By Design – Issue 49, Summer 2020

25 the Clearview HOPE program has saved their lives. What I like most about having created this program is the fact that I am able to give back to those women who have signed on the dotted line and deployed to wherever our government sent them. I can use my golf talents to give them something to enjoy and provide a safe space. What does the future hold? My dad was never able to put in an automatic irrigation system, so that is high on my list. We must rely upon Mother Nature to water the fairways and if that does not happen in the summer, then our fairways are brown. However, we do have some of the very best greens in the state of Ohio, a credit to my brother Larry. My goals for the Foundation are that it will have raised enough money to sustain itself long into the future, for at least the next seventy years and beyond. Also, for it to be a beacon for justice for all, a place where people will come to play golf for the enjoyment of it and to educate themselves and others about Bill Powell, a man who did not let any obstacles stand in his way of achieving something for the betterment of all people. I am aiming to have a building constructed that will serve as an educational center and house the William and Marcella Powell Archival Area, the Lawrence Powell Agronomy Room and the Powell Golf Academy. I am also working hard to complete my autobiography and hope that there will also be a movie made about my dad and Clearview. • Renee Powell will receive the ASGCA Donald Ross Award at the 2020 ASGCA Annual Meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Cleveland in October. She is head professional at Clearview Golf Club www.clearviewgolfclub.com Larry and I are both carrying on the legacy of what our parents built at Clearview Above, with brother Larry at Clearview Golf Club. Left, the Powell family–Billy, Marcella, Larry, Bill and Renee. Far left, with her father Bill, the first African American to design and build his own US golf course. Photo: Craig James Photography Powell reflects on current social conditions “The inhumane treatment of George Floyd was not an isolated incident–it was however an incident that we witnessed globally because of a camera with a cell phone. Sports are the one area that brings people together–the Olympic Games are the prime example of unity among individuals from different cultures and different backgrounds getting to know each other and working towards a common goal–each trying to be the best. We, in golf, have a wonderful opportunity to grow our sport by embracing diversity and being inclusive. One thing my father always said is that everyone should have the opportunity to play the game of golf, and that is one thing we practice at Clearview.”