OUR HISTORY

The Presley Tour was officially born on June 18, 2007 when the first tournament was held at Napa GC at Kennedy Park, Napa, CA. However, the seeds were planted a few weeks earlier.

In early May, 2007, my family and friends were enjoying breakfast on the patio of Paradise Village’s El Tigre Golf Course, Nuevo Vallarta which is located 10 miles north of Puerto Vallarta. It was a crystal clear day, but sadly, the last day of our one week stay. We sat there eating and enjoying the fabulous views of Banderas Bay and watching the golfers exit the 18th green. Three young men approached us; it turned out to be Dong Yi, Oakland, CA, along with Stephen Reed, Houston, TX, and George Bradford, Maryland. They were there for a Canadian Tournament being hosted by Paradise Village. (For results, player’s bios, scores, etc. go to www.cantour.com).

I had played with Stephen in the Bill Dickey Invitational about five years ago when he was preparing to attend Texas A & M on a golf scholarship. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see him in that part of the world, especially on that tour. It was probably at that precise moment that the seeds for a tour to complement the eroding skills of a 72 year old amateur golfer were planted. Thus, the creation of a tour limited to amateur players 55 and up, or by special invitation, seemed like a viable option for someone who enjoys golf, loves to compete and, is, also, a risk taker.

Originally the idea of a tour was self serving, offering skin games etc., to be held primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. However, since receiving numerous responses from around the country – all positive – future plans include hosting tournaments in selected metropolitan areas around the country. The success of our first tournament was far beyond our expectations and basically put the tour idea on fast forward. Subsequently, we are offering an introductory membership for $25 ($35 without email access) for the year ending December 2007. Membership year will run from January through December.

We are in the planning stages for a test tournament in each of four selected areas – Los Angeles, Phoenix, Orlando and Seattle before the end of 2007. By 2008, we hope to be ready to offer quarterly tournaments in those areas. We also have a 2 year plan to offer tournaments in other metropolitan areas, in addition to Bermuda and Mexico.

Our immediate goal is to develop a website that would provide current information on happenings in the Afro American golf community. For example, in the Northern California area on May 14th two former Bill Dickey Scholarship Association – formerly NMJGSA – members led all local US Open qualifiers at their respective sites. Andy Walker, Phoenix AZ, shot a 67 at Genoa Lakes, and Joseph Bramlett, an 18 year old Stanford freshman from Saratoga, CA, shot a 66 to lead all local qualifiers by a whopping four strokes. Last year Bramlett shot a sizzling 65 at Disneyworld’s Osprey Ridge GC to win the BDI Juniors. These stories need to be told, especially to the naysayers who don’t believe there will ever be another African American on the PGA Tour. The BDI is and has been a breeding ground for our future professional golfers. Please visit http://www.billdickeyscholarship.org for information on how you can help in providing educational opportunities for our youth.

Net profits will go to selected organizations which specifically advocate enrichment of our youth and our communities. Currently all of the staff and advisors board offer their services pro bono.

Thank you for your support as we promise you that we will do everything in our power to make this a successful venture.

Ed and Dolores Presley