William “Bill” Bishop, a pioneering golfer, died on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, at his home in Philadelphia. He was 91.

He was an African American PGA golf professional and amateur golfer who impacted the development of golf on the Eastern Coast of the United States.

“Bishop,” as his friends affectionately called him, was one of the first four African Americans to achieve PGA professional status.

He was also a founder, stockholder, board member and head golf professional of the Greater Philadelphia Golf and Country Club’s Freeway Golf Course in Sicklerville, N.J.

Bishop and his friends, sponsors and supporters established the Bill Bishop Junior Golf Foundation. For 43 years, the Bill Bishop Benefit Golf Classic funded junior golf programs for youth ages 8 to 18.

Contact: Tony Bishop 330-283-0158

Member of Tiretown Golf Club

The largest predominantly African American golf club in the United States now has its official home in Akron.

Tiretown Golf Club and Tiretown Golf Charities can now call the 180-acre J.E. Good Park Golf Course its home course.

That marks a major milestone for the 72-year-old golf club that draws its 180 or so members from the Akron area and whose history includes playing at city-owned Good Park. It was one of only three golf courses in Northeast Ohio at the time of the club's founding in 1950 where Black golfers could play. The others were C Ridge Top Golf Course in Medina and Clearview Golf Club in East Canton.