Lady Drivers Golf Club

09/07/2026

The vision behind the Lady Drivers Golf Club was shaped by a woman whose professional life was devoted to opening doors for others. Gloria S. Whitley, formerly Gloria S. Stamps, was a longtime Jackson Public Schools social-work professional. Public documentation identifies her as the district’s Social Service Coordinator and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
In 2003, Whitley initiated Jackson Public Schools' TeenScreen mental-health screening program. At the time, she was described as the lone school social worker serving all Jackson middle schools. She brought together school administrators, state government, higher education, family-support agencies, and community providers to identify students in need and connect them with appropriate care.

Whitley secured Mississippi Department of Mental Health funding and established a referral network serving families regardless of insurance coverage, income, or scheduling barriers. The initiative helped identify students experiencing depression and other mental-health challenges and drew attention to bullying and homelessness.

09/07/2026

Eighteen Women, One Fairway, One Purpose

In May 1996, eighteen women in Jackson, Mississippi walked onto the course for a two-week golf clinic hosted by the Grove Park Duffers Golf Club. Led by past president Clarence Hogan and fellow club members, the clinic was conceived as a
community-service project - a simple offer to teach the fundamentals of golf to adult women who had never held a club.
What happened next shaped Jackson's golf community for the next three decades. The women did not want the fellowship to end with the clinic. The following month, under the leadership of founder Gloria S. Whitley, they organized the Lady Drivers Golf Club around a three-part promise: to learn and play golf, introduce the game to other adults, and use golf as a vehicle for community service.

Nearly thirty years later, that founding promise still defines the club through instruction, competition, fellowship, and an unwavering commitment to give back to Jackson.

09/03/2026

September is National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month—a time to encourage meaningful connection, healthy activity, supportive relationships and conversations that remind people they are not alone.

As we share the history of the Lady Drivers Golf Club, we also recognize the role golf can play in supporting overall well-being. Walking the course, spending time outdoors, building friendships and belonging to a caring community can provide important moments of movement, encouragement and connection.

This purpose is especially meaningful because our founder, Gloria S. Whitley, LCSW, dedicated her professional life to supporting children and families through social work and youth mental-health advocacy.

Founded in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1996, the Lady Drivers Golf Club grew from a two-week women’s golf clinic into an organization committed to participation, education, fellowship and community service.

For 30 years, Lady Drivers has demonstrated that golf can be more than a sport. It can create community, preserve history, strengthen relationships and open doors for others.

As we honor the women who built this legacy, we look forward to the women who will carry it forward.

Play. Connect. Elevate.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 for confidential support, available 24 hours a day.

***dePreventionMonth

09/03/2026

01/16/2025

NewsSlider CLEARVIEW GC LEGACY CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY WITH $700,000 IN COMMITMENTS by AAGD NEWSWIRE January 12, 2025 written by AAGD NEWSWIRE January 12, 2025 Historic golf course seeks $1.5 million to install an irrigation system to ensure its futureCanton, Ohio (Aug. 23, 2024) – Clearview Golf Club a...

12/09/2024

JACKSON, Miss. — Kaylee Gatlin, a junior golfer from Germantown High School, is making waves on the golf course. She clinched first place in the MHSAA 7A state tournament, attributing her success to her confidence in her training.

Let's support her remarkable journey as a junior golfer and emphasize the significance of empowering girls of color in the sport. Consider donating to this fundraiser to promote junior golf in Mississippi.

https://verticalraise.com/donation/?fundraiser_id=504126&media=sms&uid=863503&semail=

12/09/2024

Black women who’ve played Tour golf – past and present.

Althea Gibson (1963-1978)
Renee Powell (1967-1981)
LaRee Sugg (1995-2001)
Shasta Averyhardt (2011-present)
Cheyenne Woods (2012-present)
Sadena Parks (2013-present)
Ginger Howard (2014-2018)
Mariah Stackhouse (2017-present)

Shasta Averyhardt she qualified in 2010 for the 2011 tour.

Ginger Howard () at age 17, the youngest Black golfer in the world to turn professional and the first Black golfer to earn a spot in the 2010 U.S Junior Ryder Cup. She earned her place on the LPGA Tour in 2016 after completing Q-school.

12/09/2024

12/09/2024