The Gordon Brown Sr. Story. Gordon Brown has dedicated 35 years to teaching the game of golf to inner city children.

Gordon Brown Sr. born May 5, 1936 in Charleston, South Carolina, was the oldest of seven children (two boys and five girls) born to McKeever and Ora Lee Brown. He was raised on a farm on James Island, South Carolina, where he was introduced to the game of golf at the early age of ten. He began playing across the farm field and on the local high school ground using clubs that were acquired by older neighbors in the community who worked as caddies.

At the age of 15 Brown practiced on a six hole golf course on the island located one mile from his home, which enabled him to purse his first love - golf. At age 18 brown started practicing with an experienced golfer who determined that they needed to play on a regulation golf course. Brown with Ernest Crumbwell, John Cummings, and James Forest went down to the municipal golf course located approximately nine miles from Brown's home.

Charleston Municipal Golf Course was an inclusive establishment that did not allow people of color to play on their greens. This prompted the legal battle which Brown was a part of to fight for their civil rights. They filed a petition against the city of Charleston demanding to know why they could not play on their golf courses. In the interim Brown and his group searched and found a golf course that catered to all people. The Wilmington Municipal Golf Course was located 110 miles away in North Carolina. Three Friday evenings out of the month Brown and his group would drive to North Carolina to play golf. In 1995 the NACCP Charleston Chapter, honored Brown in the state of South Carolina for his role in desegregating Charleston's Municipal Golf Course. Brown was one of 14 men honored for their participation in that civil rights struggle which was won in 1962.

Upon graduation from Bruke Industrial High School, Brown continued to pursue a career in golf. At the Age of 22, he married his lovely wife of 44 years Harriet Brown [in 1958]. Four months later he was drafted into the United States Army. While serving a two year term in the Army, Brown met Monroe Nash. Nash took Brown under his wing and taught him the fundamentals of golf. Brown's love for the sport and his ability to adapt proved him to be an avid student enabling him to elevate his game. With dreams of playing professional, he tried out for and made the military golf team in Columbus, Georgia. His status in the military was then changed to Special Service.

Brown was discharged from the military in 1960. He became a member of the American Golf Association, which is an all Black Golf Tour. As a member of this association Brown met and spoke with Jackie Robinson, ( twenty years later Brown's youngest son Oran would attend college on the Jackie Robinson Foundation scholarship). He also had the opportunity to play with professional celebrities like Pete Brown, Rafe Botts, Willie Brown, Howard Brown, and JD Sanderson, just to name a few. (Pete Brown won the Andy Williams San Diego Open in 1970).

In 1961, Brown, a part a United States Army Reserve Unit was recalled to support the "Berlin Crisis"". Shortly after, he was transferred to Camp Leroy Johnson in New Orleans, Louisiana where he won his first "Base Golf Championship" and was immediately transferred to Special Services again.

After being discharged from the service in 1961, he returned to South Carolina to land a job as a brick mason. Brown went back to Charleston, where he went on to win his second tournament in Charleston's Naval Ship yard Championship. It did not take Brown realize South Carolina was not the place for him. While in New Orleans Brown met Dr. Al Graham, who told him of the wonderful climate and beautifully manicured golf courses San Diego, California had to offer, So he moved to California in October of 1962. Upon relocating, Brown found a job and joined a brick mason union. He then joined the paramount Golf Club in San Diego. Paramount is an an affiliation of Western States Golf Association. In January of 1963, he was joined by his lovely wife and three young children.

Moving to San Diego proved to be advantages. Brown was a success on the links. He won numerous tournaments as a member of the Western States Golf Association. He won tournaments in Los Angeles, and San Francisco, Las Vegas Nevada, and Phoenix, Arizona, as well as San Diego. He did not turn professional, but he did hold a position as a top amateur golfer winning the San Diego Recreation Tournament three consecutive years, 1966-68. In 1968, the sponsors of the tournament retired the trophy to Brown. Brown also won two National Industrial Championships in 1969 and 1971, in Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Although Brown had to support his young family his desire for golf was still fresh. With loving support and backing of his wife, brown proceeded with his dream to play golf by securing a night job allowing him to practice his game during the days. This may have appeared to be the ideal situation, but with the growth of his family, he had to find gainful employment. January of 1964, Brown became found employment with Solar turbines and remained there for 29 years, where he started out as a custodian and in less than two years, became maintenance supervisor in charge of custodial and building grounds. Brown was the first African-American to have this position at Solar Turbines Inc.

His dream of becoming a professional golfer became somewhat diluted, but his love for the game did not. In 1973, he decided to get the community children involved in Junior Golf. Thus establishing the South East San Diego Junior Golf Program, where he began teaching children the fine art of golf. Brown gives praise to his wife for the outstanding role in the success of the program. Harriet prepared the schedules, made sure the children were fed and clothed properly, and also made sure they had the proper equipment for the game. An accomplished golfer herself, she was also in charge of getting the children to the course on time. The program paid off for the Brown family.

Brown went on to teach his own children the fundamentals of the golf swing, etiquette, sportsmanship and the rules of the game. It was not long before he placed four out five children, Gordon Jr., Horace, Avis and Oran in the golf program, where they excelled tremendously. Because of their quick adaptation to the game, he entered them into the San Diego County Junior Golf Association where they were able to compete with other young golfers. His children became excellent golfers winning hundreds of trophies and placing first or second in their age divisions. This also gave them the opportunity to acquire golf scholarships and allotted them the status of professional golfers. (Horace Brown, became the first African American to be named San Diego County Junior Golfer of the Year) (Avis Brown, became the second African American female to qualify and compete in the United States Women's Open.)

Brown continued to work on and off with children in the community and provided golf lessons for adults. In 1992, he with his son Horace decided to restructure the junior golf foundation under a new name, the San Diego Junior Golf Foundation a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. After five years of rebuilding, the organization, the new office doors were successfully opened in 1997. The foundation is centrally located and provides free golf lessons complete with golf equipment to all children who want to learn how to play. The foundation also provides meals, transportation to and from the facility and golf tournaments, and accommodations when necessary. The San Diego Junior Golf Foundation is an outstanding organization providing leadership, personal growth and development, health care and supports parent-child interaction for the child in their community.

This page is dedicated to our mother, Harriet Brown, a loving Christian women who has been the strength and backbone of our success.