Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2022 - 23

On June 27, 2022, the
local African American
golf community of south
Minneapolis held The
Solomon Hughes Sr.
Legacy Memorial event
at Hiawatha Golf Club to
rename the clubhouse
after legendary golfer
Solomon Hughes.
Local dignitaries, including Hughes' son,
Solomon Jr. (Soli), spoke on his father's
behalf before giving way to a golf exhibition
by a group of young black golfers.
Those golfers can see the name adorning
the clubhouse, but do they know of
Hughes' efforts to break the color barrier
in Minnesota golf and on the PGA Tour?
" The renaming of the clubhouse will
be important for young golfers, whether
black or white, who come to [Hiawatha], "
Soli Hughes says, " It's important to know
there was a guy who went through a lot
of adversity, still won some tournaments,
was a family man, held himself high and
loved the game. "
Solomon Hughes' name isn't mentioned
often in golf clubhouses or his image seen
on the Golf Channel each week. But his story
is integral to the growth of golf and should
be known to all who love the game.
Birth of a Legend
Solomon Hughes Sr. was a quiet trailblazer.
Tough, resilient, determined and perseverant,
Solomon played the long game in
changing golf, and paved the way for others
such as Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder and
even Tiger Woods, who came after him.
Solomon was born in Gadsden, Ala.,
in 1908 and faced adversity early in life,
as his father passed away when Solomon
was just seven years old. He shared
responsibility in his family and continued
to make family his priority
throughout his life.
But Solomon always made time for
golf. He acquired a job at Gadsden CC
as a caddie when he was 12, and the
game hooked him deeply. He worked
hard and rose in the ranks to assistant
pro and ultimately caddie master,
thanks in part to regional pro golfer
Eddie Miller, who saw some promise in
young Solomon and mentored him in
the sport.
" My dad rose to be caddie master
and it was clear the country club trusted
him in the pro shop, " Soli says. " He got
along well with a lot of the white club
members and he had an interest in
the game. Eddie just took him under
his wing and gave him some golf tips.
Although, he did not teach him his swing.
My dad's swing was self-taught. "
Solomon dug his swing out of the dirt
thanks to his love for the game and a
strong work ethic. When he wasn't working
at his job, he was working on his game.
Later in life, Soli caddied for his father,
who would be on the course by 7 a.m.
hitting a hundred balls prior to a round.
Before a tournament, he'd walk the entire
course to see how it was set up and how
the wind would affect it. And when he
taught others the game, Solomon tried to
impart the same ethos.
" He would tell me, 'Junior, you have to
practice,' " says Soli, who never really took
to golf but became a six-time state recordholding
speed skater in his teens. " 'You
have to practice to win; you have to practice
to be good. There's no way around it.' "
Solomon's golf resume made that lesson
hard to argue with. In his early 20's,
Solomon was playing professional events
in the United Golf Association (UGA) and
winning his first title, the National Negro
Open, at age 26 in 1935. He became a top
player in the league and was ranked highly
in tournaments into the late 1940s.
Family First
Solomon's success in the UGA attracted
the attention of boxing champions Joe
Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson, while
both were serving in the army. Solomon
gave them golf lessons and they became
fast friends, to the point of Louis inviting
him on the road as his personal instructor
after World War II. But Hughes declined
the opportunity, having recently moved
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23
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Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2022

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