Perfecting her game on a championship course - Spotlight on Sifford Scholar Sydney Raines

Sydney Raines’s golf story began at age eight, when her father entered her in a Drive, Chip and Putt junior skills competition in Northern California. To her surprise, she said, “I came in fourth!” 

That early taste of the sport started it all.  

Now, at 19, Sydney is forging her path in the golf world: as a Sifford Scholar and collegiate athlete at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and as a future leader in the industry.  

This summer, her internship at the prestigious Whistling Straits golf course in Wisconsin offered her a glimpse into what that future might look like, as she spent time learning about the golf business, teaching and working on a world-renowned course. 

“This summer has influenced me to think about where I want to be in the next three years,” Sydney said as she prepared to start her sophomore year as part of UMES’s Professional Golf Management (PGM) program. “I know I enjoy teaching and coaching, and I know I enjoy playing golf. I would like to see how far playing takes me. And I really appreciate the opportunities I’ve had along the way.” 

Sydney is one of 12 exemplary HBCU students chosen to be part of the second cohort of Sifford scholarship awardees in 2024.  She became a two-time Sifford Scholar in 2025.  

The Sifford Scholarship Fund was established in honor of the legendary and trailblazing Dr. Charles “Charlie” L. Sifford – the first Black golfer to earn a PGA TOUR card in 1961. The Sifford Scholarship was created to help fund college costs for students who attend a Historically Black College or University and students focusing their education on a golf management program. The Cobbs Creek Foundation serves as the fiscal sponsor for the scholarship fund. 

Sydney grew up the oldest of five. She was raised by parents who are both former basketball players, her mother at the collegiate level. 

Before Sydney’s early success with golf, she explored basketball, soccer, and volleyball, which contributed to her growing work ethic. It wasn’t until her sophomore year of high school that a sudden trip to the driving range with her dad started an informal teaching session with Kathleen Robinson, a former professional golfer and Ladies Golf Association professional, and changed everything.  

Robinson gave her a small swing tip that made a big difference. “Suddenly I could make the ball do what I wanted it to do, and that was enough to get me interested,” Sydney said. 

Kathleen became a mentor, and by her junior year, Sydney was competing in tournaments. She joined her high school golf team and advanced to the Northern California regionals, then chose to join UMES’s Professional Golf Management (PGM) program for college.  

After arriving at Whistling Straits in summer 2025, Sydney worked both on the golf operations side and in the pro shop, gaining experience in customer service and scheduling. She also gave private golf lessons to two local students.  

“Teaching really opened up a new side of golf for me,” she said.  

Her time at Whistling Straits also taught her how to start navigating the world on her own, managing eight-hour workdays that sometimes started as early as 5 a.m. She learned how to network and talk to different types of customers. One highlight was the day a group from Sigma Pi Phi, the nation’s oldest African American Greek letter fraternity, visited Kohler and made sure to pay her a visit while she was working the course.  The fraternity leadership was so impressed with Sydney that they took the initiative to contribute to her scholarship fund on the spot and add it to her Sifford scholars award in 2025. 

Sydney is still deciding where golf will take her. And she now recognizes how crucial it was that she got exposure to the world of golf at an early age. Otherwise, she might never have known she had talent. It’s what the spirit of the Sifford Scholarship is all about. 

“I couldn’t have done this by myself, not in a million years,” she said. “It took a village. My parents, my coaches, my mentors, they all pushed me. And I’m so thankful for that.” 

The Dr. Charles L. Sifford Scholarship Fund Awards Scholarships to 12 Students attending Prestigious HBCUs.