Month: September 2018

Our Chapter recently lost a great friend, ambassador and supporter of our mission.  David Burke, longtime vice president of The Breakers hotel and a leader in the Florida tourism industry, died suddenly on Wednesday, Aug. 29, at the age of 61. “David was a great believer in our organization and I was lucky to have him as a close personal friend,” said Carl Mistretta, Chapter Executive Director.  “We met because of The Honda Classic’s and the Breakers’ generous support of our chapter and became fast friends, golf buddies and shared a love of football.  We simply cannot believe he is gone. Our thoughts are with his family- Amy, Matt and Ryan.” Aside from his 27-year career at The Breakers, Mr. Burke served as an ambassador for the Honda Classic, a 100 Friend of The First Tee of The Palm Beaches, a trusted adviser for Discover the Palm Beaches’ board of directors, the vice chairman of the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, and president of the Florida Restaurant Lodging Association. Golf Channel’s, Tim Rosaforte, is hosting our annual 100 Friends Invitational golf tournament at The Bear’s Club on October 23 which is dedicated in honor and memory to “Burkie” this year. Tim is a longtime supporter of our Chapter and serves as Vice Chairman of our Honorary Board of Directors. For more information on the tournament, please CLICK HERE. For tournament sponsorship information, please CLICK HERE.

The Club at Ibis – Heritage Course Sunday, October 14^th at 8:30am 

Entry Fee: $175 which includes golf, lunch and two tickets to the 2019 Honda Classic Format: Two Person Scramble. Double Bogey max per hole for all amateurs Field Size: Event is limited to the first 48 teams with entry deadline Monday, October 8^th To register, please call the PBCGA office at (561) 625-0400.

The Palm Beach Golf Course Superintendents Association (PBGCSA) continues to generously support our chapter mission through their annual Futures of Golf tournament. At their recent tournament at Eastpointe Country Club, the “big check” was presented to Chapter representatives.  Pictured above: Chapter Director Mark Reid and son Billy, Director Ken Ohrstrom, previous Director Kevin Downing, Development Director Jack Barrett, Director of Golf at Eastpointe Country Club John Spiwak, Chapter Superintendent Ryan Kelly and PBGCSA Board Member Deron Zendt.   “The PBGCSA support has allowed us to continually improve the turf conditions at our golf facility through many capital improvements,” said Mark Reid, Chapter Director and PBGCSA member.  “This year’s grant added a second maintenance building and purchased cabinets for fertilizer and fuel storage.”

During this time of year, we remember and honor all of those lost on September 11, 2001. Michael B. Finnegan died tragically that day while working at Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center. Those who were lucky enough to know Mike will tell you that he made everyone feel special. He lived in the moment and made the moments with him memorable.  He was a great golfer.  He loved his family.  He was the best husband, the best father, the best son, the best brother, and the best friend anyone could be. Golf was a huge part of Mike’s life. In Mike’s loving memory, his family established the Finnegan Foundation to support junior golf, especially programs that introduce the game to young people with disabilities. “The foundation and Mike’s wife, Erin, helped our chapter come out of the ground and grow to serve thousands of students each year,” said Steve Rockoff, Chapter Chairman. “Mike had a special place in his heart for children with special needs and of course, the game of golf.”

Our Chapter recently lost a great friend, ambassador and supporter of our mission.  David Burke, longtime vice president of The Breakers hotel and a leader in the Florida tourism industry, died suddenly on Wednesday, Aug. 29, at the age of 61. “David was a great believer in our organization and I was lucky to have him as a close personal friend,” said Carl Mistretta, Chapter Executive Director.  “We met because of The Honda Classic’s and the Breakers’ generous support of our chapter and became fast friends, golf buddies and shared a love of football.  We simply cannot believe he is gone. Our thoughts are with his family- Amy, Matt and Ryan.” Aside from his 27-year career at The Breakers, Mr. Burke served as an ambassador for the Honda Classic, a 100 Friend of The First Tee of The Palm Beaches, a trusted adviser for Discover the Palm Beaches’ board of directors, the vice chairman of the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, and president of the Florida Restaurant Lodging Association. Golf Channel’s, Tim Rosaforte, is hosting our annual 100 Friends Invitational golf tournament at The Bear’s Club on October 23 which is dedicated in honor and memory to “Burkie” this year. Tim is a longtime supporter of our Chapter and serves as Vice Chairman of our Honorary Board of Directors. For more information on the tournament, please CLICK HERE. For tournament sponsorship information, please CLICK HERE.

The Riviera Beach Kiwanis Club recently hosted its Scholarship Luncheon and our Chapter was delighted to receive a generous donation for our outreach programming. Kiwanis members belong to clubs located throughout the world, attend regular meetings for fellowship and inspiration and perform voluntary community service through committees within each club. Pictured left to right: Kiwanis member and Chapter Director Mitch Stump presenting the check to Chapter Coach Dave McNulty, PGA.

Nearly 100 junior golfers from The First Tee chapters across the country attended the Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Life Skills and Leadership Academy hosted by Michigan State University and The First Tee of Mid-Michigan. Teenage participants have the opportunity to develop and hone skills to become leaders in their chapters, schools, and communities while experiencing championship golf, career exploration, and college preparation through dorm living. We were excited to have participant Savannah Mansueti attend from our Chapter! In November 2017, the Academy was renamed to the Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Life Skills & Leadership Academy. The endowment was made to honor his retirement and commitment to positively impacting millions of young people during the last 18 years as CEO of The First Tee. Mansueti commented about the trip, “I was so honored to be chosen for this great academy. I met so many awesome people and coaches. Everything was so fun and I learned a lot about what it takes to be a leader and how to become one. My favorite part about this academy was getting to play golf with incredible people who I will never forget. I made some life-long friends and had many memorable experiences. This was the best week of the summer. Thank you to The First Tee!”