Dr. Michael Cooper - Chairman of the GOLF 20/20 Diversity Task Force

Dr. Michael Cooper serves as Chairman of the GOLF 20/20 Diversity Task Force. He has worked in the golf industry for more than 35 years, including Director of Southeast Regional Affairs with The First Tee, and Director of Diversity for the World Golf Foundation. His passion comes from exposure to golf as a teenager and young adult. Michael’s father introduced him to golf when he was 12 years old.

They were regulars at Pipe O’ Peace Golf Course, which was a popular place for minority golfers, clubs and events. Although it was a daily-fee municipal golf course, it was sort of a community center where black golfers, sports icons and entertainers met to socialize and play the game.

Many of his life lessons were learned at Pipe O’ Peace. At Pipe, he met and occasionally played with adults from all walks of life – gamblers, hustlers, and successful businessmen. He played with Billy Eckstine, a legendary jazz singer, Verne Allison with the Dells singing group, Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder, Althea Gibson, Pete Brown, Cliff Brown, Chuck Thorpe, James Black and hundreds more.