Join the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Tuesday, July 5 at 6pm for a special History Hour event exploring the history of Asheville’s Skyview Golf Association and tournament. This program airs live via Zoom and will be recorded as well.
The Skyview Golf Association was founded in 1959 as a non-profit promoting golf competition among African Americans in the Asheville area. The following year, they held their first annual Black golfing tournament. The association and tournament were transformative, providing a steppingstone for several Black caddies—who were formerly only allowed to play Asheville’s municipal course on Mondays—to compete and hone their skills against many Black golfers who turned pro. The tournament increasingly drew Black golfers from across the U.S. and also proved to be an immensely popular social event for many Asheville residents. It was the subject of Asheville filmmaker Paul Bonesteel’s 2020 documentary The Muni, of which we will view clips during this program. Join us to learn more about the association and the figures who have kept it going over the years.
About the Speaker:
Matthew Bacoate Jr. has a lengthy list of leadership and service to Asheville, and was the founder, manager, and owner of AFRAM, the largest African American-owned business in Asheville history. He is a Korean War veteran, community activist, and a builder of economic development projects and interracial relationships in Asheville and North Carolina. He has previously served on the boards of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, YMI Cultural Center, Asheville Chapter of the American Red Cross, and the Black Business and Professional League among others. He is also frequently noted as a walking textbook of Asheville history. Once one of the young men who broke the barriers to integrate Asheville’s municipal golf course, today Matthew runs the Skyview Golf Tournament.