Joseph Bartholomew Memorial Golf Course at Pontchartrain Park to host tournament
Joseph Bartholomew Memorial Golf Course (playnolagolf.com)
After a successful debut in 2022, the New Orleans Recreation Development (NORD) Commission will hold its second annual Golf Tournament at the Joseph Bartholomew Memorial Golf Course on Saturday (May 20).
Pontchartrain Park’s golf course, which opened in 1956, was named after its builder and designer in 1979. One of the first African Americans to design and build a golf course in the United States, Joseph Bartholomew designed and constructed courses in New Orleans City Park, Metairie, Covington, Hammond, Abita Springs, Algiers and Baton Rouge, as well as one course in Mississippi — courses he wasn’t able to play on because of enforced segregation.
A native New Orleanian, Bartholomew learned the game while working as a caddy and later a greenskeeper in Audubon Park. After traveling to New York to study golf course design with golf course architect Seth Raynor, Bartholomew returned to New Orleans in 1922 and designed Metairie Country Club’s golf course. He became the first Black athlete inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame.
“We are excited to host NORD’s 2nd Annual Golf Tournament at the Joseph Bartholomew Memorial Golf Course,” said Larry Barabino, Jr., NORD CEO, in a press release. “I, along with the NORD Commission, look forward to welcoming our city’s amateur and professional golfers again to play for the cause. I hope this tournament will create a city and agency tradition that inspires more young people to learn and participate in the sport.”
The tournament format is a four-person scramble with a shotgun start. There are still opportunities to sponsor, play and volunteer during the event. Proceeds from the tournament will go to the NORD Foundation and directly benefit NORD.
For more information on tournament registration and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.nordc.org.
“It is an honor to host NORD’s second annual golf tournament and to raise funds for the NORD Foundation, which makes valuable contributions to support programs and events for thousands of residents across the city every day,” said Ernest Price, Jr., NORD Foundation Board chairman. “We are grateful to each of our sponsors whose generous contributions help fulfill the NORD Foundation’s mission to facilitate investment in NORD, providing equal access to quality recreational opportunities for all New Orleanians.”
The tournament will begin Saturday at 8 a.m. at Joseph Bartholomew Memorial Golf Course, 6514 Congress Drive.
