Tracy Raoul is fascinated by mysteries.
“I am a puzzle lover, and a puzzle-solving geek,” Raoul said.
Professionally, the mysteries she tackles lie in the field of cytogenetics, which consists of analyzing chromosomes to determine the possible presence of hereditary diseases or cancer.
In person, the conundrum can be equally complex—finding enough hours in the day to balance her career, being a mother of three and serving as a fixture in the Chicago golf community.
Raoul’s initial exposure to golf came as a high school senior on Chicago’s South Side when her Uncle Woody and Aunt Dorothy introduced her to the game through trips to the driving range. While Raoul enjoyed this initial outing, two major factors caused golf to quickly become an interest as it continued to mature.
“None of my friends played golf,” Raoul recalls. “It was a sport I didn’t really see girls play. And then the second was that I didn’t see any black women other than my aunt. I just didn’t see him.”
“It was a deterrent.”
As a result, Raul has spent nearly four decades without ever touching a golf club. During this time, her life progressed both personally and professionally. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and her master’s degree in Molecular Biology from Chicago State University. Raoul began her career with stints at the Chicago Police Department, Rush University, and the University of Chicago. She has three children – Aqila, Abd and Ahmed – with her husband Philip.
The eldest, at 28, rekindled her mother’s passion for golf. As an eighth grader in 2008, Akeelah showed an interest in the game, so Philip and Tracy enroll her in the Bob-O-Link Junior Golf Club, an educational program for juniors located on the Jackson Park golf course near the family’s residence in Hyde Park, Chicago. . Akeelah thrived in the program, eventually becoming the only girl to play on the high school University of Chicago Laboratory School’s golf team.
Motivated by sibling camaraderie and competition, Abdul (22) and Ahmed (19) followed their older sister’s lead, taking up the game in their youth and breaking through Jackson Park’s diverse junior programs. Both currently play collegiate golf at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), with Abdul competing at Prairie View A&M University (Texas) and Ahmed attending Winston-Salem State University.
“We exposed our kids to golf as much as we could,” Raoul said.
All the while, in order to “keep up” with their kids, Tracy and Phillip also took the course around the same time Akeelah started playing, making the game a family affair. Raoul first joined the Ladies Golf League at South Shore Golf Course, adjacent to Jackson Park, before joining the Ebony Ladies Golf League, an organization dating back to 1974. Three generations endeavour.
Raoul soon had some personal success, winning the D league in her first year. Family ties and the rush that comes with raising a cup cemented golf as Raoul’s newest passion in life.
“I was hooked,” Raoul said. “I was totally hooked.”
From its reintroduction in 2008 through 2017, Raoul’s involvement in the game has been primarily as a parent and as a player. Her first volunteer endeavor came at the request of Mark Rolfing, an NBC golf announcer and Illinois native who was a public supporter of the Jackson Park-South Shore golf course renovation project. At the time, Tiger Woods’ proposed TGR design revamp of two layouts into a single tournament-wide tournament was in its infancy and needed community support to overcome various political hurdles.
“[Rolfing] He said, “You know, we need your family to be ambassadors to help promote that renewal,” Raoul recalls. “And I said, No problem. Are you kidding? This is the best thing I’ve ever come to the South Side of Chicago in my life. A renovated championship golf course. This is a no-brainer.”
“I want to see more African American women play golf.” – Tracy Raoul
Raoul joined the board as Vice President of the Jackson Park Golf Association and was eventually elevated to President, a role she still holds today. In the years since her first volunteer position, Raoul has expanded her reach to board positions with the likes of the Chicago Area Golf Association, Illinois Junior Golf Association, Ebony Women’s Golf League and Chicago Women’s Golf Club. All the while, she was going on to raise three children and was developing her challenging career, which has progressed to roles at Abbott, an American multinational medical and healthcare device company, and currently, NeoGenomics Laboratories.
“I wear a lot of hats,” Raul admitted with a chuckle.
“When I get into something, I do it all.”
Raoul cites two driving forces behind her dedication. The first is its firm belief in the values inherent in the game of golf and the positive impact the game can have on people from all walks of life.
“Golf is a life-changing sport,” Raoul said. “It teaches so many valuable lessons about life, and the younger children participate in it, the better their outlook on life can be, I think. It teaches integrity, honesty, patience, focus, respect, and more.”
Second, the desire to remove the same barriers to entry she faced in her youth.
“I want to see more African American women playing golf,” Raoul said. “I am absolutely proud of the fact that I am an African American woman who plays golf in Chicago, where I show, expose and provide opportunities for more people, whether it be women or children.”
Diversity, equality and inclusion is a puzzle that the golf industry has yet to fully solve. However, it is one that Raoul will continue to treat with passion with her trademark dedication and passion in her quest to put the last piece in place.
Casey Richards is the Senior Managing Director of Communications and Marketing for the Chicago Area Golf Association.
© 2023 Global Golf Post LLC
Share with the women in your life