When you think of golf, your first thoughts might be white men, salt-and-pepper hair and designer khakis dotting the greens of exclusive country clubs. But for nearly nine decades, one club in the Washington, D.C., area has been challenging that narrative.
The Wake-Robin Golf Club, the oldest Black women’s golf club in the country, is preparing to mark its 90th anniversary next year. For now, members are reflecting on the legacy that began all those years ago in the living room of its founding member.
The club’s story dates back to 1936, when Helen Webb Harris—an educator and the wife of an avid golfer who belonged to the all-male Royal Golf Club, one of the oldest Black men’s golf clubs in the country—invited 12 friends to her home. Frustrated by being left behind while their husbands hit the links, the women, many of whom were part of the Black elite of that era, began discussing forming a club of their own. The following year, Wake-Robin was officially born.
“There was nothing for women to do in those days but keep house,” Elizabeth McNeal, then in her late 90s, told Andscape in 2017.
The club takes its name from the deep purple wildflower native to the Mid-Atlantic — a region stretching from Richmond, Virginia, to Philadelphia that was once a hub of the Black bourgeoisie. Members proudly wear the club’s colors: purple and gold.
From its earliest days, Wake-Robin members navigated the harsh realities of Jim Crow–era racism. They fought for access to all-white courses across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region, including East Potomac, where they endured racial slurs and even objects — eggs and golf balls among them — hurled in their direction. Still, they persisted.
“It’s a great organization. I mean, I would have never guessed that a group of women could keep something going for so long,” former Wake-Robin president Debbie Tyner told USA Today in a recent interview.
Today, with more than 50 members, the club continues to carry out Webb Harris’ vision: getting women onto the green, with or without their male counterparts. Members range from junior golfers and young professionals to women well into their golden years. The hope, longtime members say, is that younger women will take the confidence and connections forged on the course into other spaces — including boardrooms and offices where golf still serves as informal currency.
The club also hosts a tournament in honor of Webb Harris and is planning a multi-day celebration for its 90th anniversary to spotlight its resilience, fellowship, and commitment to growing the game.
And while there is plenty of camaraderie, members are quick to clarify that Wake-Robin is not just about socializing.
“We’re not a social club. We play golf,” said Tyner. “Don’t just come and think that we’re just going to sip wine and eat wings. We’re going out on the golf course, and we’re going to play some golf first.”
