Professional golfer and educator Renee Powell is one of only three African American women to ever play on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. She is the daughter of the late William Powell, the only African American to design, build, own and operate a golf course in the United States.
Introduced to golf and coached by her father, a PGA Life Member and the 2009 PGA Distinguished Service Award recipient, Powell began playing golf at age 3. She entered her first amateur tournament at age 12 and won her division. Three years later, she had 30 youth tournament trophies. Powell graduated from Central Catholic High School in Canton in 1964 and attended Ohio University and Ohio State University, serving as captain of the women’s golf team at each institution.
She made her professional debut on the LPGA Tour in 1967, and her first tournament was the U.S. Women's Open conducted by the United States Golf Association. She competed in 250 professional golf tournaments and won the 1973 Kelly Springfield Open in Brisbane, Australia, posting a final-round 67 to set a course record.
Powell was chosen to represent the United States in the USA vs. Japan team matches on four separate occasions during the 1970’s. Team members include other notables such as Kathy Whitworth, Carol Mann, Pat Bradley, Sandra Post, Donna Caponi-Byrnes and Susie Berning. In each of Renee’s four matches, her team won.
Powell was invited to participate in King Hassan’s Tournament in Morocco and was the only American golf professional to play in President Jawara’s Tournament in Gambia. President Kaunda of Zambia personally invited Renee to play with him at the State House Golf Course, the first woman golfer to do so.
During the 1970’s Renee was part of the USO Tour to Vietnam. Joined by her friend, Mary Lou Daniel, and one-armed trick-shot artist, Jimmy Nichols, they hosted golf clinics in hopes of bringing “a little bit of home” to our troops abroad.
In 1979, Powell made history by becoming the first woman to be named Head Professional at a golf course in the United Kingdom. The course was Silvermere, near London. At that same time she made another piece of history in England by competing with men in a professional event from the same set of tees.
While in England, Renee began designing and promoting golf, tennis, and jogging clothes for McCarthy Sports of London. Harrod’s of London was the first store to purchase the line and did a front window display of Renee’s design. She has also written instructional articles for Par Golf Magazine.
In 1980, Powell finished her Tour career and taught golf in Africa and Europe and later returned home to Canton where she currently serves as the head professional golfer at Clearview Golf Club. In 2001, Clearview Golf Club was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Powell estimates that she has made 25 trips to Africa, serving as a goodwill ambassador for the game of golf.
The Powell family has since established the Clearview Legacy Foundation for education, preservation and turf grass research. In 2003, Renee Powell was the recipient of the PGA First Lady of Golf Award.
Renee Powell, Golf Champion, is available through IMG Speakers Bureau for speaking engagements. Renee Powell is also available for corporate hospitality events, business seminars, golf outings, golf clinics, and much more. Please contact IMG Speakers at 212-774-6735 or speakers@imgworld.com for more information on booking Renee Powell.
