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Charlie Sifford Broke Golf’s Color Lines; His Son Fondly Recalls the Challenges and Triumphs During Centennial Celebration

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Sitting inside an office at PGA TOUR headquarters in Ponte Verde, Florida, and preparing to remember what would have been his father’s 100th birthday on June 2, Charlie Sifford recounted how much his late father, Dr. Charlie Sifford Jr., loved golf. He also remembered his father’s challenges trying to break into the sport during segregation and the Jim Crow era.
The post Charlie Sifford Broke Golf’s Color Lines; His Son Fondly Recalls the Challenges and Triumphs During Centennial Celebration first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 years ago

June 5, 2022

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Charlie Sifford didn’t hesitate to explain why his late father, Dr. Charlie Sifford Jr., remains his hero.

Sitting inside an office at PGA TOUR headquarters in Ponte Verde, Florida, and preparing to remember what would have been his father’s 100th birthday on June 2, Sifford recounted how much his dad loved golf.

He also remembered his father’s challenges trying to break into the sport during segregation and the Jim Crow era.

“In pursuing the game he loved so much, he endured enormous challenges as an African American golfer,” Sifford Jr. recalled.

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1922, Dr. Sifford, the first Black golfer on the PGA TOUR, began caddying at a nearby country club to earn money.

“Back then, in the 1920s and 1930s, there were very few places where young kids could go to make some money,” Sifford Jr. related.

“He caddied until he was 17, but by the time he was 13, he was considered the top caddie at the course, and many good players asked for him.”

According to Sifford Jr., a byproduct of his father’s outstanding ability to caddie earned him more money than other kids.

“He developed a love for the game. He learned by watching,” Sifford Jr. remarked.

Because African Americans weren’t allowed to play at country clubs, Sifford Jr. said his father would sneak in a few holes when he wasn’t caddying.

“He said he had a short backswing because he had to play in a hurry and get as many holes in as possible,” Sifford remarked.

“He had one nine-to-five job his whole life, when he worked at Nabisco in Philadelphia when he was 17. He worked there for three years but decided that he wanted to be outside playing golf, and he was determined to succeed.”

In addition to marking what would have been Dr. Sifford’s 100th birthday, The PGA TOUR also will host The Sifford Centennial 2022.

The Sifford Centennial project features several highlight events throughout the year and special merchandise available to the public, including the Just Let Me Play Centennial Collection and Sifford Centennial Cigars.

Further, the Presidents Cup organizers announced the creation of the Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup, a one-day team match-play event featuring top golf teams from historically Black colleges and universities.

The Centennial Cup takes place on August 29 at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, this year’s Presidents Cup site.

All will participate in the top four HBCU Division 1 program, the top HBCU Division II program, and the host school Johnson C. Smith University of Charlotte.

The six schools will send their top four players, broken into two separate teams of 12, with the college teammates staying together in pods.

The Golfstat ranking will determine the programs at the end of this 2022 season.

Sifford Jr. declared that all tributes and events would have meant a lot to his father.

“What he had to go through early in his career, being rejected for certain tournaments, and being treated unfairly because of the color of his skin and now to be recognized from coast-to-coast, by white people, Black people, Asians, and everyone else would make him feel like the job he did turned out positive,” Sifford Jr. asserted.

“He’d be very proud of this.”

A Philadelphia native, Sifford Jr. said his father began playing golf professionally in 1948, two years after his friend, Jackie Robinson, broke Major League Baseball’s color line.

“One year after Jackie Robinson, my father told Jackie that he would do the same in golf,” Sifford Jr. noted.

“Before he went on tour, he talked to Jackie, who asked him was he a quitter and if he was, he shouldn’t worry about trying to go on tour because they’re going to make you wish you weren’t out there,” Sifford Jr. continued.

“It would be harder for him because he’d be out there by himself. Jackie had a team and an owner who supported him. My father would be out there alone.

“But my father had stubbornness, grit, and he was determined that he was going to play golf and nothing or no one was going to stop him.”

The first time Dr. Sifford attempted to join the PGA TOUR, racism prevailed.

He played with an all-Black group led by boxing champion Joe Louis.

However, when the group reached the first hole, they found excrement there, attempting to discourage them from playing.

Sifford Jr. learned about some of his father’s struggles by reading Dr. Sifford’s book, “Just Let Me Play: The Story of Charlie Sifford, the First Black PGA Golfer.”

“Some things surprised me in the book. He didn’t bring a lot of [the incidents] home,” Sifford Jr. recalled.

“I asked him about it when the book came out, and he said all of that really happened. In North Carolina, the first time he went back to the south to play, he stayed with friends that lived close to the golf course because no hotel would let him stay.

“The first day, he was leading the tournament, and then he received a call at his friend’s house, and someone made death threats. So, they told him if he showed up, something would happen.

“Being stubborn, he said, ‘you gonna do what you gonna do, and I will do what I have to do, and I will be there for my tee time.’”

Although he didn’t fare well on the second day, Dr. Sifford finished in the top five and earned a berth into the next tournament.

“It showed me that he had a determination,” Sifford Jr. said. “People threatened his life, but it showed the kind of person he was. He helped me to understand many things, including not judging a person by their origins but how they treat you and if they respect your wishes and treat you fairly.”

In addition to breaking golf’s color line, Dr. Sifford won six Negro National Open titles, earned honors as one of the top 100 people in the First Century of Golf, and earned more than $1.2 million on the PGA TOUR and the Senior Tour.

In 2004, Dr. Sifford became the first Black golfer inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 2006, the University of St. Andrews awarded Dr. Sifford an honorary degree, and in 2014, President Barack Obama bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Dr. Sifford.

“It was really exciting because my dad never thought he’d see a Black President, and frankly, I never thought I’d see one,” Sifford Jr. said.

“It was ironic, the first Black PGA member and the first Black President. The two hit it off. President Obama and Vice President Biden were golfers, and during the ceremony, Obama asked my father for golf tips. My father told Biden that he could probably help him but turned to Obama and said, ‘I don’t know what I can do for you because you hit from the wrong side.’”

Obama is left-handed.

“It was a fun-filled time,” Sifford Jr. stated.

The post Charlie Sifford Broke Golf’s Color Lines; His Son Fondly Recalls the Challenges and Triumphs During Centennial Celebration first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

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61 years after Selma, Houston leaders say the fight for equality continues. The issues that sparked the marches still impact Black Americans today.

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Here is what you need to know about finding unique white elephant gift ideas that everyone wants to steal

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition. The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half […]

Published

1 month ago

October 4, 2026

Oakland Post

The best white elephant gift ideas are funny enough to get a reaction but useful enough that people actually want to steal them. Look for gifts with a surprise factor, broad appeal, an inside joke, and just enough personality to spark some friendly competition.

The wrapping paper comes off, the room goes quiet for half a second, and suddenly everyone wants the same gift. That is the sweet spot. A great white elephant pick should make people laugh, lean in, and start plotting their next steal before the turn is even over.

Should a White Elephant Gift Be Funny or Useful?

A white elephant gift can be funny or useful, but the strongest choices usually give people a reason to laugh and a reason to keep the item. A practical gift with an odd design, unexpected feature, or playful theme can get a reaction without becoming something the recipient immediately wants to give away.

The right balance depends on the group. Close friends and family members may enjoy a ridiculous gag gift because they already understand one another’s sense of humor.

A workplace exchange, neighborhood party, or mixed-age gathering usually calls for something with broader appeal. In those settings, humor works better when it is built into an item people could still use afterward.

It also helps to think about how quickly the gift will make sense once it is opened. A strangely shaped kitchen tool, oversized mug, quirky desk accessory, or unexpectedly fancy everyday item can create an immediate reaction. Guests understand the joke right away, while the item still has enough practical value to attract a steal.

Pure gag gifts can be harder to pull off. Something that exists only for the punchline may get a big laugh during the reveal and then sit untouched for the rest of the game. If the goal is to bring one of the gifts everyone keeps fighting over, usefulness gives the joke staying power.

Memorable Present Ideas: Creating Inside Joke Gifts

Inside joke gifts can make a white elephant exchange feel much more personal, especially when most of the group shares the same stories. The trick is choosing a reference that people will recognize quickly instead of building the entire joke around something only two guests understand.

You can turn a memorable vacation mishap, office catchphrase, family story, or long-running group joke into the theme of the gift. A personalized comic book can work especially well when it turns familiar people or a ridiculous shared moment into part of the story.

Think carefully about who the joke involves before ordering anything permanent. The gift should make the person feel included in the fun, not singled out for the wrong reason.

Can You Bring Something You Already Own?

Holiday gift exchanges can be a good place to re-gift something you never used, especially if it is unopened and clean.

The following can all work if they still look presentable:

A duplicate kitchen gadget
An untouched game
A decorative item
A sealed gift set
An unopened candle
A new travel accessory

The goal is to give the item a second chance, not use the exchange as an excuse to clear out damaged or unwanted clutter.

Take a close look at the packaging before wrapping it. Faded boxes, missing pieces, visible wear, or anything that looks obviously used can make the gift feel careless.

Wrapping Budget-Friendly Gifts

Wrapping can make gifts more entertaining before anyone even knows what’s inside.

Misdirection works especially well for fun party games. Put a small gift inside a much larger box. Use packaging from an unrelated household item.

Add harmless weight so guests cannot guess what they are holding. The reveal becomes part of the joke without changing the gift itself.

You can also lean into the theme of the exchange. Bright paper, oversized bows, reusable bags, or deliberately over-the-top wrapping can make an ordinary item feel more memorable. If the gift itself is already funny, simple wrapping may work better so the surprise stays hidden until the last second.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Picking Last an Advantage in White Elephant?

Picking last can be an advantage because you get to see almost every gift before making your move. Instead of choosing blindly from the remaining wrapped presents, you can steal something that has already caught your attention if the rules still allow it.

That advantage depends on the house rules. Some games limit how many times a gift can be stolen.

Others lock an item once it reaches a certain number of steals. If the most popular gifts are already unavailable, the final player may have fewer strong options than expected.

The first player can also get another turn at the end in some versions of the game. That rule can balance things out, since the person who started with the least information may get one final chance to steal.

How Do You Plan White Elephant for a Large Group?

For a large white elephant exchange, set a firm spending limit and establish the stealing rules in advance.

Create a clear turn order before the game begins. Drawing numbers as guests arrive can save time once everyone is ready to start.

Keep the number of steals per gift limited so the game does not drag on. It also helps to have one person track which creative holiday presents have been stolen and when they are locked, especially if dozens of people are participating.

Can You Play White Elephant Virtually?

A virtual white elephant exchange can work over a video call, with one person keeping track of the turn order and each steal. Guests can either mail physical gifts ahead of time or use digital gifts that can be delivered once the game ends.

Set the spending limit and stealing rules before everyone joins. It also helps to decide how gifts will be revealed and who is responsible for sending each one afterward so the exchange does not become confusing.