FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Golf GroupsWinter 2022
Home›Golf Groups›A Space of their Own: Raza Golf Club Association

A Space of their Own: Raza Golf Club Association

By Jack Margaros
January 24, 2022
2943
0
Share:

It’s been 14 years since Ruben Cardiel first stepped foot on a golf course. It was a casual affair with his cousin, a Father’s Day outing Cardiel got looped into in 2008. He was never particularly interested in the game growing up, having spent the first 33 years of his life perfectly content to have never touched a club.

He hacked his way along that day, but that was beside the point. The round was not his last. Eager to continue his golf endeavors, Cardiel set out to join a local golf club. What he found instead were subtle hints that he wasn’t welcome, from the looks he received to the less-than-friendly tone of his encounters with club representatives.

“The vibe I got didn’t feel good,” Cardiel recalled. “They expect (Latinos) to act a certain way. They kept asking me, ‘Are you sure you want to join a club?’”

Simply put, Cardiel did not feel welcome because of his Latin American roots. So he gave up joining a club and created his own. The RAZA Golf Club Association (RGCA) was founded in 2010, with an initial core group of five members. Since then, the club has grown to more than 60 active members and almost 100 people affiliated.

Cardiel has built the very group he envisioned being a part of. A group that heavily emphasizes its brotherly ambience and inclusivity, which is closely tied to Cardiel’s Latino background. RAZA, which signifies “your people” in Spanish, is a conglomerate of everything the club stands for.

“To this day, our club is not exclusive. We know how it feels to not be wanted,” Cardiel said. “We know our family. Our kids know each other. Our wives know each other. That brings an added ingredient to who we are and what we’re about. It brings it all together, it becomes deeper than just golfing.”

The slow and steady growth is intentional. Cardiel is not interested in how many members he can attract, but attracting the right members, ones who share the club’s values of family, integrity and preservation.

“We don’t want to grow so quick and lose ourselves in the process,” he said.

For Cardiel, creating a golf club was never his life’s mission, though he’ll be the first one to admit how much the game has consumed him. A schedule that comprised a handful of events and a championship in its first official season has evolved into multiple golf leagues, championships and club outings to locations like Palm Springs and Las Vegas.

“The journey has been the most special part,” Cardiel said. “From playing golf with my cousin to now, golf is really my life.”

Looking forward, the RGCA will continue to grow, opening doors for the club to pursue charity work. Eventually, the club wants to establish a junior foundation.

“We’d love to give back and teach young golfers,” Cardiel said. “This is not just about golf. It’s about life and having somebody’s back and having a brotherhood.”

Previous Article

Goodbye Old Friend: RIP, Dinah Shore

Next Article

A Good Walk Unspoiled: The Natural Genius ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Jack Margaros

Related articles More from author

  • Golf GroupsWinter 2019

    Club Spotlight: San Juan Hills Women’s GA

    January 21, 2019
    By Madison Lomas
  • Golf GroupsSummer 2022

    Birdies and the Beach: New Co-Ed Club Encourages Couples Golf, Giving Back

    July 21, 2022
    By Jack Margaros
  • 19th HoleWinter 2022

    Feast & Fairway: Double Your Pleasure at Coronado GC

    January 24, 2022
    By Tod Leonard
  • Handicap HintsWinter 2022

    New Year, New Handicap?

    January 24, 2022
    By Kevin O'Connor
  • The PodiumWinter 2022

    Taming the Tiger: A Kinder, Gentler Woods Seems Likely

    January 24, 2022
    By John Strege
  • Golf GroupsWinter 2021

    Club Spotlight: Building a Golfing Family

    January 15, 2021
    By Scott Fluhler

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • FeaturedProfilesSpring 2023

    Full Circle: Mike Kelly Takes The Reins

  • FeaturedModern ClassicSpring 2023

    New Age Golf: At Sensei Porcupine Creek, Personal Growth Outweighs Score

  • FeaturedProfilesSpring 2023

    Simple Twist of Fate: A Chance Encounter With An NFL Great Changed Michael Herrera’s Life

  • FeaturedSpring 2023State of the Game

    Big Is Beautiful: How Much More Distance Can We Expect in a Driver?

  • 19th HoleFeaturedSpring 2023

    French Toast with a Twist: Derricks Grille At Black Gold GC

FeaturedSpring 2023State of the Game

Big Is Beautiful: How Much More Distance Can We Expect in a Driver?

Four hundred: That’s how far I should be hitting my drives. Take my baseline 230-yarder from 15 or so years ago, add the gain promised annually with every best, better, ...
  • Word Play: “Playing Golf” VS “Golfing”

    By Tina Mickelson
    April 23, 2023
  • Club Spotlight: Los Compas GC

    By SCGA Staff
    April 23, 2023
  • Simple Twist of Fate: A Chance Encounter With An NFL Great Changed Michael Herrera’s Life

    By Tod Leonard
    April 23, 2023
  • Full Swing: Half Empty? A Contrarian View

    By David Weiss
    April 23, 2023
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise