When Tiger Woods Teed It Up at Jefferson Park (Now the Bill Wright Golf Complex)

In 1992, a 16-year-old Tiger Woods visited Seattle’s Beacon Hill to host a junior golf clinic at Jefferson Park Golf Course alongside his father, Earl. The event was organized by the Fir State Golf Club — a pioneering organization that has spent decades creating opportunities for minority golfers in the Pacific Northwest.

At the time, Tiger was already one of the most talked-about young players in the country. He’d won the U.S. Junior Amateur and had even competed in a PGA Tour event as an amateur. For local juniors, seeing him up close at a public muni course was unforgettable. Reports from that day describe Tiger hitting precise shots across Jefferson’s par-3 course and taking time to speak directly with the kids, offering advice about the challenges and costs of pursuing the game he loved.

What makes that visit even more meaningful is the deeper connection between Jefferson Park and the Fir State Golf Club. Founded in 1947 at Jefferson, Fir State was one of the first golf clubs in the country to welcome minority players. Among its early members was Bill Wright — a local Seattle native who became the first African American to win a USGA national championship when he captured the 1959 U.S. Public Links title.

Bill Wright

In 2024, the City of Seattle officially renamed Jefferson Park Golf Course to the Bill Wright Golf Complex, honoring both his legacy and the community that helped shape him. So when Tiger Woods stood on those same fairways back in 1992, he was part of a much larger story — one that started with breaking barriers and continues today with every new golfer who picks up a club at Beacon Hill.

Check out the Kiro 7 news footage on our instagram page!