A Tribute to Ray Savoy
“Uncle” Ray “The Razor” Savoy was a hometown hero and living legend known throughout the District of Columbia. A proud native Washingtonian, Savoy was an enduring presence at the historic Langston Golf Course in Northeast DC, where his life’s work as founding Director of the Langston Junior Boys and Girls Golf Club helped generations of young golfers improve their skills and continue their collegiate studies. This contribution helped cement Langston’s place as an accessible sanctuary for community, mentorship, fellowship, and economic opportunity for all.
Raised in the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) tradition of a large sports-loving family at St. Cyprian Parish School, his love for sport and competitive spirit evolved through his formative years. He excelled from an early age in football, baseball, and basketball in a way that profoundly inspired his younger siblings. His educational journey took him to Epiphany Seminary High School-College in Newburgh, New York where he explored his interest in pursuing a vocation as a Catholic priest and discovered his ministry in sport. He graduated from historic Mackin Catholic High School where he would be remembered as an athletic hall of famer, and later attended Minor Teachers College, known today as the University of the District of Columbia.
A gifted multi-sport athlete, Savoy’s professional career included professional baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, semi-professional football with the Saints and the Stonewalls, professional football with the Baltimore Broncos, and high-level basketball competition against legends such as John Thompson and Dave Bing. He retired from the DC Department of Parks and Recreation with a bold idea to make the professional ranking he subsequently earned from the Professional Golfer’s Association (PGA) accessible to youth in the wider community. He became involved with offering his expertise through the US Golf Association’s Hook a Kid on Golf initiative and the First Tee youth golf program at the historic Langston Golf Course.
In 1990, Ray Savoy founded the Langston Junior Boys & Girls Golf Club with a simple but powerful mission: use golf as a vehicle to teach discipline, integrity, confidence, and excellence to youth across the District of Columbia. For nearly four decades, the club has provided free golf instruction and discretionary scholarships to college-bound youth, primarily from the DC public schools and local youth programs. His commitment to community development was further exemplified by his “Clubs, Not Guns” youth violence initiative and extended through partnerships with community leaders, men’s organizations, and mentorship programs to offer instruction from the greens and use standard golf courtesies to promote positive alternatives to conflict resolution.
Ray Savoy was Inducted into the U.S. Golf Teachers Federation Hall of Fame, the Laurinburg Institute Alumni Association Hall of Fame, and the District of Columbia State Athletic Association Hall of Fame. He was a fixture at Langston Golf Course, always teaching, mentoring, joking, and sharing wisdom with generations of young people and community members. His legacy lives on through the organization he founded, through the countless youth he supported and encouraged, and on the greens at Langston where he sought to make golf accessible to every community across the District of Columbia.