Lynnette Landry is a pre-Title IX golfer who made it her life’s mission to get more African American girls and women involved in the sport of golf.

Growing up on the south side of Minneapolis in the late 1960s, the MSHSL did not offer opportunities for girls to compete - but Landry was fortunate to attend Washburn High School, which had a girls’ golf team. The team competed against other suburban schools, and, as the best player on the team, Landry credits her Minneapolis southside community for providing her opportunities to compete in local amateur tournaments. 

Landry competed in many sports throughout high school and college, including softball, volleyball and speed skating - she was a Silver Skates qualifier - but golf remained her favorite.

Always looking for ways to help her community, in college Landry worked for the City of Minneapolis Energy Office coordinating grass roots low-cost energy conservation programs. She started teaching at The City, Inc., an alternative high school for disadvantaged youth. She moved to Arizona for a brief time, but returned to St. Paul’s Guadalupe Alternative Programs in 1998 to develop and direct an after-school alternative learning program for junior and senior high school students.

In an effort to give back to the game of golf, Landry became a certified golf instructor for the Fairway Foundation and the LPGA Girls Golf and First Tee of St. Paul program. She coached golf at Central High School in St. Paul from 2007-18, and sent many individuals to the state meet. She still provides private golf lessons and helps run golf tournaments to raise money for charitable organizations.

Through her work, Landry opens doors for African American girls and women in the Twin Cities who are interested in the game of golf as she continues her tireless work to make the sport she loves more accessible to everyone.