Ernie R. Reese Memorial Golf Tournament

Over 40 years ago, Ernie Reese, who was an avid golfer, had a passion for mentoring minority youth in the Houston area and assisting with their educational endeavors. Ernie would travel all over the state to play with his golf buddies, many of whom were members of his Greek letter fraternity. As a member of his fraternity, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Ernie made lasting friendships that grew to be essential to his soul! Many of those friends were also golfers who loved the game, the fellowship, and the competition as much as Ernie did. It was from these experiences that Ernie determined that he could combine his favorite pastime with his passion for uplifting the youth in the community by establishing a golf tournament that would provide resources for college scholarships.

In 1985, the first golf tournament, sponsored in collaboration with the Rho Beta Beta Omega Scholarship Fund, Inc., a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization, set the stage for the legacy we celebrate each year since that inaugural event. Ernie worked for many years growing the tournament to one of the premiere scholarship events in the city of Houston, Texas.

Tragically, on August 10, 2005, Ernie Reese was killed in an automobile accident while traveling on a Texas highway.  Shortly after his death, the organization renamed the tournament in honor and memory of the first chairman and organizer of this event.

The Ernie R. Reese Memorial Scholarship Golf Classic continues to thrive and grow each year. The proceeds from this annual event benefit the Ronald E. McNair Scholarship Fund. The golf tournament continues, with the help of corporate sponsors, charitable organizations, fraternal organizations, and individual donors and patrons, to provide the resources for scholarships to be awarded to college-bound high school graduates who have a need for assistance.