Getting Hispanics swinging on the links

Golf has never caught on among Hispanics, despite the presence on the links over the years of such stars as Lee Trevino, "Chi-Chi" Rodríguez and Nancy Lopez, several golf associations say.

But Luis Lopez, president of the Long Island Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and no relation to Nancy, said he is trying to bring the sport home to the Latino community here.

The LIHCC will sponsor a golf tournament at the Great Rock Golf Club in Wading River on Aug. 16. Lopez, a retired New York City police officer and owner of a Westbury-based company, Alante Security Group, said the chamber has not sponsored a golf outing in years.

But the time, he said, seemed right for one. Lopez said he sees more Hispanics on the links these days, although a recent World Golf Foundation study found that only 5.4 percent of Hispanics play the game, compared to 14.5 percent of whites, 13.7 percent of Asian-Americans and 7 percent of blacks. "Very few golfers are of Hispanic descent," said the foundation's report.

Lopez said he expects 18 foursomes to play at the Great Rock club in what is to be a fundraiser for the chamber. He hopes interest picks up after the outing.

The PGA, saying little has been done over the years to encourage Hispanic participation in the game, has announced it will commit $50,000 to the Lorena Ochoa Golf Foundation to offer low-cost golf instruction to Hispanics at facilities nationwide. Ochoa, a Mexican professional, played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010 and was the top-ranked female golfer in the world from 2007 to 2010.

Lopez himself only took up the game a year ago. Asked his handicap, he said, "I haven't played long enough to know what that is."

Our guess is that he will learn.