BATEMAN CLUB
Honoring the legacy of a local hero. Leveling the playing field for collegiate play. Creating service-learning opportunities through golf.
ABOUT LUCIOUS BATEMAN
(1901-1972)
Lucious Bateman was a local hero—a gifted player, teacher and mentor. Barred from the PGA by the Caucasians-only clause, his legacy was defined by his dedication to teaching golf and citizenship to area youth.
He gave free lessons, fed and gave jobs to three generations of boys, paid tournament entrance fees out of his own pocket, provided equipment free of charge, and guided many students to receive university scholarships.
His most famous student, British Open winner Tony Lema, said in a 1965 Golf Digest article about Bateman, “Many kids might have made jails instead of pars and birdies if it hadn’t been for Loosh.”
He taught at the Airway Fairways driving range in Oakland and brought his students to Corica Park to play the course.
To honor his legacy, we started the Bateman Practice Club in 2021.
ABOUT THE BATEMAN CLUB
Given the significant expense associated with lessons and tournament play, our goal is to help level the playing field to equip junior golfers who call Corica Park home with the necessary tools for elite-level competition and support their paths to collegiate play. Members also participate in required service-learning opportunities throughout the year, paying it forward and fostering a culture of giving back through the game of golf.
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For more information about becoming a member, please contact Tamara Sabella, Director of Community Engagement at tamara@greenwaygolf.com
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In addition to free walk-up play on all three of our golf courses year-round, members receive daily range buckets and use of our private grass tees and short-game area. Members are typically invited to join the program in middle school, and they are with us through high school graduation.
Read on to learn more about Lucious and meet two of the club’s members, including a Korn Ferry Tour player working on earning a PGA Tour card and a dedicated high schooler with aspirations for a college golf scholarship.
CHARLES PORTER
Bateman Club, 2021-Present
Name: Charles Porter
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Status: Our inaugural Bateman Club member, he is currently in Q-School on the Korn Ferry Tour.
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As a coach at our first-ever On The Green Summer Camp in 2021, he won over the campers, his fellow coaches, and the Corica Park team with his jaw-dropping drives and his huge heart.
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Charles has had quite a journey, overcoming tremendous obstacles to achieve his dreams. One of seven siblings, he attributes his grit and outlook to his parents, who worked so hard to open up opportunities for him despite pushing through much adversity, including a brief time being homeless and family illness. Introduced to golf by his father, it was First Tee-San Francisco and Youth On Course programs that made it possible for him to learn the game. He said in a recent PGA feature,
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​“My biggest goal is to prove to myself that I belong out here. It would be very cool to show kids in Youth on Course and First Tee that someone like me with a tough background, like many of them have, can play on the PGA TOUR and compete.”
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His talent and spirit inspired us to create the Bateman Practice Club in 2021. As our inaugural member, he represents all that is great about the game and he is a true role model for uplifting others through golf. We are honored to support this next phase in his golf journey.​​​​
AVA HARBO
Bateman Club, 2022-Present
Name: Ava Harbo
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Introduction to golf:
“I started taking the game of golf seriously in July of 2020, during the heart of Covid. It was a refuge for me, a break from the life of being on my phone. The smell of fresh air, the sound of clubs clanking in my bag, and the feeling of hitting a good shot gave me a love for golf. It gave me joy like no other sport. I was a 7th grader, and because of online school, I had to go to work with my Dad. After the work day was over, we would head on down to Tilden Park Golf Course every weekday and practice until they closed - putting with the headlights on until 9 pm at night. On the weekends when my Dad was off of work, we would practice at Corica.”
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Tournament Milestones:
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Broke 100 for the first time: March 2021
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Broke 90 for the first time: July 2021
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Broke 80 for the first time: June 2022
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First JGANC tournament win: July 2023
Practice Schedule:
“I practice for three hours a day on the weekdays, getting to the course at 4:30 and leaving at 7:45, when the driving range closes. On the weekends, I make an effort to practice at least six hours a day, with my only off day every week being Fridays when I take care of my grandma.”
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What the Bateman Club Practice Membership means to me:​
“My game has really developed over the last year and I won my first JGANC tournament last July shooting a 72. It is my new and current personal record and I know that I wouldn’t have been able to do this without being a part of the Bateman Club since it has allowed me to hit more balls and play more golf on the course without worrying about the cost, improving my ball striking and course management skills. This opportunity change my life by taking the financial burden of golf off my family.”
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College & Career Goals:​
“My ultimate goal is to become a Division 1 college golfer and see where that takes me. I know that is a very ambitious goal - I have only been playing golf for three years and I am already 15, meaning that my time is running out. But I have always believed that anything is possible and that you can do whatever you put your mind to. Getting a golf scholarship and playing at a Division 1 college would allow me to secure my future because I could get a good job and make a good living.”
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ASTON LIM
Bateman Club, 2022-Present
Name: Aston Lim
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Age: 15
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Introduction to golf:
“My dad put my sister into lessons and eventually I joined her for one when I was 5. She told me: you get to swing as hard as you can and hit this little white ball anywhere! It was a lot of fun when I started, a few years of just hitting and eating pizza with friends. I did group lessons with a bunch of other kids, and then I started playing tournaments at age 7. My sister was the reason I started playing. She is now on the golf team at Carnegie Mellon.”
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Tournament Milestones:
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The US Kids Golf Texas Open - The first time I ever traveled for a tournament (9 years old)
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Finished the year 2024 as 10th best freshman in the nation
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125th USGA Amateur Championship August 11-17, 2025 - Youngest competitor in the field- Tied with the 2nd best amateur in the world in stroke play, shooting scores of 71-71 (+2)
Practice Schedule:
“A normal day at Corica: arrive at 10 or 11 am, leave at sunset, 3 of those hours are spent putting. The guys at the golf shop see me there, they're probably wondering what is this guy doing on the putting green for so long?!”
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What the Bateman Club Membership means to you:​
“If I had to choose three words to sum up what the Bateman Club means to me, they would be: Access. Beneficial. Service.”
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The Lucious Bateman Practice Membership provides a near-professional golf facility at Corica — at no cost. The South Course is my favorite because you can practice really well there, you get tested with every part of your game. Golf is an expensive sport, and I have watched my parents trying their best to provide equipment and services to enhance my game. The volunteer hours that come with the Bateman membership also support my college goals, but even more than that, they reflect who I am. From a young age, I’ve learned that I love to give back. I’ve volunteered with the City of Richmond and Youth on Course to introduce new players to the game. I will be volunteering over 100 hours before I graduate doing all the things I love — and doing it at the course I love. What can be better than that?
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​College & Career Goals:​
"My goal after high school is to play college golf at a top D1 that also has good academics. I just started California Online Public School, so I can work it around my practice and tournament schedule. After college, I plan to go pro. One of my biggest near-term goals is to make it to the AJGA Invitational at TPC Sawgrass, the biggest invitational anyone can play."
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Advice for your peers:​
"Just keep practicing. You're gonna hit roadblocks, just keep practicing and push through them. For me if I have a bad day I maybe take a little break and then work on what didn't turn out well that specific game. I just stay focused on any given shot; 100 percent of my focus is on that shot alone (don’t think about what happened before or what happens after).​​​​