Gordon Brown Sr. born May 5, 1936 in Charleston, South Carolina, he was introduced to the game of golf at the early age of 10. At age 18 Brown started practicing with an experienced golfer who determined that they needed to play a regulation golf course. Charleston Municipal Golf Course was an inclusive establishment that did not allow people of color to play on their greens. This prompted the legal battle which Brown was a part of the fight for their civil rights. They filed a petition against the city of Charleston South Carolina demanding to know why they could not play on their golf course.

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In 1995 the NAACP Charleston Chapter, honored Brown in the state of South Carolina for his role in desegregating Charleston’s Municipal Golf Course. Brown was one of 14 men honored for their participation in that civil rights struggle which was in 1958. Upon Graduation from Burke Industrial High School, Brown continued to pursue a career in golf. At the age of 22, he married his lovely wife Harriet in (1959). Four months later he was drafted into the United States Army. With dreams of playing professional golf, he tried out for and made the military golf team in Columbus, Georgia. His status in the military was then changed to special service and won the prestigious Camp Leroy Johnson all infantry Golf Championships. Brown was discharged from the military in 1962. He then became a member of the all Black professional Golf Tour. As a member he spoke with Jackie Robinson and played with PGA “Masters “great Lee Elder, Charlie Sifford, Ted Rhodes and 1972 San Diego Andy Williams Open - Champion Pete Brown.

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Brown moved to San Diego where he won numerous amateur golf tournaments and was known as one of San Diego top amateur golfers by winning the three straight San Diego Industrial Golf Championships and retiring the Silver Cup since 1943, with winners like Sam Snead and Ted Rhodia.

His dream of becoming a professional golf was diluted but his love for the game did not! In 1970, he and his wife Harriet decided to get the community children involved in Junior Golf establishing the Southeast Junior Golf program. There he taught golf and “Life Skills” free to all children in the community!

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In 1996 Gordon and his son Horace restructured the program and began the non –profit 501©3 San Diego Inner City Junior Golf Foundation and Academy. Teaching and professing the same skills, Gordon and Horace taught golf and “Life Skills” to Hundreds of children including 13 Elementary schools in the National school District in National City. The program also teaches leadership, personal growth and development, health and supports parent-child interaction. Gordon, Horace and his sister Avis were all inducted into the African American Golfers Hall of Fame in Florida in 2005 – 2006 and 2007.

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You can now find Mr. Brown (86) years young on the golf course teaching and along with the USS Midway past commander “Admiral Lawrence Chambers” is highly recognized in the community with their up-coming 10th Annual Charity/Scholarship golf Tournament .