June Benefit to honor Renee Powell, the second African American woman on the LPGA Tour, and the legacy started by her father, Bill Powell
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., May 3, 2021 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced today the inaugural Renee Powell Clearview Legacy Benefit with founding partners including KPMG, the LPGA and the Mariah Stackhouse Foundation. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Clearview Legacy Foundation, celebrating Renee Powell and her father’s legacy through Clearview Golf Club. In honor of its 75th year, the Clearview Legacy Foundation has begun a campaign to endow Clearview and preserve its important role in history.
Set to take place after the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship on Monday, June 28, at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta, Ga., the Renee Powell Clearview Legacy Benefit will showcase LPGA legend Renee Powell’s impact on the past, present and future of the game. Throughout the golf outings, there will be specific challenges on each hole to raise awareness of the event’s overall mission, with LPGA Tour players and LPGA*USGA Girls Golf members stationed on the various holes. Around the morning and afternoon waves, dual LPGA and PGA Professional Renee Powell and five-year LPGA Tour veteran and Atlanta-native Mariah Stackhouse will host showcases on the driving range.
“At the core of the LPGA is a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Roberta Bowman, the LPGA’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer, as well as co-chair of the LPGA’s DE&I task force. “Renee Powell and her family play a singular role in the history of African Americans in golf. Renee is a global ambassador for the game and continues to use golf as a means for inclusion. We are proud to be part of this effort to celebrate Renee and her family and preserve Clearview Golf Club and its mission of providing a place where all people can enjoy the game.”
The LPGA and its industry partners are committed to changing the face of golf. A Youth Clinic supported by PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, will take place around the Benefit, focusing on giving young women of color access to the opportunities the game of golf has to offer. Local youth organizations in the Atlanta community will be invited to participate.
The Renee Powell Clearview Legacy Benefit will also feature a three-hole putting challenge, food trucks, evening reception and a “Silent Party,” which will allow attendees to enjoy the evening and listen to multiple genres of music through headphones. Additionally, attendees will be able to take part in the “Renee Powell History Walk,” an immersive experience around the clubhouse of the Bobby Jones Course where they can learn more about Powell’s rich golf history and the Clearview Golf Club.
"I am absolutely thrilled with the upcoming Renee Powell Clearview Legacy Benefit,” said Renee Powell. “Having been a member of the LPGA for five decades, it gives me great pride that my association has created this benefit to support the Clearview Legacy Foundation, especially during the 75th anniversary of when my father built Clearview Golf Course."
In addition to the action on the golf course, fans will be able to take part in a virtual Facebook Live show, to air after the Benefit. Fans can also bid for autographed items on a virtual charity auction website.
“Renee Powell’s pioneering journey in golf and in life has been a true inspiration to me,” said Mariah Stackhouse. “I’m thrilled to be in a position to provide my support, and that of my foundation, to amplify her story and to ensure that her legacy and that of Clearview Golf Club are forever preserved. I also want to thank both KPMG and the LPGA for their incredible support and commitment to Renee and Clearview. Without them this benefit would not have been possible.”
Celebrating its 75th year, Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio, is the only course designed, built, owned and operated by an African American. When Renee’s father, Bill Powell, encountered racial discrimination on the golf course after returning home from World War II, he decided to build his own course where everyone would be welcome. Without access to traditional golf maintenance equipment, Bill began building his course by hand and the original nine holes opened in 1948.
To learn more about the Renee Powell Clearview Legacy Benefit and how you can support the mission of the Clearview Legacy Foundation, visit www.clearviewlegacybenefit.com.
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