The Greensboro Men’s Club, a storied club that goes back 92 years, is holding a new event to honor two great local African-American men as well as raise some money for the club’s scholarship programs. On Friday, April 26 the Men’s Club will hold the first “Blount/Frye Golf Classic” at Bryan Park Golf Course.
The Men’s Club consists of 40 of the most influential black men in Greensboro. That number never changes and the only way a new member can join is if a present member dies or drops out.
The golf tournament is being held to honor the late Dr. Alvin Blount, Jr. as well as former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Henry Frye.
Blount was a prominent black doctor in the Greensboro area who served with distinction in a MASH unit in the Korean War.
Frye was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly, where he used his position to fight for racial justice and equal rights over the years. Former NC Governor Jim Hunt later appointed Frye to the North Carolina Supreme Court – making him the first African-American to serve on that court.
The “shotgun start” style golf tournament, which will raise money through sponsorships and admission fees, promises to be a lot of fun with trophies for everything from a first-place finish to the longest drive. It will also feature special events like a putting contest and a hole in one contest.
Guilford County Commissioner Skip Alston, who was elected president of the Greensboro Men’s Club earlier this year, said the tournament is a way for the group to both honor the work of the two men and help young people by raising money for college scholarships.
“We’re just trying to do something new to get funds to be more active and supportive in the community,” Alston said this week.
He added that the club is planning plenty of other events as well.
“We will have other new events that will come throughout the year,” Alston said. “The next event will be a Father and Son Breakfast in August. We will also be adopting families for Thanksgiving and Christmas and starting a Lunch Buddy program in some schools.”
Alston said that, as the president of the club this year, he wanted it to have even more community involvement than it has in the past.
Alston is an avid golfer and said the best round he’s ever shot was a 79. In recent years, he’s had some back trouble that may have added a stroke or two to that score. But one good thing for Alston and the other golfers in the tournament is that they’ll be able to purchase up to two mulligans.
The Greensboro Men’s Club started around 1927 but it became official three years after that. The club, which meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at different locations, is known for fighting for civil rights and racial justice in the city and the county.
