The distinct sound of a golf club hitting the ball can be faintly heard over a DJ blaring hip-hop and Afrobeats as friends, new and old, enjoy themselves at the Langston Golf Course & Driving Range in Northeast Washington, D.C., on a crisp October night.
About 250 people attended the Social Golf Association’s Range Night event, which invites everyone, from golf enthusiasts to total beginners, to set aside all of the issues plaguing the nation’s capital for one evening and release some pent-up stress by hitting golf balls, enjoying tasty cuisine from Black-owned food trucks and making new connections.
The Black-led social group has hosted several events at the historic Langston Golf Course, one of the few public golf courses that allowed Black Americans to play in the Jim Crow era. The golf course has provided the organization with a safe space for Black golfers.
Several attendees were directly affected by the U.S. government shutdown and say the event helped them grapple with the stress caused by the Trump administration’s reduction-in-force plans.
“This is a great event to have, where we can come together as a community and get our minds off of things,” says Ronaldo, a government employee impacted by the shutdown who gave his nickname out of fear of retaliation.
Ronaldo lives in Virginia, a state hit hard by President Donald Trump’s assault on government workers and the ongoing shutdown, which appears to be winding down after a bloc of moderate Democrats caved on a deal. Nearby Prince George’s County, Maryland, the predominantly Black county where several Range Night attendees say they lived, was also disproportionately affected.
“Although it’s a stressful time right now, we can come out here and really focus on the ball. Golf is more of a mental sport than physical, so you have to clear your mind to make sure you’re hitting the ball directly the way you want,” Ronaldo says.
“It is a stress reliever. Throughout the day, if I leave my TV on CNN, Fox or MSNBC, it’s just rhetoric. I don’t know what’s going to happen,” says G, a furloughed employee living in Northeast Washington who attended Range Night and did not wish to provide his full name due to fear of retaliation. “But to have this event happen during this time, I think it is a great opportunity to bring people together. They gave discounted tickets, so that helped.”
“It’s giving Topgolf, but Black and affordable.”
Founded in 2023 by avid golfers Cirilo Manego III, Colby Vaughn, Shallum Atkinson and Yvesner Zamar, the Social Golf Association, or SGA, aims to make golf more accessible and provide inclusive events for not only fans of the game but also those curious about the sport.
“We started SGA because we wanted to create a golf community that was authentic, that brought in a wide range of golfers on every skill level and that connected culture to a sport that could use more of it,” says Atkinson, an attorney.
The Social Golf Association has been an active participant in the local community, hosting golf tournaments, “Daddy Caddy” outings and networking events that bring out Congress members who enjoy a round of golf. Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) attended a golf tournament hosted by the group last year.
“We built SGA to make golf feel like it belongs to everyone — to bring new energy, real connection and a sense of culture to a game we love,” Manego, the CEO and co-founder of the Social Golf Association, explains.
The proceeds from Range Night went toward the HBCU Golf Tournament in October hosted by the nonprofit Bison Impact Group.
As the shutdown appears to be nearing its end, the deal to reopen the government aims to reverse the firings of federal workers that have occurred since October 1. But that doesn’t mean they still can’t let off some steam on the green.
“What started as casual rounds of golf has quickly turned into a movement of social golfers who are passionate about the space we helped create and the way SGA is impacting the game,” Atkinson says.
