LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Former Louisville men's golfer Doug Smith hasn't played at Valhalla Golf Club since 2004. But the Versailles native is back enjoying the bluegrass this week as the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour makes a stop in Louisville.
"Growing up in Kentucky, you've made it as a golfer when you get to play at Valhalla," Smith said. "Every step has a memory out here."
Smith is one of many golfers paying a visit to the course, where the tournament will wrap up on Tuesday and award the winner with a prize of $25,000. He said it's the first time the tour, which aims to promote diversity within golf, has visited Valhalla. The course has hosted three PGA Championships, a Ryder Cup and more.
"It's huge," Smith said of the APGA coming to Valhalla. "It's fantastic. Because look, we want golf to look like America. We want more Black and brown people playing on the PGA Tour. And the Advocates' mission is to make sure they do what they can to make that a reality."
The former Cardinal, who now hosts two podcasts, was the first Black golfer in the history of the Louisville men's program. He finished his career at Florida A&M University.
In 2008, the APGA formed as a non-profit and offers tournaments, development programs and partnerships to "bring greater diversity to the game of golf."
Smith played in the first APGA event in 2010. And while he might not make the PGA Tour at this stage of his career, plenty of young golfers on the APGA are trying to do just that.
"Thank God for the Advocates to give them a place to play," Smith said. "We also know that every guy and every girl is not going to make it to the PGA Tour. So it's wonderful to be in partnership with PGA of America so that our players, who know the game at a high level, also know how to facilitate, manage facilities and manage members."
One of those players is 25-year-old Jordan Bohannon, who played collegiately at North Carolina Central University. He turned pro in 2018 and has been a part of the APGA Tour.
"They're just giving a place to play for African-American golfers looking to make the [PGA] Tour," Bohannon said. "It's been getting better and better every year that I've played it: the venues, the purses, the quality of the fields and the competition."
"Had I had an opportunity to be sponsored, have access to capital for myself or even know how to raise money, it would have been a different story for me," Smith said of the opportunity APGA golfers have. "So I'm pleased that the younger guys that just finished college have a place to play."
Still, both players would like to see more improvement. They think there needs to be better representation throughout golf and a better introduction of the sport to lower-income families.
"Of the 29,000 PGA professionals, only 200 identify as African American," Smith said. "That's a problem. When I come to Valhalla, I haven't seen anybody on the staff that looks like me. And I'm not being critical of Valhalla. That's just the point I'm making.
"If you look at the staff here, it's not very representative. But it's also a microcosm of the industry as a whole. I think the PGA has to step up a little bit firmer on what they're doing to actually diversify this game that we all love."
"You got to be exposed to it to be able to play," Bohannon said. "Most African-Americans and inner-city kids don't have a lot of golf courses around. And that's not going to probably be the first or second sport that parents push their kids to play growing up. Tours like this are what is bringing more notoriety and attention to golf."
"They're doing that," Smith said. "So this shouldn't be an issue moving forward because of this tour."
Hopefully, it isn't. For now, though, he's enjoying bringing the tour back home.
"I tell you what: I'm happy as hell to be back in Kentucky," Smith said.
Contact sports reporter Tyler Greever at tgreever@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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