Category: News

STUDENTS AND ALUMNI ENJOY PRO-AMS

The James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational generously invited our Chapter to send a team to the Women’s Pro-Am and the Wednesday Pro-Am.

Senior Program Director Emily Valentine joined teen participants Taylor Pedrique, Keala Richichi, and Madyson Barone for a truly unforgettable experience– playing in the James Hardie Invitational Women’s Pro-Am at Broken Sound Club on Monday of tournament week.

To make the day even more special, the group had the honor of teeing it up alongside PGA Tour Champions player Ted Purdy, who brought pro-level insight, encouragement, and plenty of fun to the round.

“This experience wasn’t just about playing in a Pro-Am,” said Emily. “It was about showing these young women—and everyone watching—what’s possible when opportunity meets preparation.”

On Wednesday, of tournament week, three Chapter alumni were invited to play with a PGA TOUR Champions player and an NFL Hall of Famer.  Chapter alumni Trevor Tarashuk, Nyla Sims and Felipe Obando were selected to play with professional Felipe Aguilar and Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer John Randle- WOW!

“The course was in perfect condition and the SWAG was incredible,” said Trevor.  “I received a $450 gift card from TaylorMade, which is awesome, because I need new wedges.”

It was a special day for our alumni as Aguilar and Randle shared stories and insights on their professional careers with our alumni.

Trevor and Nyla are full-time employees of our Chapter as Coaches and Felipe is in his senior year at Keiser University College of Golf.  All three of these alumni are giving back to the game of golf and were very thankful for this special opportunity.

WAY TO GO ALYSSA!

Congrats to Chapter student Alyssa Cleckley on being inducted into the BAK MSOA chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. This prestigious achievement is based on Academic Excellence (maintaining a GPA of 3.9 or above), Leadership, Character, Citizenship and Service in your community.

We are so proud of you!

A HOLE-IN-ONE TO REMEMBER

This year’s Women’s Day at the Country Club of Florida was filled with laughter, fundraising, and unforgettable moments—but none quite as remarkable as what happened on the 8th hole.

Chapter student Taylor Pedrique has been part of Coach John’s programs at The Golf Club of Jupiter for many years. Now 12, Taylor stepped onto the tee box of the par-3 eighth hole with confidence, a 4-hybrid in hand from 123 yards, and a quiet focus that caught everyone’s attention.

With her foursome watching, Taylor struck a beautiful shot. The ball sailed high into the breeze, landed softly just beyond the bunker—and rolled straight into the hole!  For Taylor, it was a dream come true—and her very first ace.

The ace was made special by the setting, the spirit of Women’s Day, and the joy of seeing a young leader from our Chapter achieve something magical at Country Club of Florida. Taylor was recognized later that afternoon during the closing remarks, where she received a standing ovation and a commemorative ball.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Women’s Day at the Country Club of Florida such a memorable celebration of sport, spirit, and community.  Your generosity and support of our students is sincerely appreciated.

BELLA AWARDED ROSAFORTE SCHOLARSHIP

Tim “Rosie” Rosaforte enjoyed a lifetime love for golf and rose through the newspaper ranks to become a top American golf journalist. Rosie covered the PGA TOUR with several news organizations including the Palm Beach Post, Golf Channel and NBC Sports.

With generous support from last year’s Rosie Pro-Am we have honored Rosie’s passion for the game by establishing the Tim Rosaforte Endowed Scholarship through the Evans Scholars Foundation. The scholarship will be awarded every four years and will support full tuition and housing for Evans Scholarship recipients from our Chapter.

Bella Cecere of Old Marsh Golf Club is the recipient of the newly founded Tim Rosaforte Endowed Named Scholarship and will begin attending University of Delaware in fall 2025.

“The opportunity to caddie has profoundly impacted my life in countless ways. I am incredibly grateful for the experiences caddying has provided and the doors it has opened. It is an honor to have received this scholarship. Receiving this scholarship will alleviate the financial burden on my widowed father and me, allowing me to pursue my dream of helping others heal throughout my life. The prospect of obtaining a quality college education without being constrained by financial worries is something I could have only dreamt of while growing up. In being awarded this scholarship, I am immensely grateful and proud to join such an extraordinary legacy. Thank you so much.” – Bella Cecere

The second annual Rosie Pro-Am will be held at Floridian National Golf Club.  Please support our scholarship fund by making a donation or placing a bid at rosieproam.com on one of our many incredible silent auction items.  We have many foursomes, instructional packages and sports memorabilia up for auction. Golf packages include Floridian, Oakmont, The Bear’s Club, Apogee, Jupiter Hills, Old Marsh, Old Palm, Medalist, Trump National, The Park and more!!  Please visit rosieproam.com to place your bid.

SKRATCH GOLF MEETS FIRST TEE

Skratch Golf brought their Pickers series to First Tee, capturing the spirit of the game while interviewing CEO Carl Mistretta, Jr. and First Tee students Jordan Reyes and Zoe Shamy. The crew explored unique finds from Blake’s Golf Shop, including clubs from Jesper Parnevik and Bernhard Langer. The best part? They tested them out at our very own Dyer Park driving range!

Watch the full video.

Need some new clubs for yourself?  Please visit blakesgolfshop.com to review over 5,000 items listed for sale.

FAREWELL COACH JOEL

On a recent Saturday morning, students, staff, coaches and volunteers all gathered to wish longtime Coach Joel Zanville a fond farewell as he moves back to Ohio to be near family.

“Coach Joel has been with us for over ten years,” said Chapter CEO Carl Mistretta Jr.  “He found his calling with our special needs programs and impacted the lives of so many of our students.  His smile, dedication and uplifting attitude will be greatly missed.”

BIG MONTH FOR TREE

No. 11 Florida Southern ran away to its 17th Sunshine State Conference Championship after posting a 54-hole team score of 861 (-3) at the Rio Pinar Country Club, the Moccasins’ first league title since 2010.

Chapter alumnus Tyler “TREE” Mistretta tied for fourth individual with rounds of 69-75-73 = 217.  In his final round, TREE used 11 pars and three birdies, which featured back-to-back birdies on the back nine, to finish in the top five.  With his fourth-place finish, TREE earned all-tournament honors with two of his teammates.

TREE also received the 2025 MOCSYS Academic Award for the student-athlete on his team with the combination of the most credit hours and highest GPA.

In addition, he joined three of his teammates to earn a 2025 All-Conference Award.  Mocs Coach Brian Richey earned the Conference Coach of the Year award.

THANK YOU DR. MATT

Welcome Dr. Matthew Tavolacci as a new sponsor of our Fore Freedom programs.

Dr. Tavolacci specializes in sports injuries of the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist and ankle.  Dr. Matt is an experienced chiropractor and uses a variety of manual soft tissue therapies, therapeutic modalities, therapeutic exercises, stretch/strengthening routines and massage therapy to treat his patients.

Dr. Matt first heard about our Chapter through one of his current patients who is dealing with medical issues. As a child of a Navy Vietnam veteran, Dr. Matt has always had a deep respect for military veterans and has been dedicated to serving veterans since the inception of his private practice. He accepts the VA healthcare insurance when many other providers do not, in hopes of helping the saturated VA healthcare system to address the care of our nation’s heroes.

ADMIRALS COVE FOUNDATION

Our Chapter was honored to receive a generous $25,000 donation from the Admirals Cove Foundation. We are incredibly grateful for the longtime support of the members of Admirals Cove and their foundation, and for the support of Admiral’s Cove resident and longtime Board Member and Chairman Emeritus Dick Sheehan (pictured above with Chapter Development Director Henry Chateauvert). This generous contribution will help us expand character-building programs that empower youth both on and off the course.

The Admirals Cove Foundation was founded to improve lives in their surrounding community and to strengthen Admirals Cove through a culture of giving. Through their annual giving campaign, the Foundation’s efforts are focused exclusively in the areas of education, health, and social services.