Organizations and companies are partnering to introduce Black students in Detroit to golf

As a fan, Shaun Horne is all about Detroit's professional sports teams. But when it comes to playing, the high school junior has his eyes on one game.

- by Corey Williams Associated Press

"I only play golf," Horne said after taking his turn on a simulator inside a gym on Detroit's west side.

Embracing golf makes the 16-year-old a rarity among his Detroit peers — particularly Black high schoolers.

Coaches and community groups in the city are taking ambitious steps to spread the game's popularity among students — noting that only about 50 of more than 14,000 high school students in Detroit's school district play golf on school teams.

In Detroit, the biggest challenge is exposing Black youth to the game, said Jesse Hawkins, who is Black and coaches Horne's team at Renaissance High School. Backing from local corporations and nonprofits, providing access to equipment, and even college scholarships is helping.

"When you go into high schools and you go into elementary schools, oftentimes we'll hear narratives around basketball players, football games, those things," Hawkins said. "And golf is really not as propagated as much for our community."

Who's playing?

In Detroit, advocates of increasing play among Black young people have partnered with some of the city's largest businesses and community organizations. At least two nonprofits offer programs that teach kids how to play golf.