Category: News

Veterans can join us on Tuesdays from 10 AM to 11 AM at The Champion’s Club at Summerfield for our free veteran golf clinics—an excellent opportunity to connect, learn, and thrive alongside fellow veterans in our community.

These clinics not only provide expert instruction from talented PGA-certified instructors Joe Grohman and Dave McNulty but also foster networking and friendship among veterans who share similar experiences and interests. Whether you are a seasoned golfer or a beginner, these sessions are designed to enhance your skills while also creating lasting bonds with other veterans.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated staff at The Champion’s Club, especially General Manager David Ladd, whose unwavering support has been instrumental in bringing free golf programs to local veterans in Martin County. Through these initiatives, we cultivate an environment of encouragement and growth, enabling our heroes to improve their golfing abilities and create connections that enrich their lives.

To register for programs at The Champions Club please contact Coach Joe Grohman at (714) 408-6701.

Loblolly in Hobe Sound will be hosting our Treasure Coast Chapter golf tournament in May. The course and clubhouse have been recently renovated and are spectacular.  Please reserve your team ASAP to play this special golf course.

Spring Invitational
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
“Member for a Day”
12:00 Noon Registration, Warm-Up and Lunch, 1pm Shotgun
Dinner & Drinks following golf
Four Person Teams. Play Your Own Ball. One Best Ball of the Foursome.
Net and Gross Divisions. Limited Field.
$750 per person, $3,000 per foursome.

Please visit our website for the tournament application and sponsorship opportunities.

Please contact Steven Andrade at [email protected] or 561-324-7021 for more information.

Six Chapter students had a blast on a trip that took them to South Carolina. This trip was an unforgettable combination of career exploration, team bonding, and championship-level golf. Staff members Savannah Mansueti, Steven Andrade, and Emily Valentine accompanied students Daniel Tadeo, Hudson McDuff, Paulina Ramirez, Camila Obando, Gavin Palmer, and Asha Farrelly on this exciting journey.

The first stop was in Ponte Vedra, Florida, with a special visit to the PGA TOUR Global Home. Students were given a guided tour of PGA TOUR Headquarters and explored the newly built studios, where all tour-related television production now takes place. It was a behind-the-scenes look at the production side of the sport and the many careers that exist around the PGA TOUR.

The next day was spent playing two rounds of golf- 15 holes at the Old Barnwell Kids Course and nine holes at Chalk Mine Nine at First Tee – Aiken.  SHOUT OUT to Kitty Nicastro and Heidi Hoffman, for arranging the golf. That evening, the group took on an escape room challenge and successfully escaped, showing off their teamwork and problem-solving skills.

On Saturday, the students served as standard bearers at the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club. Each student was assigned to follow one of the top six threesomes in the tournament, giving them a front-row seat to some of the best junior golf talent in the world. Chapter student Daniel Tadeo said, “It was really awesome watching the players. I have never done anything like this!”

Enroll your children at one of our 10 Palm Beach County Program Locations. 

• Michael B. Finnegan Learning Center- Dyer Park
• Belle Glade Municipal Golf Club
• Boca Raton Golf and Racquet Club
• Commons Park Golf Learning Center
• John Prince Learning Center
• Golf Club of Jupiter
• Keiser University Golf Coaching Center
• Okeeheelee Golf Course
• Red Reef Golf Course
• Village Golf Club

Key Hammer strategy and Billy Horschel’s clutch putt seals the deal as Atlanta Drive GC battled to a thrilling 4-3 victory over New York. Atlanta Drive GC takes home the 2025 SoFi Cup! Huge congratulations to Billy Horschel, Lucas Glover, Justin Thomas, and Patrick Cantlay for an unforgettable win.

Atlanta Drive GC is owned by First Tee Trustee, Arthur Blank. Headquartered in Atlanta, AMB Sports and Entertainment includes the National Football League Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer 2018 Cup champion Atlanta United, the state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium, America’s largest specialty golf retailer PGA TOUR Superstore, and four ranches in Montana– Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, West Creek Ranch, Paradise Valley Ranch and The Ranch At Dome Mountain.

A night to remember! Marley, Jordan, Asha, Zoe, Valentina, and Angelina had the incredible honor of meeting Jack Nicklaus at a special dinner supporting the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational held at Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club during tournament week.  Jack Nicklaus serves as Honorary Chairman of our Chapter.

“Dinner was delicious, and Mr. Nicklaus shared some very interesting stories about his life and career with the entire audience.  I learned a lot from the GOAT,” said Jordan.  “It was an awesome evening.  Thank you First Tee for inviting the students to attend.”

Chapter student Wylie Inman won his first AJGA tournament at Rayburn Resort and Marina in Brooklande, Texas.

Wylie shot nine under par for the three-day event and won by three shots after shooting 69-69-66.  His final round 66 included an eagle on hole #14 and a closing birdie on hole #18.

Wylie commented on the win:

“It feels so good to get my first AJGA win. I played with a lot of confidence in my game this weekend which led to the victory. I traveled to Texas solely to secure this win. Being tied for the lead with 6 holes left, and executing at such a high level down the stretch, was an incredible feeling. This is a week I will never forget.”

Wylie is committed to play DI golf at the University of South Florida.

Students at St. Mark’s Episcopal School are integrating STEM into their First Tee golf sessions! In week five, they explored ball flight using vector and scalar concepts—vectors determine direction, while scalars measure speed. This hands-on learning helps young golfers improve their swings with science.

Our STEM programs are sponsored by Carrier.  Carrier supports the next generation of leaders and is committed to positively impacting the community.

Our Chapter delivers weekly golf programs to hundreds of local veterans. We provide golf equipment, golf instruction and opportunities to socialize with your peers and play local golf courses. These programs are open to Palm Beach County veterans, free of charge. These programs are generously sponsored by Pratt & Whitney and the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation.

Veterans can join every Tuesday, starting at 1:00 PM at Drive Shack. Please contact Devin Shaw at [email protected] or 334-733-4749 prior to attending a class to ensure availability.

Chapter Alumnus Nathan Vertes volunteers for Beaver Golf while he is home from college. He is excelling at the University of Florida where he is majoring in biochemistry and pre-pharmacy. Nathan was also one of our inaugural First Tee Scholars, which afforded him a college scholarship from First Tee HQ.  HQ has even provided Nathan with a mentor who oversees Pharmacy at the Mayo Clinic.

He recently applied to UF’s Pharmacy Early Assurance Program (PEAP) and was accepted. Through this program, he will be provided with mentorships, workshops, and training for a career in pharmacy. To top it off, while on vacation with his family in Michigan he has begun studying to get his pharmacy technician certification to take the national test. He also applied for and received a summer internship at Physicians Compounding Pharmacy in Bloomfield Hills, MI. After all these accomplishments you will still find him playing golf and volunteering his time with First Tee students.

Chapter Program Director Zack Anderton and Henry Chateauvert attended a recent event hosted by the Palm Beach Golf Course Superintendents Association to receive our annual grant. We are so thankful that the PBGCSA Board of Directors continue to support our Chapter through this grant that helps us maintain and improve our turf conditions.

The purpose of the Florida Golf Course Superintendents Association is to promote sustainable turf management and unify the golf course superintendents of the state. To achieve these goals, the Florida GCSA will engage in cooperative communications and education efforts with various interested organizations and regulatory and governmental offices to achieve the highest standards of professionalism.