Month: October 2018

Dennis Walters a long-time Chapter supporter and a member of our Honorary Board of Directors, received a phone call from Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to inform him of his induction into the Class of 2019 World Golf Hall of Fame. Dennis is an elite golfer who was paralyzed from the waist-down at the age of 24 following a golf cart accident. He has since dedicated his career to sharing life lessons and inspiring fans and disabled golfers of all ages through golf clinics and special performances at more than 3,000 worldwide appearances. Former spokesperson and national ambassador for The First Tee, his message is to always continue hoping and dreaming. He is one of only 11 honorary lifetime members of the PGA of America. Walters was also honored with the 1978 Ben Hogan Award and was a 2018 recipient of the USGA’s Bob Jones Award. “Everybody has a story of how they got here, but I think my story is probably the most unlikely journey to get to any type of Hall of Fame that anyone’s ever done,” Walters said. “I was laying in a hospital bed 44 years ago, and I never thought I was actually getting out of that bed. I’ve done so many things I’ve never thought were possible, but it also gives me the opportunity to show others what’s possible.” The official induction ceremony is June 10, 2019, the Monday prior to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

TRUNK OR TREAT at Dyer Park October 27th, 2018 9:30am – 11am

Costume Contest and Fun Golf Games!

No Class will be held. Open to all children.

Please contact Connie Capanegra at [email protected] and location is 7301 N Haverhill Rd, West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Marathon Golf added new participating clubs and grew again in 2018. Chapter Development Director – Jack Barrett played a grand total of 108 holes and raised over $5,000, which will be matched by the Seminole Region CMAA. The CMAA donated additional funding from their annual gala and golf tournament to bring our total raised to $15,000! In their 8th year, Gary Collins, the man behind Marathon Golf, announced that all clubs and Marathon Golfers set a new record of over $300,000 to support local charities. The Marathon Golf 2018 Celebration Breakfast and 2019 Kick-off was recently held at the Coral Ridge Country Club, where Gary presented the check to Jack (pictured above). With their charitable giving, the Seminole Region Club Managers Association is changing lives in South Florida. The Seminole Region CMAA is recognized as a Nine Core Value Sponsor of our Chapter

Fellow staff members of Press Ganey Associates honored Patrick Ryan’s 60th birthday by making generous donations to our chapter. Mr. Ryan, CEO of Press Ganey, asked that the funds be directed to The First Tee programming in his local area. Mr. Ryan is an avid golfer and has a passion for supporting youth development. He donated funds to build a new sports field at Avon Old Farms (named the “Ryan Field”). As a corporate donor, he also served on the scholar review committee for the Pat Tillman Foundation, which awards scholarships to returning veterans. He has instituted an annual community service day at Press Ganey where employees donate a full day of volunteer work by 1300+ associates to organizations in need. “The staff and leadership at Press Ganey understand the importance of giving back to the community,” said chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta. “Together we will impact the lives of young people by teaching them life skills and that golf is more than a game. It is the sport of a lifetime and the sport of business.”

Our Chapter, working in partnership the Boys and Girls Club of Boca Raton recently started new programming at the PGA Tour Superstore in Delray! These participants will alternate classes between the indoor instruction at the PGA Tour Superstore and also green grass play at John Prince Learning Center in Lake Worth. The class is lead by Coach Nancy Stuart, LPGA with help from Jack Barrett and Volunteer Rich Leviss. Special SHOUT OUT to the PGA Tour Superstore and the John Prince Learning Center for hosting our programming.