Decades before the civil rights movement took hold, Bill Powell was already quietly chipping away at segregation in Ohio. His pioneering Clearview Golf Club endures today as America’s first integrated course designed, built and managed by an African American.
Born in 1916 to a close-knit family in Alabama, Powell fell in love with golf at an early age. Though the nation’s discriminatory norms initially blocked his dreams, Powell persevered to open up the sport he loved to golfers of all races.
Denied Access Sparks Vision
After serving his country honorably abroad in World War II, Powell returned home eager to play his favorite game. But restricted from Ohio’s public courses due to his skin color, he conceived a bold response – he’d simply build his own golf haven on his terms.
It was no small feat. Powell battled racism and redlining to finance the project, cobbling funds together through unconventional backers. Then with his wife’s aid, the greenkeeper-by-trade transformed worn farmland into lush fairways.
National Historic Site Still Thriving Today
In 1948, Clearview Golf Club opened to fanfare with 9 holes. It steadily grew into an 18-hole refuge promoting inclusion for all who wished to golf. Powell managed its daily operations while working a factory job, somehow finding time to also coach young players.
Though Powell passed in 2009, his family upholds his visionary club. The acclaimed course earned National Historic Site designation in 2001 – a fitting testament to Powell’s hard-won oasis for future generations.
