Facilitators of African American male PGA members

Abstract

African American males experience far fewer opportunities in management positions within sports organizations. Evidence shows the racial divide within the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America’s membership may be even more pronounced than in other sport organizations. Currently, African Americans comprise less than one percent of golf professionals that hold a membership with the PGA. The present study explores the experiences and facilitators of African American males’ journeys as PGA Members. Data were collected for this study using a qualitative approach with (N = 25) African American male PGA Members. This study utilizes the conceptual lens of Social Cognitive Career Theory to guide the analysis from the experiences of African American male PGA Members racial discrimination in the golf industry. The analysis yielded two facilitators as themes, family and social, for participants that gained membership in the PGA.