Elder frequently cut classes to work as a caddie, and after two years at Manual Arts High School he dropped out.

He took jobs in pro shops and locker rooms, in addition to caddying where he developed his game by watching his clients, and playing when he had the opportunity.

While at Fort Lewis, Elder had the good fortune to be under the command of Colonel John Gleaster who was an avid golfer.

Gleaster put Elder in a Special Services unit, which allowed him the opportunity to play golf on a steady basis.

The highlight of Elder's rookie season was a memorable playoff loss to Jack Nicklaus at the American Golf Classic.

In 1974, Elder earned his first win on the PGA Tour at the Monsanto Open, which gained him entry to the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia the following April.

This marked the first time Augusta National invited a specifically-black American golfer to compete in the Masters Tournament since it began in 1934, which coincidentally was Elder's year of birth.

While playing in a tournament in Memphis, Tennessee, a spectator picked up Elder's ball on a hole and threw it in a hedge.

Elder tried to stay focused on the game, but unlike the majority of players on tour he was constantly bothered by unruly fans, frequently receiving hate mail and threatening phone calls.

This fund was developed to offer monetary aid to low-income young men and women seeking money for college.

In 1986 he protested to the PGA governors for allowing four American golfers to play in a tournament in Sun City, Bophuthatswana, a small area set up by the apartheid regime of South Africa that surrounds it.

Elder actively promoted Summer Youth Golf Development Programs, raised money for the United Negro College Fund, and served on the advisory boards of Goodwill Industries.