Fore!

Be on the lookout for golf, fun and fellowship.

That’s what organizers of the National Negro Golf Association (NNGA) are aiming for next weekend when the organization kicks off its 50th anniversary celebration with golf, get-togethers and commemorations in the Richmond area.

Thomas L. Johnson Jr., president of the Richmond Chapter of the NNGA, is spearheading local organization efforts.

“It is imperative that we show NNGA members and their guests from around the country true Richmond hospitality,” Mr. Johnson says. “My role as president is to ensure that this comes off without a hitch.” Other NNGA members from Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland, New York and Washington will converge on Richmond for the events, scheduled from Wednesday, May 13 through Sunday, May 17.

Play will open with a “Ham Am Scramble” on Thursday at Mattaponi Springs Golf Club in Ruther Glen, followed by a tournament Friday and Saturday at Hunting Hawk Golf Club in Henrico County.

Members will stay at a Henrico County hotel and engage in a bevy of social activities between rounds of golf. Among the activities: An awards banquet and celebration of the NNGA’s two living founders — NNGA Richmond chapter member Dr. George M. Hampton of Dale City, a former professor who previously served on the Virginia Parole Board and as chair of the Virginia ABC Board, and Attorney O.T. Wells of New York City.

The NNGA was founded in 1965 in Lebanon, Pa., by 11 friends to “bring together men of goodwill in the spirit of camaraderie and social enjoyment of its members,” according to its website.

The founders chose golf “to enhance the spirit of life and to cement that camaraderie,” it continues. At the time of the NNGA’s formation, access to golf by African-American players was extremely rare because of discrimination and exclusionary policies.

In 1961, Charlie Sifford, who had won the United Golf Association’s National Negro Open six times, was the first African-American to play on the PGA Tour. Mr. Sifford was a friend of the NNGA founders. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014 and died in February at age 92.

NNGA organizers agreed to play three times a year at different courses across the nation and abroad with a mission to “increase access and awareness to the game for minorities across the country.”

During the last 50 years, the NNGA has grown to more than 200 members from Maine to California connected with seven chapters.

The Richmond chapter is the NNGA’s largest with 44 members ranging in age from 30 to 80, says Mr. Johnson. Members are required to be at least 21 years old, interested in playing golf and upholding the integrity of the game, he adds.

The organization has assisted several African-American pro golfers seeking to advance their careers. It also supports the National Minority Junior Golf Scholarship Fund and has helped raise money for the United Negro College Fund through celebrity golf tournaments.

“Our motto is fun, camaraderie and golf, in that order,” Mr. Johnson says. “If you can’t meet the first two criteria, the NNGA is not for you.”

In his tenure as president, he says he intends to “usher in the next 50 years on the foundation put in place by the founders of the national association.”

“My primary goal,” he adds, “would be to increase participation in all NNGA activities. This may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but the NNGA is first and foremost a social club. The bond and camaraderie envisioned by our founders can only be enhanced by getting to know one another as brothers.” In his professional life, Mr. Johnson is one of five deputy commonwealth’s attorneys serving under Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor. Mr. Johnson directs the traffic section and specializes in vehicular manslaughter, homicide and violent crime prosecutions.

Here’s a look at this week’s Personality, Thomas L. Johnson Jr.:

Date and place of birth: Aug. 14, in Tappahannock.

Current home: Goochland County.

Alma maters: Bachelor of arts, The College of William & Mary; juris doctorate, Wake Forest University School of Law.

Family: Wife, Crystal; and children, Kaci, 8, and Ryan, 6.

When elected president of NNGA Richmond chapter: January 2015 for a two-year term.

Activities planned for the celebration: On Friday, May 15, Richmond and the surrounding region are invited to join us in our celebration at the exclusive Bull and Bear Club in Downtown for a party we call “Rare Air,” featuring live music from J. Baxter and The S.A.U.C.E Band and DJ Nobe. This is an event that Richmond’s grown and sophisticated will not want to miss. Following golf on Saturday, we will close with our awards banquet and celebration of our two living founding members, Ozro “O.T.” Wells and Richmond NNGA’s own Dr. George M. Hampton.

As a game, golf is: Your best friend and your worst enemy all rolled into one. I can think of no other game where you can go out one day and display the ability to perform at a high level for an entire game, or at a minimum, on consecutive holes, then go out the next day and wonder where your skills went. It’s the ebb and flow of the game that keeps you coming back and it happens at all skill levels.

Why I play golf: My first love was baseball and softball. I can no longer play those sports without hurting myself and paying for it for weeks on end. Golf was the next logical alternative for me. I enjoy competition and I love the outdoors. What better way than to combine the two experiences over a four-hour round of golf?

When I learned the game: I’m still learning! I started taking serious interest in the game probably about eight years ago.

My handicap: I’m a 21 handicap, which translates into an 85 one day and a 104 on another.

How people can join: Interested candidates will have to be sponsored by a current member of the club. This typically occurs after playing with several members as a guest during our weekend outings or tournaments. A candidate’s application will be reviewed by the body and the application is voted on by the members at one of our monthly meetings.

Favorite course: Punta Espada Golf Club in the Dominican Republic has been my favorite course so far.

Favorite golfer (male):Tiger Woods.

Favorite golfer (female): Paula Creamer, but I’m looking forward to following the careers of Cheyenne Woods and Sadena Parks, two of the newest African-American golfers in the LPGA.

Advice to aspiring golfers:Do not let frustration in learning a swing deter you from the game. Golf is about muscle memory and you simply cannot develop that memory over a short period of time. The most successful beginners have time to work on their game constantly. If you don’t have that time, which most don’t because we have careers and families, do not expect instantaneous results.

Prized possession: I really don’t have one. If everything was the way that I wanted it, I would probably have a serious watch collection. I love a good timepiece.

Perfect day:Any day on the golf course.

Perfect evening: Spending time with family and friends after a cookout or seafood boil, talking and enjoying each other’s company.

How I unwind: A good cigar and a good bourbon usually factor into this equation.

Best late-night snack: If I could eat it every night without suffering the consequences, it would be my wife’s German chocolate cake, but as a secondary option, I just love those Edy’s strawberry fruit bars.

My friends say that I: I would hope that they would say I’m loyal and would do anything I can to help them in their time of need.

Person who influenced me the most: My father.

The book that influenced me the most: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. It’s a book without a happy ending that highlighted the injustices of the past and keeps me mindful of the present.

What I’m reading now: “Command Authority” by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney.

Best time of my life: My wedding, followed by the births of my two children.

My next goal: To continue to grow in my career and to reduce my handicap. Always, to reduce my handicap!