin Morgan ( right ) fist bumps Steve Silcott . RIGHT : Pine Valley member Tony Wade putts .
with our cause and our cause is basically to promote golf in the minority community . Whether you play , whether you support it in any way , you can be a part of it . You ’ re welcome to be a part of Pine Valley .”
Chris Cursi , one of several white club members who actively participates , confirmed the group ’ s welcoming demeanor . “ This was my first year with the Pine Valley Golf Association and it was an incredible experience . I truly enjoy the camaraderie and competition during the weekly 9-hole league as well as periodic 18-hole tournaments throughout the year .”
Asked what message he hoped would resonate about his club , Gunter paused then slowly and thoughtfully responded .
“ Pine Valley is primarily an African-American association ,” he says . “ However , I am very proud of this — we are diverse … very , very diverse right now . Also , we are very proud that we have more females attending who want to be members of the Association . We are giving access to golfers who may not have
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the opportunity to play golf . That kind of started our path back in the past and we have really grown into a very strong , diverse organization .”
Indeed . Just what the doctor , and his wife , ordered .
SPECIAL THANKS : Much of the historical information on the early years of the PVGA was sourced from a 1994 article by former Roanoke Times staff writer Mark Morrison as well as a 2019 piece in the Roanoke Tribune .
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