Forbidden Fairways: African Americans and the Game of Golf

Calvin Sinnette has done yeoman's duty in uncovering that past with Forbidden Fairways. He chronicles the history with great thoroughness; rather than lace it with bitterness, though, he infuses it with accomplishment. Just as blacks created a game of their own when baseball slammed the door in their faces, so they did with golf; the ancient game hasn't always been royal. He begins with a brief sweep through golf's American prehistory--the late 18th and early 19th century--when slaves caddied for their southern masters, then segues into the stories of five remarkable trailblazers, including George Grant, a Boston dentist and golfaholic who patented the first tee in 1899, and John Shippen, the first golf professional born in the United States.

Along the way, Sinnette pays homage to caddies, to the alternative courses blacks were forced to create for themselves, and to a love for the game that knows no racial boundaries. He explores the way blacks used the legal system to gain entry to the game, and the impact of events like black soldiers returning from World War II, William Wright winning the National Public Links title in 1959, and the civil rights movement of the '60s and '70s. He also offers special tribute to "The Struggle Within a Struggle" that black women faced; among those he profiles is Althea Gibson, who broke down barriers in tennis, as well as golf, when she won Forest Hills and Wimbledon.

"Adaptability to change," writes Sinnette, "is one of the characteristics of humankind from time immemorial.... The African American tried to the utmost to participate in all areas of human endeavor, and some excelled in the process." It's about time that the story as it relates to golf has finally been told. --Jeff Silverman

The author, Dr. Calvin Sinnette, is an aficionado rather than a historian or journalist. That factor did have some significance as, at times, he tended to engage in speculation when adequate resources were not available. In limited instances - in my opinion - his personal views were espoused as though they were part of the verifiable record. I also found it curious there was no mention of the Sammy Davis, Jr. Greater Hartford Open although Mr. Davis was the first, and as far as I know only, Black American to have a PGA tour event named in his honor, under any circumstances, a notable achievement. Additionally, the book was distributed by a second tier publishing house; editing and proofreading could have been improved. I'm sure FAMU students will be suprised to find out they should now report to Miami.

The preceding criticisms are minor. In no way do they detract from the overall value of Dr. Sinnette's seminal work.


Outstanding story needing to be told   October 27, 1998
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Dr. Sinnette has written a book that all should be read by golfer and non-golfers. The African American experience is rich in all aspects of game of golf from the invention of the golf tee to playing the game. Golf a game often called the gentlemen sport has had the ugliest history of all sports. I often hear statements about the greatest golfers of all time Nicklaus, Palmer, Babe Zaharias to name a few. Absent from the list are the African American golfers who had to play under the worst conditions and still prevailed and retained their dignity in a sport that still continues to showed no dignity in area of racial equality. I was most impressed by the inclusion of the African American women "the struggle within the struggle".


Informative, educational, insightful on Blacks in golf.   August 25, 1998
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Calvin Sinnette has revealed a side of golf that the world has never seen. I found the book interesting, insightful, and very informative about the roles African-Americans played in golf. Being fairly new to the game of golf, I was amazed at the early participation and consistent participation of African Americans in many areas of the game. The accomplishments made by African-Americans, against strong odds, is a feat worth telling. Mr. Sinnette has done a remarkable job.