THE COURSE WAS BUILT IN 1914 BY A LEADING GROUP OF JEWISH CITIZENS
LED BY FAMED DETROITER MAX FISHER. IT’S NOW THE ONLY
“AFRICAN-AMERICAN”
(Detroit) – June 27, 2007 – The year was 1914. Leading citizens of Detroit’s Jewish community including famed Detroiter Max Fisher opened the Phoenix Golf Club, later to become the Rogell Golf Course. Now its new owners, Greater Grace Temple, have preserved a special piece of the city’s history as well as a local “golfing gem.” They will celebrate the purchase of the “NEW” Rogell Golf Course on Friday, July 6, 2007, 11:30 a.m. at 18601 Berg Road in Detroit. The public is invited to the festivities which will have local dignitaries in attendance as well as free food and golf discounts. The “Purchase Celebration”
“This purchase is very significant in that we have become the ONLY African American owned and operated golf course in the entire state,” says GGT Pastor, Bishop Charles H. Ellis III. “This course and club has a rich legacy dating back to 1914 and that includes the likes of such prominent men as Donald Ross and Max Fisher. We are excited to continue the revitalization of this northwest corner of Detroit with this $2-million investment.”
The “New” Rogell Golf Course is now one of only “six” African-American owned courses in the United States. Designed by famed golf course designer Donald Ross, the 18-hole course has been open for a 11-weeks and has already stirred excitement among Detroit area golfers, who know the course for its challenging holes, and its design splendor. Players also find plenty of excitement with its rolling hills, as well as the Rouge River coming into play on the back nine.
“The purchase continues the viability of this great 120 acre property in the usage that it was originally designed for,” says Bishop Ellis. “With all of the closings and potential closings in this community namely the YMCA, 8th Police Precinct, Redford High School; it is an awesome yet humbling feeling to be blessed to keep the golf course active and in tact.”The church purchased the course from the City of Detroit for $2.1 million, and is committed to an excellent maintenance program that will offer golfers a beautiful and first-rate golfing experience at an affordable price.
Greater Grace Temple is a predominantly African-American church with more than 6,000 members. It is located on a complex known as “The City of David,” a 20-acre expanse in Northwest Detroit that sits just across from the course. That complex includes not only the church, but also a banquet and conference center, an 89-unit apartment complex for the elderly, a Montessori School, and God’s Graceland Park (a public park).
GGT Pastor, Bishop Charles H. Ellis III is also the Assistant Presiding Bishop of the 2.5 million member Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW). He oversees more than 100-churches in Ghana, W. Africa, as well as the David Ellis School in Liberia. For more information call 313-543-6000 or visit http://www.greatergrace.org
