CHS grad speaks up after discrimination incident

Chad Patterson started playing golf during the COVID-19 pandemic, going to driving ranges to improve his skills as well as playing rounds in his free time. A 2004 graduate of Canton High School, he participated in basketball, football, and track and field at CHS. Patterson’s father is an avid golfer who introduced his son to the sport.

Chad Patterson CHS ’04

“Once I started playing the game, I just instantly fell in love with it, because it’s just a beautiful game and a game about respect and integrity,” Patterson said. “You have to have a lot of mental toughness and fortitude, because you’re by yourself. You’re not with other teammates who can lift you up or give you encouragement.”

He admires professional golfers like Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, and Tony Finau for their skills, their consistency, and the way they approach the game.

Every week, Patterson heads to Ponkapoag Golf Course — a public, 36-hole course located off Route 138 in Canton — to work on chipping and putting or to play a round while taking in the beauty of the course and its nearby surroundings. In late August, he was at Ponkapoag following his usual routine — swinging a club with AirPods in his ears and his head down — when two employees that he sees frequently approached him in a golf cart. One of the men spoke to Patterson in a way that he described as rude and disrespectful, claiming that he had kicked Patterson off the course earlier in the day and telling him that he needed to leave.

“I thought he was joking, honestly,” Patterson recalled, “because I see both gentlemen all the time.” Patterson removed his earbuds and asked for an explanation. The same employee then repeated to Patterson that he needed to leave, insisting that he had he had previously kicked him off the course.

After attempting but ultimately failing to convince the man that he was not the individual who had been asked to leave earlier, Patterson finally told him, “Okay, you have the wrong Black person. You’re thinking of someone else.”

The second employee, a supervisor, repeatedly told his co-worker that he had the wrong person, and eventually told Patterson to resume playing his game. Several minutes later, the supervisor returned and offered an apology to Patterson for what had happened. But while he appreciated the supervisor’s gesture, Patterson felt that the other man should have apologized to him in person. The fact that he didn’t, according to Patterson, showed a lack of sincerity and accountability that he felt was disrespectful.

Patterson went on to play a few more holes before cutting his visit short. “I picked up my stuff and went home,” he said, adding that the disruption had taken his focus away from what he calls his therapy. He later sent an email to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which owns and operates the course, about what had happened that day, but did not initially hear back from the agency. The lack of a response prompted Patterson to contact the I-Team at WBZ-TV Boston.

The I-Team interviewed Patterson for an on-air segment and also posted the story on their website. They also reached out to the DCR, who indicated through a spokesperson that they had immediately begun an investigation into the allegations, which was ongoing. The spokesperson noted that the employee had been placed on investigative leave while adding, “The behavior described does not reflect DCR’s mission of ensuring that our properties are welcoming places for all of our residents to enjoy.”

Patterson has since spoken with DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo about his experience at Ponkapoag. “We had a really good conversation,” Patterson said. “I’m eager to see the outcome of that discussion, in which we talked about creating a program for African Americans and people of color — and in particular kids — and exposing them to the game of golf, providing the resources. That’s something that I’m really passionate about.”

Patterson said Arrigo informed him that the DCR plans to start a program at Ponkapoag for individuals who historically have not been exposed to golf.

“I’m excited to see what comes out of that,” he said. “I think the conversation was very fruitful, and honestly that’s the only thing I want.”

Patterson added that he knows that there are things that happen to others who look like him and he doesn’t want that to continue. “I’m a person who says, ‘How can I make lemonade out of lemons? How can I take a situation like this and create something?’”

Patterson said that the answer is in the respect, kindness and courtesy associated with golf. “There’s a lot of good that can be had with this beautiful sport,” he said.

In thinking about his recent experience, Patterson said that two things have stayed with him. One is that he followed up on what happened to him. “If you don’t, reform is not able to be had,” he said. “I knew I needed to hold that man accountable.”

The other is how he handled both himself and the situation. “There’s a lot of greatness that can come out in being responsive rather than reactive,” he said. “I was able to control my emotions. I did not react to his behavior. I was able to be composed and use it as an opportunity to respond in a way that’s going to be beneficial to the community. That’s a valuable mindset to have.”

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Posted by Mary Ann Price on Sep 22 2023. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.