DENIED YET QUALIFIED: The Story of Gladys Marie Lee from 1986–2026 - LPGA Coach • Hall of Fame Golf Professional • One of the Most Decorated Golfers in Fort Worth History.
DENIED YET QUALIFIED: The Story of Gladys Marie Lee from 1986–2026 - LPGA Coach • Hall of Fame Golf Professional • One of the Most Decorated Golfers in Fort Worth History. NBC Link: https://www.nbcdfw.com/video/news/call-for-change/gladys-lee-texas-black-sports-hall-fame-golf-inner-city-youth/3916168/
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - There are moments that reveal not only the character of a person, but the character of a community.
The story of Coach Gladys Marie Lee is one of those moments.
For more than four decades, Coach Lee has dedicated her life to the game of golf—not for personal wealth or recognition, but to open doors for others. As an LPGA teaching professional, Hall of Fame coach, mentor, and servant leader, she has introduced countless young people to the game, believing that golf builds character long before it builds champions.
Yet after decades of faithful service, Coach Lee found herself asking a question no pioneer should ever have to ask:
“Why am I still being denied the respect I have earned?”
According to Coach Lee, she did not request use of Meadowbrook Golf Course to conduct a commercial lesson or clinic. Instead, she sought permission to use the practice greens for one afternoon to evaluate the short-game skills of junior golfers and volunteer coaches as part of their LPGA training. She also requested permission to use a seating area while the students completed their written examination (https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article295562829.html).
Coach Lee says she first spoke with an assistant in the pro shop, Jordan Johnson, who welcomed the request and granted permission. After returning to change the evaluation date, she met Jordan in person, encouraged her to pursue a career with the LPGA, and even offered to mentor her.
Shortly after leaving the facility, Coach Lee received a phone call from the head golf professional informing her that she would not be permitted to use the facility. According to Coach Lee, she was told that only City-authorized instructors could teach or conduct clinics on City golf property.
Coach Lee disputes that characterization, maintaining she was not conducting a paid clinic or commercial lesson but simply evaluating junior golfers and volunteer coaches.
She believes the decision not only denied her request but also undermined the authority of the employee who had originally assisted her and left her publicly humiliated.
For Coach Lee, the incident was not simply about one afternoon at a golf course.
She believes it reflects a pattern she has experienced over four decades—being denied opportunities, treated dismissively, and prevented from fully contributing to the game she has devoted her life to growing in her hometown.
In her own words:
“It’s been 40 years and I’ve never gotten paid or made a dime from the City of Fort Worth for teaching or giving golf clinics. I’ve never asked for anything, but I feel I’ve earned the right to be respected.”
She continues:
“Golf is my ministry. This is what God anointed and appointed me to do.”
Those words reveal a woman whose calling has never been measured by a paycheck.
Coach Lee says she invested her retirement savings into teaching young golfers and now lives primarily on Social Security while continuing to mentor children because she believes God called her to do so.
Even after feeling discouraged, she refused to quit.
She declared that if access to the golf facility were denied, she would simply find a vacant lot, dig holes in the ground, place flags in them, and continue teaching anyway.
That determination reflects the spirit that has defined her entire life.
Coach Lee has never allowed obstacles to become excuses.
She has continued serving because her mission has always been greater than the circumstances surrounding her.
The incident at Meadowbrook Golf Course has raised serious questions that deserve a thorough, fair, and independent review.
If the facts ultimately show that Coach Lee was treated disrespectfully or differently because of race, gender, or any other improper consideration, then such conduct has no place in the City of Fort Worth.
Public facilities exist to serve the public.
Public employees should treat every resident with dignity, professionalism, fairness, and respect.
As Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. has often said:
“You have the right to be right. You have the right to be wrong. But you do not have the right to be rude and disrespectful.”
The outdated mentality once summarized by the phrase “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden (GOLF)” belongs in history—not in today’s public institutions.
This story is therefore about more than golf.
It is about dignity.
It is about opportunity.
It is about whether excellence is recognized equally regardless of race or gender.
It is about whether decades of faithful service are honored or overlooked.
Most importantly, it is about a woman who refused to stop doing what God called her to do.
Coach Gladys Marie Lee’s legacy cannot be measured merely by trophies, championships, or Hall of Fame honors.
Her greatest achievement is the thousands of lives she has touched through mentorship, perseverance, faith, and love for the game.
Whether on perfectly manicured greens or in an empty field with homemade flags, she remains what she has always been—
A Teacher.
A Pioneer.
A Hall of Fame Coach.
A Servant of God.
And above all…
Denied by some. Qualified by all who know her work.
STAND WITH COACH GLADYS LEE
Support the establishment of the Gladys Marie Lee Golf Training Academy at Meadowbrook Golf Course
Fort Worth, Texas
For forty years, Coach Gladys Lee has invested in Fort Worth’s children without asking for recognition. Her vision has always been bigger than a golf swing—it has been about building character, confidence, discipline, and hope through the game of golf.
Now is the time for Fort Worth to honor one of its own.
A Gladys Marie Lee Golf Training Academy would ensure that future generations of young golfers—regardless of race, gender, or economic background—have the opportunity to learn from the legacy she created.
As State Representative Ramon Romero said:
“Before there was a First Tee, there was Coach Gladys Lee.”
Her story is still being written.
The question is whether Fort Worth will help write the next chapter.
Honor the Legacy.
Preserve the History.
Build the Future.
The Gladys Marie Lee Golf Training Academy.
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