Minority golf group founder is recognized

By SHELBY SCHROEDER

Turner wants to see more black women and children on the golf course.

YOUNGSTOWN — Community members gathered to recognize the woman who brought golf to inner-city women and children.

Brunilda Turner’s work was highlighted by the Associated Neighborhood Centers on Friday at the McGuffey Centre on Jacobs Road as part of the organization’s yearly review.

Turner’s contributions to minority involvement in golf began when she looked around the course.

“Not a lot of women play golf, and I wanted to see more women who look like me,” she said.

Playing through the Executive Women’s Golf Association for three years, Turner banded together with 14 fellow golfers to jump-start her vision — the Ebony Ladies Golf League.

The goal of the league, while emphasizing the game, includes the message of female empowerment, increased networking and personal growth.

From there, membership drives expanded the organization. Locations in Pennsylvania and Texas would sprout up and increase the web of networks for the league that now serves more than 100 women.

In 2004, Turner was named executive director of the Ebony Ladies Golf and Youth Foundation, which broadened the programming to include children. The program provides after-school sessions on life skills, tutoring, field trips, as well as golf instruction.

Turner’s hope is to inspire young kids to enjoy the sport, particularly young girls. She said young girls often view the choices of popular sports differently than boys, who will opt to play football, baseball or basketball.

Parents of children in the program have, in return, inspired Turner.

“Parents get excited,” she said. “Some might feel they have another Tiger Woods.”

The foundation is now working to involve the hearing-impaired community. Turner said the children in the youth golfing program are excitedly attending sign-language lessons to help communicate with the new hearing-impaired players.

While the organization has turned every corner it set out to, Turner is still aiming toward her goal of integrating golf with the Youngstown school system.

She and the rest of the organization is constantly looking for private donors, corporate sponsors, grants, volunteers and equipment donations.

Turner said she plans on dedicating herself to the program once she retires from her job in six months, and she remains hopeful that her dream is as good as a hole in one.

“As a black woman, men underestimate me and what I can do,” Turner said. “I can produce numbers, [and] I can produce 100 women who can play golf.”

The Associated Neighborhood Centers is a United Way organization that provides year-round programs and events to inner-city communities.