Historic Philadelphia-based women’s golf club received the 2025 Pioneer Award for its enduring contributions to African American golf
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Green’s Ladies Golf Club, Inc. proudly celebrates its induction into the African American Golfers Hall of Fame and its recognition as a recipient of the 2025 Pioneer Award.
The honor recognizes The Green’s Ladies’ historic role in creating opportunities for African American women in golf and its continued commitment to preserving that legacy for future generations. The club is officially listed among the African American Golfers Hall of Fame’s 2025 Pioneer Award recipients.
Club President Dr. Veronica Florence-McPherson traveled to Orlando, Florida, to accept the award on behalf of The Green’s Ladies Golf Club. Her participation ensured that the club’s members, founders and more than seven decades of history were represented during the national celebration.
Founded in Philadelphia on May 1, 1954, The Green’s Ladies Golf Club was organized as the first African American women’s golf club in the Delaware Valley. Founder Lorraine Sawyer and charter members Opal C. Shields, Alma Fay Horn, Mary Francis Simpson, Lubertha Slocum, Lillian Cherry, Ann Wilson and Gladys Gray created the club during an era when racial and gender discrimination severely restricted Black women’s access to golf courses, clubs and organized competition.
The 2025 Pioneer Award honors the vision of those trailblazing women and the generations of Green’s Ladies who continued their work. Through fellowship, competition, mentorship, community service and charitable giving, the club has remained a vibrant part of the regional and national African American golf community.
The African American Golfers Hall of Fame was established to celebrate and honor the history and achievements of African Americans in golf. Its mission includes identifying those who have made lasting contributions to the game and their communities while preserving their stories for future generations. (African American Golfers Hall of Fame)
Members Celebrate the Honor in Philadelphia
The celebration continued into the 2026 golf season when Green’s Ladies members gathered for their first in-person membership meeting of the year at the TGR Learning Lab at Cobbs Creek in Philadelphia.
Members commemorated the induction by wearing their African American Golfers Hall of Fame polos and gathering around the 2025 Pioneer Award. The moment connected the club’s historic beginnings with its growing and active membership today.
Meeting at the TGR Learning Lab at Cobbs Creek made the occasion especially meaningful. The gathering brought members together in a space dedicated to learning, opportunity and the future of golf—the same values that have guided The Green’s Ladies since 1954.
The Pioneer Award belongs not only to the club’s current membership, but also to the women who came before them. It honors those who competed when opportunities were limited, welcomed other Black women into the game, supported young golfers and protected the club’s legacy through changing generations.
As The Green’s Ladies enters another golf season, the African American Golfers Hall of Fame recognition stands as both a celebration and a responsibility: to preserve the club’s history, continue serving the community and ensure that future generations of women see themselves represented in golf.
The Green’s Ladies Golf Club remains proud to carry forward the vision of its founder and charter members—making history, building community and creating opportunities through the game of golf.
About The Green’s Ladies Golf Club
Organized on May 1, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Green’s Ladies Golf Club, Inc. is the first African American women’s golf club in the Delaware Valley. Founded by Lorraine Sawyer and seven charter members, the club was created to provide Black women with opportunities to learn, play and compete in golf during an era of racial and gender exclusion. Today, The Green’s Ladies continues its tradition of fellowship, service, charitable giving and excellence on and beyond the golf course.
