Renee Powell Found The U.S. Women’s Open’s Historic Pebble Beach Trip “Exciting”
Renee Powell feels close to the action, even though the drive from Clearview Golf Club to Pebble Beach is long. The storied public course on the Pacific Ocean is hosting the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time.
Renee Powell feels close to the action, even though the drive from Clearview Golf Club to Pebble Beach is long. The storied public course on the Pacific Ocean is hosting the U.S. Women's Open for the first time.
Renee Powell feels close to the action, even though the drive from Clearview Golf Club to Pebble Beach is long. The storied public course on the Pacific Ocean is hosting the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time.
Since she is an honorary member of Scotland’s St. Andrews Golf Club, known as “the home of golf,” Powell, who owns Clearview, has played several renowned courses. Pebble Beach is the top course on many golfers’ must-play lists, but she has never played it.
The price of booking a tee time at Pebble Beach reflects its attraction. You may only reserve one in advance if you stay at the on-site lodge for at least two nights.
According to golf.com, the $2,465 total includes the $625 golf charge and two nights in the least expensive hotel.
Pebble Beach offers a platform for Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie West, Rose Zhang, and other notables from the past and present to compete against the best women professionals in the world.
Powell remarked, “It’s exciting.” The ladies perform in places they couldn’t just a few years ago.
“When they do that, the public is able to see the kind of golf that women professionals play. The women get the kind of credit that they should get.”
Renee Powell
In the late 1940s, Powell’s father, Bill, converted a dairy farm into a golf course at Clearview, where she spent her formative years. It was the nation’s first golf course that an African-American had developed, constructed, and owned.
Renee played on the LPGA Tour for 13 years after becoming the second African-American to do so in 1967 at the age of 21.
About 2,600 miles separate Clearview from Pebble Beach by car. The gap between green fees is also rather significant. For 18 holes and a cart, Clearview charges $39 throughout the week.
The legacy of Clearview is priceless. As the event’s special guest, Powell recently attended the LPGA Renee Powell Clearview Legacy Benefit in Kenilworth, New Jersey. According to the LPGA, the tournament aims to protect Clearview and has raised $600,000 since its beginning in 2021.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur was won at Pebble Beach in 1940. Therefore, this is not the first time a significant women’s golf event has been held there. Betty Jameson. Major sporting events in Pebble Beach are typically connected with males, like U.S. Open champions Jack Nicklaus in 1972, Tom Watson in 1982, Tom Kite in 1992, Tiger Woods in 2000, Graeme McDowell in 2010, and Gary Woodland in 2019.
Despite her optimism for the future of women’s professional golf, Powell is troubled by a persistent trend.
“They’re playing for more money than they’ve played for in the past.”
“It’s not what the men are playing for, and it’s still a shame that it’s not nearly what women should be getting.”
Renee Powell
Wyndham Clark took home $3.6 million of the $20 million prize at the most recent men’s U.S. Open. With a $10 million purse and a $1.8 million winner’s share, the Women’s Open at Pebble Beach has the largest prize in women’s golf history.
The Greater Toledo LPGA Classic will have a $1.75 million prize pool next week. Rickie Fowler won the $8 million Rocket Mortgage Classic on the PGA Tour last weekend, taking home $1.58 million as the winner’s share.
A celebration at Clearview honoring Franco Harris with participation from LPGA Tour players has been scheduled for the following year. A longtime supporter of Clearview was the Hall of Fame running back from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who passed away in December at 72.
“In talking to Franco’s wife, Dana, her request was that we wait until next year.”
“They want to bring in a lot of celebrities, entertainers, and other athletes.” “Franco came to Clearview more than any other athlete over the years, going back to when my dad was living. He was such a loyal and gracious supporter of so many things we did.”
Renee Powell
