The Putting Green as Sacred Ground: How Two Native Golfers Are Reclaiming an Ancient Connection to the Land

At Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where the 126th U.S. Open unfolded, the manicured fairways lie upon land that once belonged to the Shinnecock Nation. For Ethan Mangum (Choctaw, Cherokee, and Black) and Taylor Harvey (Hopi and Apache), their leadership roles in the USGA’s Pathways Discover Program represent more than career advancement—they embody a spiritual reclamation of relationship with the earth.

“Golf introduced me to a whole new world that I did not think existed and propelled my passion to see black and brown faces in the golf industry,” Harvey told ICT. Her words echo an ancient truth: the game itself is a walking meditation, a prayer offered with each swing. The greens become altars where Indigenous youth can see their own reflections.

Mangum, who will soon earn a master’s degree from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, understands golf as both discipline and ceremony. “I am very grateful to the USGA for inviting me back to be an asset,” he said. Yet the deeper asset may be what these leaders bring: a reminder that stewardship of the land, patience, and respect for the elements have always been part of Indigenous spiritual practice. The Pathways program is not merely about careers—it is about restoring harmony between people and the ground beneath their feet.