FORT WORTH, Texas -- Fort Worth's hold on the profitable Professional Golfers' Association tournament at Colonial Country Club was ensured this week with the admission of the club's first black members.
Fearful that the PGA tour would follow its sister association, the PGA of America, and adopt a no-blacks, no-tournament mandate, all-white Colonial sought help last fall from the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce.
Leaders of the country club, after months of negotiation with the chamber, agreed to admit Colonial's first black members in its 55 years and a membership for the chamber's top executives, the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported.
'I thinkthis is something that is good for Colonial and good for the chamber and good for the city of Fort Worth,' said Ralph Mason, president of the chamber.
'We all had an interest in keeping the tournament and growing beyond that. And I think it says something about Fort Worth that we could accomplish this in such a unified and pro-active manner without a lot of fanfair.'
When the two groups announced that six black applicants were approved for golfing membership by the Colonial board, they did not mention that one of the new members was the chamber itself.
At a news conference Friday, chamber executive director John Posey named only former acting City Manager Vernell Sturns and former City Councilman Bert Williams, saying that the other new members were 'private individuals who wished to remain private.'
A golfing membership at the club is $25,000 and a social membership is $5,000. Monthly dues are $200 and $130, respectively. The chamber has purchased a golfing membership, Posey said.
'We have people who come in from Africa, trade delegations and such, ' Posey said. 'It will be a great place to entertain and help sell Fort Worth. We looked at it as a business decision.'
Colonial, which said it did not have an exclusionary policy and has admitted Hispanic, female and Jewish members, met the guidelines of the PGA Tour. The club was concerned, however, about imposition of an anti- discrimination policy by the PGA of America.
Some have speculated the PGA will refuse to hold tournaments at clubs that do not have black members. The PGA was sharply criticized for selecting the all-white Shoal Creek Country Club in Birmingham, Ala., for the 1990 PGA Championship. Shoal Creek later admitted blacks to membership.
