brand-tmpl-ctg-crest.03.20

US Open Legacy Notes

Stanley Mosk + Charlie Sifford

  • Stanley Mosk was Attorney General of California from 1959 to 1964. He was also a golfer, and a member of Hillcrest CC.
  • Hillcrest was the only country club in LA that welcomed golfer of diverse race and ethnicity.
  • In 1959, Mosk met Charlie Sifford at Hillcrest.
  • Sifford was an accomplished golfer, but because he was black the PGA’s Caucasian-only clause denied him the opportunity to participate in PGA Tour events.
  • That didn’t sit well with Mosk and he issued a public statement that “We intend to take every step available to us, both in and out of the courts, to force the PGA either to eliminate this obnoxious restriction or to cease all activity of any kind within our state.”
  • The PGA moved the 1962 PGA Championship from Brentwood CC in Los Angeles to Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania.
  • Mosk didn’t stop there. He kept the pressure on the PGA and encouraged attorneys general from other states to do the same.
  • This (along with added opposition from world famous boxer Joe Louis, the NAACP, and others) forced the PGA to eliminate the Caucasian-only clause in November of 1961.
  • The 2023 US Open will happen in Los Angeles 61 years after the Mosk/PGA showdown.

Change. Think. Golf.

  • Sixtyone now represents an idea. The idea is to work to eliminate barriers and misconceptions. Sixtyone challenges everyone to change the way you think about golf.
  • The Change. Think. Golf. philosophy states that if you don’t play golf you should give it a try, and if you do play golf you should help connect someone else with the game.
  • Change your perspective. Think about what you can do. Golf, play more golf.
  • The Sixtyone Country Club is not a physical location, it’s a way of thinking.
  • Sixtyone members embrace the Change. Think. Golf. philosophy. They recognize the positive aspects of golf and the economic impact of the golf industry.
  • Being Sixtyone in 2021 means that you are willing to share your time, treasure and expertise to help connect more people to the game of golf—especially young people with limited access to the golf course.

Sixtone Golf Academy

  • The Sixtyone Golf Academy is a golf introduction, development, and integration program.
  • Academy programming works to eliminate barriers, both real and perceived.
  • The curriculum focuses on developing golf literacy, not just on how to hit golf shots.
  • Next, the Academy challenges young golfers to accept their responsibilities. There are no referees or umpires on the course. Academy golfers are expected to do the work, and to do it honorably.
  • When they do, they get stuff.
  • Stuff is everything. Stuff is gear. Stuff is the ability to play golf. Stuff is also unique opportunities, connections, and interactions that the game of golf can provide. Stuff is a bridge across the gap.
  • The Academy’s objective is to develop complete and independent young golfers. Young people who know how to play, have the skills to play, and always separate the purpose from the goal.
  • The purpose is to have fun. Enjoyment—physical and mental fitness—is key. The goal is to do well. Doing the best you can with what you have.
  • Change. Think. Golf.