About Us | easterngolfclub

The Eastern Golf Club (EGC) was initially organized in the mid-sixties by a group of black men and women in Oklahoma City. Among initial goals of the organizers was to provide an opportunity for the social and recreational benefits associated with the game of golf. Many of these founding members were introduced to the game through being caddies at local private clubs they were not allowed to join. The Club considered the old Eastern Golf Course just east of Douglass High School as its home course and took its name from the course many members frequented. The Eastern Golf Club affiliated with other similar golf clubs located in seven southwestern states by joining the Southwest Regional Golf Association (SWRGA). Like other SWRGA clubs, the ECG began sponsoring an annual golf tournament and will conduct its 56th Annual Open Golf Tournament in 2021 (September 4 - 5). There have been many highlights over the 50 years of tournament play, including many celebrity participants, including Willie Mays in 1983.

ECG member volunteers have encouraged minority youth to get involved in golf by offering free lessons at the Eastern Golf Course and other local courses on Saturday mornings. In 1998, the EGC Junior Golf Program was established as an IRS 501(c)(3) organization. This designation allowed the club to expand the services provided by the Junior Golf Program beyond the free lessons to include equipment, subsidizing entry fees and travel expenses for program participants, and providing grants to minority golfers pursuing PGA certification. Our Junior Golf Program has participated in a Tiger Woods clinic at the James Stewart Golf Course in 2001, and a PGA sponsored clinic at Southern Hills during the 2000 U.S. Open. The expanded program was funded through local contributions and by a matching grant from the USGA as part of their "For the Good of the Game" effort in 1998; and a grant from the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Over the last several years, the EGC volunteers continue to provide free golf lessons and equipment on Saturday mornings at 10:00 at the James Stewart Golf Course. Funds raised during the Annual Open Championship and a portion of EGC membership dues provide funding for the Club’s Junior Golf Program. Since 2003, the EGC has granted more than $60,000 in renewable college scholarships to deserving area youth.

There are currently around 70 active members of the Eastern Golf Club. While the membership is composed of a group of men and women with diverse backgrounds and experiences, they are united in support of youth and having a positive impact in the community.