History of the Skyview Golf Tournament

In 1960, the very first Skyview Tournament was an all African American event with 50 participants. The next year integration took place when Dr. Robert McGuffie a local pediatrician and Walt Gossett, both Caucasian, played. This opened the door for all people to participate. Since that first tournament that only had 50 people, the tournament has grown consistently each year.

The largest tournament was in 1975 when 254 golfers participated in the Skyview Pro/Am. Today, Skyview is one of the largest tournaments in the Southeast.

Since the inception of the Skyview Open, golfers have come from Tennessee, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, California, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, Georgia, Hawaii, South Carolina, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, and internationally from Canada and Bermuda to participate in our Annual ProAM Tournament.

The annual tournament is hosted at the Asheville Municipal Golf Course, “Muni” as it locally referred to, designed by world famous golf course designer, Donald Ross. Numerous nationally known African American celebrities and golf professionals have participated in the Skyview Open, such as Lee Elder, Jim Dent, Jim and Chuck Thorpe, John Brooks Dendy, Harold Varner III and even World Boxing Champion Joe Louis to name a few.

Each year, golfers from around the country compete on a stage that shares a history unlike any other golf tournament. Over three days and 54 holes, professionals and amateurs compete for a chance to make their mark in Skyview history and continue the Skyview legacy.

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HISTORIC TOURNAMENT FACTS:

  • Twenty-nine (29) Black golfers who have been admitted to the Professional Golf Association (PGA) honed much of their skills playing and some continue to play in the Skyview Annual Pro-Am Golf Tournament

  • Has attracted thousands of golfers, families, friends, and onlookers to our tournaments and to Asheville and Buncombe County. It is Western North Carolina’s oldest golf tournament

  • For over sixty years (60), the tournament has attracted new money into our local businesses and other attractions estimated at $410,000 per tournament

  • Has awarded scholarships to deserving students from low income and underserved neighborhoods since 1991 (The Billy E.P. Gardenhight Scholarship Fund) — over $180,000 awarded