LOUISVILLE, Ky. — This week, the PGA Championship is putting Louisville's Valhalla Golf Club in the spotlight, as professional golfers flock to the city to compete.
Most amateur golfers, though, are far more likely to be found teeing off at public courses like Shawnee Golf Course.
Found in the shadow of the Sherman Minton bridge in west Louisville, head golf professional Juan Mitchell said Shawnee is one of the city's older public courses. It was built in 1926.
Today, it features 18 holes, a three-hole junior course, fully stocked pro shop and driving range. Mitchell said because it's a metro course, it's open to everyone and is a great place to learn.
"We try every way we possibly can to make it comfortable for people," he said. "As long as you can walk you can play golf."
The course also houses First Tee of Louisville, an organization which teaches kids life skills, alongside golf, helping them find the lifelong love of the game.
"That's our goal is to make better people, as well as good golfers," Mitchell said.
It's the same love that's been with teaching assistant Jerry Ellis for decades. The bug bit him in 1969, and he started playing at city courses like Crescent Hill and Shawnee.
"All the people that I played golf with, when I first started especially, played Shawnee," he said. "It's home, there's no place like home."
Ellis is one of the first faces golfers see when they arrive at the Shawnee pro shop. They're greeted by his warm smile and a lifetime of advice.
"You're going to struggle, you're going to hit shots all over the place, when it gets to the point that its slowing the people down behind you, pick your ball up and go to the next hole and and have fun again. Don't let it bother you," he said.
Ellis said he's watched the game change over the years, especially when it comes to rising costs. He said that's a barrier Shawnee tries to break.
"I've gone to other cities and I've played other courses, public courses, and the price would scare you off. And then you come to Shawnee," he said.
Mitchell said accessibility and diversity are why public courses matter to the growth of the game. Leaders like himself also make an impact. Mitchell said he is one of the only golf professionals in the state who is a person of color, and believes he's the only head golf pro in Kentucky who is Black.
"We want to represent all backgrounds, because we want to show all backgrounds are welcome and it's a diverse safe space for people to come and enjoy themselves," Mitchell said.
While Mitchell said progress is still needed, there has been a shift which for many young golfers of color started with Tiger Woods. Mitchell said the golf icon once played Shawnee in 1998, just a couple of years before winning the PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2000.
"He dedicated the youth course that we have and he also hit the bridge so that's pretty cool," Mitchell said, noting a moment when Woods drove a ball into the Sherman Minton.
With all of the attention on the 2024 PGA Championship, Mitchell hopes Woods' and his competitors playing in Louisville will inspire new golfers to pick up a club.
"I think it’s a huge win for Louisville," Mitchell said.
"You can play when you're a kid and you can play until you’re 90," he added. "You hear people all the time say 'man I wish I would have started playing golf when I was a kid,' so for a young person to actually start playing when they're young, that gives them the advantage because golf is a sport that once you learn the fundamentals it'll help you the rest of your life."
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