Monday, May 28, 2007

Race in Golf - The Final Frontier? II

Hello. Is race in golf an issue? Look no further than employment for the answer. Other than kitchen staff, do people of colour occupy golf employment positions? In a word, no.
I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Ashley Chinner through one of his sponsors. He was bright, articulate, and a name. He should've been on everyone's short list as a director of golf or head pro when he decided to no longer pursue a touring pro career. According to the ScoreGolf article, Chinner apparently applied to 25 different courses. He was given 1 (as in less than 2) interview, by phone no less. He didn't get the job.
Was race an issue? Chinner himself is too classy to say that. He is thankful to golf for all it's given him. But you have to wonder if Chinner would've been more successful as a person of Anglo-Saxon background.
While golf is booming in Asian communities in Ontario, will there ever be integration of different races in private clubs? The course I currently work at does have a mixed membership, but the staff is lily-white. Will clubs see the benefits of having a diverse staff? And, to continue that thought further, will diversified ownership see better results? The answers to those questions remain to be seen.

Regards,
Steve

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