Month: August 2020

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR THE HONDA CLASSIC PARENT-CHILD TOURNEY

The 33rd Annual Palm Beach County Golf Association Parent-Child tournament is filling up fast. The event is sponsored by our Founding Partner- The Honda Classic. All Participants will receive two complimentary any-day tickets to The Honda Classic in 2021! North Palm Beach Country Club Sunday, September 20, 2020 8:00am Entry Fee includes Lunch and Awards $175 per team WHO CAN PLAY? PBCGA Members, Non-members and Professionals welcome! Parents-Grandparents-Children all ages invited Three Divisions: Open Amateur, Amateur Under 13 and Professional WHAT FORMAT? 18-hole Scramble (two-person teams) All teams are welcome to pick up their ball after they have already made a double bogey for the hole. No pressure! Team registration online requires both players to have a PBCGA player profile (no fee to create a non-member account). To add the second player without going through the process of creating a player profile, please contact PBCGA at (561) 625-0400 or email [email protected] to have the second player added to the team. Please CLICK HERE to register and pay online or, Please CLICK HERE for the paper registration form. Two most common words heard during this tournament: C’mon dad, or mom!

BIRTHDAY COMING UP? PLEASE SUPPORT JUNIOR GOLF

Palm Beach County golfers have no doubt taken notice of the “Golf Capital of the World” license plate proudly displayed on thousands of local automobiles. Many golfers do not know that the benefitting charity of this license plate is junior golf. Created in 2002 by the Dade Amateur Golf Association, the Florida Junior Golf Council was formed for the benefit of Florida’s junior golf programs. Through the efforts of the late Charlie DeLucca, the “Golf Capital of the World” license plate was passed into law by the Florida legislature and Governor Jeb Bush. All revenue generated supports junior golf programs. To date, over $8.7 million has been distributed to support junior golf. The FJGC license plate grant program is designed to assist organizations that introduce young people to golf, through instruction and competition, teach the values and Rules of Golf, stress integrity, courtesy, self-discipline, and other life skills.  Additionally, the grant program assists junior golf organizations that serve economically disadvantaged youth, children with special needs and the general population.  The FJGC is planning to significantly increase the size of grants for the next year because of the impact of COVID-19 on junior golf programs. “We are now seeing that junior golf programs have to offer smaller class sizes, pay for more coaches to ensure safety and spend unbudgeted funds on thermometers, sanitizer, masks and gloves,” said Charlie DeLucca III, Executive Director of the First Tee of Miami and board member of the FJGC. “After speaking with several junior program executive directors and administrators it became obvious that the FJGC needed to step in and assist these important programs. All Florida golfers recognize the license plate, but many do not understand the incredible impact it has on junior golf. (Pictured above: Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta with one of his two FJGC license plates.) The easiest way to purchase the license plate is during your birthday month by renewing your tag registration. The plate can be purchased online or in person at the office of the tax collector or tag agency. And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

CHAPTER ALUMNAE WORKING AT THE NEW SUPERSTORE

Nyla Simms and Alison Santini recently joined the team at the newly opened PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens. Both young ladies have been involved with our Chapter as young students and now as volunteers during the summer and in between semesters (pictured above washing golf balls after a day at summer camp). They are also receiving college scholarships from our Chapter. Nyla is a junior at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and is enrolled in the PGA Professional Golf Management Program and plays on her college golf team. Alison is a sophomore at Palm Beach Atlantic University. “Nyla and Alison really appreciate the opportunity to work at the SUPERSTORE,” said Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta. “It is a fantastic experience for them to work in the golf industry and make some extra money for college expenses. We are very appreciative of our partnership with PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE and the continued generosity of First Tee Trustee Arthur Blank.”

HANGRY PROJECT PARTNERS WITH OUR CHAPTER

Touring golf professional Brad Gehl visited Phipps Park, a city-run facility in West Palm Beach where he had skated and told the manager he wanted to help. Next, Brad bought a refrigerator, then filled it with food and snacks. He went back two weeks later and found it empty, so he filled it up again with apples and oranges and Lunchables and Crustables and popsicles – anything to keep the kids from getting hangry (a term that reflects when hunger makes someone angry.) And every two weeks since, the refrigerator has been restocked with help from friends and other local touring professionals. Shortly after the COVID quarantine started, Brad approached our Chapter about partnering on a joint golf activity for the Hangry kids. A summer golf camp over seven Thursdays was scheduled. So about two dozen Hangry kids crossed over and learned about the game of golf. “It’s maybe one of the more special things I’ve ever done,” Brad says. “The First Tee has been incredibly supportive by providing coaches, lunch and access to their golf facility. The Hangry kids brought great attitudes and their impressive athleticism. They’re really good. I was so, so impressed with them.” To learn more about The Hangry Project, please CLICK HERE to visit their website.

CHAPTER STUDENTS ENJOYING SFPGA TOURNAMENT SUCCESS

Junior tournament golf has been in full swing and our chapter students have experienced some fantastic success. The three following Chapter students are each leading their respective divisions in Player of the Year points.

Zoe Shamy (pictured above left) recorded first place victories in Prep Tour events at Weston Hills and the Palm Beach Par 3, 2nd place finishes at The Preserve at Ironhorse, Boca Lago and the Naples Beach Club and a 3rd place finish at Plantation Preserve. Wylie “Coyote” Inman (pictured above middle) has recorded victories in SFPGA Prep Tour events at Boca Lago with a score of 72, at Plantation Preserve with a 74, at Naples Beach Club with a two under 69, and a T2nd at the Palm Beach Par 3. Tyler Mistretta (pictured above right) has also enjoyed recent SFPGA success and has moved up to 554th place in the national Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings. He recorded his first SFPGA win with a four-shot victory at Trump National Doral posting three rounds under par with scores of 71-70-67=208. He made 3 eagles and 13 birdies over the three-day event and led the field with lowest scoring average and most holes under par.

SUMMER CAMPS EXTENDED & WEEKLY PROGRAMS CONTINUE

EXTENDED SUMMER CAMP SCHEDULE!! Since the start of school has been delayed until August 31st, we are offering three more weeks of camp at the Finnegan Learning Center in Dyer Park during the weeks of August 10th, August 17th and August 24th. CLICK HERE to register.

To learn more about our classes at all of program locations, please CLICK HERE.