The Approach: A Legacy Carried Forward
From soil to swing; a family legacy.
The Greens: Roots in Alabama
“Legacy is never given... it’s claimed, protected, and passed on.”
Green’s life began in the unforgiving soil of rural Alabama, where the broken promise of “40 acres and a mule” forced Black families into sharecropping. Through skill and discipline, he rose above hardship, cultivating more than most neighbors and leaving behind a rare will in 1926. His legacy reminds us that what’s built through perseverance must be claimed, protected, and passed on.
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Before there were fairways, there were fields. Green’s life began in the rich but unforgiving soil of rural Alabama, working as a sharecropper in an era when the promise of “40 acres and a mule” had long been broken. His labor was not just a means of survival, it was a quiet defiance, proof that determination could take root even in the harshest conditions.
The 1880 U.S. Agricultural Census recorded him as cultivating more acres and producing more crops than most of his neighbors, a testament to his skill, discipline, and perseverance.
In 1926, Green did something rare for a Black man of his time: he left a will. It was more than a legal document; it was a declaration that what he had built mattered, and that it should carry forward.
Looking back on his life, his message is clear: “Legacy is never given. It must be claimed, protected, and passed on.”
Louise “Bill Baby”: Breaking Barriers
“I got to experience things that a lot of Black people didn’t get to experience.”
Louise Marrow (born Green) doesn’t call herself a pioneer, but her life reflects resilience and joy. From wrestling rings that tested her strength to golf courses that tested tradition, she created spaces for others to follow. For nearly two decades she built community on the course, where the cheer “Hit that ball, Bill, baby!” became a symbol of her spirit and legacy.
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Louise Marrow doesn’t call herself a pioneer. “I don’t consider myself a pioneer. I don’t tell people. I don’t say anything about it,” she says. Yet her life tells another story.
In the 1950s, when segregation shaped every part of Black life, Louise Green became one of the first four Black female wrestlers, a path she entered almost on a dare. Wrestling brought travel and opportunity, but it also came with danger, hardship, and injury.
By 1965, another door opened through her partner Bill: golf. At a time when women weren’t welcome on many courses until Sunday afternoons, she played with the men and held her own. That’s when the cheer rang across the fairways: “Hit that ball, Bill, baby!”
She joined clubs like the Rain Makers and Capital City Mid Iron, competing, wagering, and building community. Golf became her and Bill’s shared joy for nearly two decades, until his passing in the mid-1980s.
She downplays titles like trailblazer, but her story says otherwise. Wrestling gave her resilience. Golf gave her joy. And together, they opened spaces for others to follow.
In her own words, her legacy is summed up simply: “I got to experience things that a lot of Black people didn’t get to experience.”
Uncle OG: The Coach’s Swing
“Golf has always been about belonging, relationships, and legacy.”
For Uncle OG, golf has always been about more than scorecards. Inspired by his mother Louise’s passion, he built fellowship through the “Big Knockers” group, coached athletes with lessons that crossed sports, and carried a philosophy of joy, work, and improvement. For him, golf is family, belonging, and legacy.
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Uncle OG’s first memory of golf nearly turned him away for good. As a boy, he accidentally struck a friend in the eye with a club, an accident that pushed him toward football and basketball instead. His parents never stopped encouraging him, and by the time he reached college, he returned to the game. That choice became the start of nearly five decades of golf.
Much of his inspiration came from his mother, Louise Marrow. Her trophies and her passion showed him that golf was more than a pastime; it was a lifelong joy. Over the years, OG discovered that fellowship meant more to him than scorecards. He created the “Big Knockers” group, where friends learned to love the game, and he carried that same spirit into coaching across multiple sports.
“Have fun, work hard, and try to improve every day in sport and in life,” he says. That mindset came from watching Louise, who worked multiple jobs, pursued her education, and never stopped investing in her children’s success.
That example followed him into coaching. He carried his philosophy of joy, hard work, and steady improvement to athletes across different sports. In time, he found himself not just playing the game, but guiding others through it.
1984 Assistant Golf Coach -Ravenna High School (Ravenna, OH)
OG stands with the head coach and players in a golf team photo. He was the only African American in the group, serving as assistant coach and a leader among them at a time when his presence was uncommon.
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Golf became a bridge across generations, linking his mother and father, his sons, and later his nephew in California.
“When I hear the word culture, I think family. Golf has always been about belonging, relationships, and legacy.”
“Work hard, count your blessings, and enjoy each day. That’s the legacy I hope to pass on.”
Founders Note: Marc A. Thomas II, Founder
“Honoring the past while creating space for the next generation on and off the fairway.”
