By Mark Soltau
SportsLine Senior Writer

What golf needs is more people like Renee Powell and Bob Hoover. The sport, not to mention the world, would be better off.

Powell spent 13 years (1967-80) competing on the LPGA Tour and is the only female African American in the country who is member of the LPGA and also a PGA Class A pro. She works and teaches at Clearview Golf Club -- a course her father, Bill, built in 1946 -- in East Canton, Ohio.

It is the only course in the country owned, operated and constructed by African Americans.

"People are just finding out about the course,'' she said of Clearview, which is about five miles from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "It's very historic. People come from all over the country to see it.''

Powell started a Cleveland youth program that has become a model for the PGA of America. She loves helping minority kids get involved with the game. While there is no denying Tiger Woods has attracted more interest and participation, voids remain. Woods is the only player with African American ties on the PGA Tour and there are none on the LPGA Tour.

"There were more minorities on the LPGA Tour in the '70s then there are today,'' said Powell, citing herself, Althea Gibson and LaRee Suggs. "The numbers have gone down instead of up.''

FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS, Hoover has overseen the East Palo Alto Junior Golf Association in Northern California. Initially, his program attracted six kids ages 9, 10 and 11, but now boasts more than 50 children and has a waiting list. Most are African American, Pacific Islander and Latino, and golf is the common dominator.

Since Hoover's program began, eight kids have gone to college; five current members are headed there as well, with several receiving scholarships. In addition to teaching them golf, Hoover takes them to tournaments and on field trips to promote competition, friendships and self-confidence.

"What's encouraging to me is when you create opportunities for kids, they can succeed no matter what the environmental situation is,'' said Hoover, who has been working with kids for 35 years. "The thing that I'm most proud of is not how good they became as golfers but the fact that we've had no teen-age pregnancies, dropouts or kids go to jail.''

Hoover recently took 20 kids to the women's Pac-10 Golf Championships at Stanford, where they carried scoreboards of the leaders. Afterward, he took the kids to dinner to talk about what happened at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

"Five or six years ago, I would have had a helluva job trying to convince 20 kids to go to Stanford for two days to carry signs from 8:30 to 4,'' he said. "We had a great time.''

Renee Powell has been instrumental in introducing minorities to the game of golf.

POWELL AND HOOVER CREDITED Woods for inspiring minority kids to get interested in the game.

"He has opened the doors and changed the thinking,'' Powell said of Woods. "He has helped all of golf and sports, not just in this country, but world-wide. Such momentum has been created.''

"Tiger was a major impact," Hoover said, "especially two or three years ago. Now, the program is more of a focal point.''

Hoover's biggest priorities are personal growth and academics.

"Those are the things that drive our program,'' he said. "How to be successful, set goals, make smart choices and be responsible.''

According to Hoover, the greatest need of the program isn't equipment or facilities -- the community has provided great support -- but in personal involvement.

"The most important thing is to convince adults to invest time with kids,'' Hoover said. "That's the bottom line. They need that connection."