Tee Divas & Tee Dudes Golf Club (TDTD) celebrated the high school graduation of its junior club members on July 26 at Chester Washington Golf Course (CWGC), 1818 Charlie Sifford Dr. in the West Athens community.
CWGC is named for Chester L. Washington, Jr., a noted African American newspaper publisher and the first Black employee at the LA Mirror News. He later owned and operated the Central News-Wave Publications, which carried over a dozen newspapers. Washington also worked as an editor for the L.A. Sentinel, the city’s largest black-owned weekly.
The grads have been awarded scholarships to pursue their education, and for many, to play golf in college.
“We appreciate the L.A. Sentinel highlighting our extraordinary young people,” stated Jenny Bethune, chair of the TDTD Juniors Program.
Related Links:
https://lasentinel.net/tee-divas-and-tee-dudes-bring-youth-to-golf.html
“We have 36 Juniors in our program ages five to 18. For these young people, we are their aunts and uncles. You need a support system when you are a single parent, divorcée, or grandparent raising your grandchild. We have become that for many of our kids.
“And we’re not alone. Our partners at SCGA, APGA, and SCPGA have resources, and they come to our table and share their resources with our kids and our members. Now, our kids have access and opportunities to do many great things, like Steph Curry’s Underrated Junior Golf Tour. They have four of our graduates because they know our kids work hard and deserve the opportunity,” she said.
The Juniors Program also works closely with parents, connecting them to scholarship information, training equipment, opportunities, and other resources for their kids.
“Many of our parents and guardians are first-generation golfers,” Bethune continued, “and we’re helping them navigate the juniors program so that their kids can become good golfers, use the resources, and get scholarships to go to college.
“An academic scholarship pays 60 percent [of education-related expenses]. You’re still short 40 percent! But an athletic scholarship can fill that gap. Most of our kids will attend school on a full-ride scholarship, so the burden is taken off parents from going into debt for sending their kids to college,” she said.
TDTD offers a comprehensive program to support junior golfers, including referral to training activities, college preparatory workshops, and public speaking skill development.
“[The Program] is a great place to be with golfers that look like me and came from the same experiences,” said Monique Thomas. “Having one of the first Black golf clubs in LA is important to be a part of. I’m a [Southern California Golf Association] scholar, and even though I’m not playing golf for San Diego State University, I was awarded $4,000 yearly.”
“My great-grandfather introduced me to golf,” said Dontya Bell, “and it’s changed my life. Golf has allowed me to travel and meet great people with whom I’ve created lifelong friendships. Recently, I received a $20,000 golf scholarship to play at Cal State Dominguez Hills. That’s what playing golf has done for me.”
“[The Program] has given me opportunities to play in tournaments and meet new people,” stated Arihanna Esparza, who received a full-ride scholarship to attend the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. “You don’t see many People of Color in golf, so the transition from playing softball to golf has paid off.”
TDTD partners with the Southern California Golf Association, Professional Golfers Association of America, Southern California Professional Golf Association, and more.
For more information, visit https://teedivas-dudesgolf.com/juniors/
