Freeway Golf Course
1967-2015 · Contribution: 1967
One of the first African American-owned 18-hole golf courses in the United States, purchased in 1967 by four Black businessmen
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Cited as the first African American-owned 18-hole golf course in the U.S.; a haven for Black golfers during integration, frequented by Jim Dent, Lee Elder, Calvin Peete, Charlie Sifford, and Jim Thorpe. Hosted the first Sammy Davis Jr. Open, which later became a PGA Tour event (today's Travelers Championship).
Life & background
Located in Sicklerville, NJ. In 1967, real estate broker Al Letson, business owner Maxwell Stanford, motel owner Robert Salsbury, and banker James Blocker pooled roughly $250,000 to buy the ~150-acre course, operated by the Greater Philadelphia Golf & Country Club. As other clubs integrated, business declined; the last round was played in November 2015 and the property was sold in 2017.
Sources
- The Philadelphia Inquirer; African American Golfers Hall of Fame; Freeway Golf Course (official history)
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