GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's the 84th anniversary of the PGA tour championship in Greensboro.
The competition brings rich tradition and golf history to our area — and this year is no different.
This week, leaders announced plans for a new mural, to honor the Greensboro 6.
The Greensboro 6 was a team of Black golfers who helped integrate Gillespie Park in Greensboro.
In the 1950s, the golf course was segregated and only open to white players. As the Civil Rights Movement swept through the U.S., a group of Black men called the Greensboro 6, tee'd up to play in 1955.
"It wasn't really about golf. It was about changing a stain in our American history and that was racial segregation," Chris Simkins said.
He is Dr. George Simkins's son, one of the members of the Greensboro 6.
After the men paid 75 cents to play on the course, they were arrested and charged for trespassing mid-game. The case eventually made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where justices ruled against the Greensboro 6, but the group kept fighting.
"My father always knew that there was a tremendous amount of work to be done, especially in these times where we need to understand the history so we don't repeat the lessons; the mistakes of the past," Simkins said.
Shortly after segregation was banned in 1962, Simkins said his father continued fighting for equality.
"After he went out there and played at Gillespie, it really catapulted him into a lifetime as a civil rights activist, where he went on to integrate tennis facilities and swimming pools in the city," Simkins said.
As Wyndham continues, the organization plans to honor the legacy of the Greensboro 6 by announcing a new mural.
The mural will be located on one of the walls, outside of the Gillespie golf course.
It should be installed by this time, next year.
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