Category: News

We had an incredible weekend of adaptive golf with Coach Devin Shaw and participants from Wounded Warriors. Coach Devin coordinated and supplied both of our ParaGolfer units to the clinic held at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie.

We teamed up with this Wounded Warriors to provide top-notch coaching and equipment support to make this golfing event a huge success. The adaptive equipment performed flawlessly under pressure, delivering an empowering and unforgettable experience for both golfers.

One warrior attended the clinic with his daughter. He expressed his gratitude, “With this specialized equipment, you gave golf back to me. Now I can continue playing golf with my daughter, an experience I dearly missed.”

Thank you, Nicole Entrup for including us in this event and for all that you for our nation’s heroes.

Wounded Warrior Project is the nation’s leading veterans service organization, dedicated to improving the total well-being of post‑9/11 wounded, ill, and injured veterans, service members, and their families.

As we salute our veterans, Coach Dave Fleck took three of our nation’s finest out for a nine-hole course management class.

While these veterans conquered the course in the heat, they learned various strategies from alignment on the tee box, avoiding bunkers, finding their target, avoiding unnecessary risk and the importance of nutrition and hydration. Each veteran developed more confidence on the course and to overcome that errant shot.

Pictured above from left to right:  Peter Gonzalez, Sal Salvatore, Pete Cutti and Coach Dave.

The beloved Festival of Giving returns in November to The Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast for its second spectacular year.

Step into a winter wonderland of beautifully decorated trees, wreaths, and centerpieces, lovingly donated by local businesses, organizations, and individuals. Each piece will be raffled off, with proceeds supporting nonprofits, including our Chapter, that align with the museum’s mission.

Please come support our organization by visiting our decorated tree and participating in the raffle!

We are proud to shine this month’s Sponsor Spotlight on The Champions Club at Summerfield, a valued partner and longtime supporter of our Chapter!

Champions Club has become an important home for several of our programs throughout the years, providing a welcoming environment where participants can learn, grow, and enjoy the game of golf. The club proudly hosts a variety of our programs, including Coach Dave Fleck’s Beyond the Tee – ARC Class, Coach Gabbie Budd’s LPGA Girls Golf classes, and Coach Joe Grohman’s FORE Freedom and After-School programs.

From introducing young girls to the game through LPGA Girls Golf, to creating opportunities for veterans and participants with special needs, Champions Club helps us make golf accessible to a diverse group of participants in our community.

We are especially grateful for the Champions Club staff, who consistently go above and beyond to make our participants feel welcome. Their kindness, flexibility, and willingness to help create a positive experience for our students is very appreciated.

A special thank-you to General Manager David Ladd, PGA (one of our first Coaches in the Treasure Coast), the club’s ownership, and the entire Champions Club team for their continued partnership and support. We are incredibly grateful to have Champions Club as a partner.

Enroll your children at one of our 5 Palm Beach County Program Locations. 

• Boca Raton Golf and Racquet Club
• Commons Park Golf Learning Center
• Michael B. Finnegan Learning Center – Dyer Park
• Park Ridge Golf Course
• Village Golf Club

Ocean Reef Club recently hosted the 2026 Chapter Championship of First Tee – Florida Gold Coast. This event is Palm Beaches versus Treasure Coast versus Broward. The annual tournament features four high school students per team from our three chapters in a best-ball format. The Palm Beaches chapter pulled off 5 championships in a row by posting five under par to edge out the Broward chapter by one shot and the Treasure Coast chapter by two shots. The scores have never been this close, and the victory came down to the students for Palm Beaches playing a great game of ham and egg!

Pictured above left: ORC member and Broward President Greg Thompson, with the winning Palm Beaches team of Greyson O’Brien, Hudson Friedman, Davis Lucas, and Daniel Tadeo and Chapter CEO Carl Mistretta Jr.

Pictured above right: Five alumni also played in a separate individual division for the alumni championship. Palm Beaches alumni Tyler Mistretta torched the course with a 7-under 65 for his fourth alumni division title. Sebastian Nachilly finished second with an impressive 69.

Hudson Friedman from Palm Beaches said about the event, “Ocean Reef is an unbelievable place. Only through First Tee can you experience such an incredible event. Shout out to my teammates for grinding to bring home the 5-peat.”

Pictured above: Trustees Greg and Kath Thompson sponsored the opening dinner.

Coaches Savannah Mansueti and Chelsea Mistretta wrapped up another successful summer session at Guidepost Montessori in Palm Beach Gardens. Throughout the program, children ages 2–6 were introduced to the game of golf building confidence in the game and themselves.

Through fun activities, students developed golf fundamentals such as grip, distance control, and aim. Golf also helps these young students by strengthening coordination and basic motor skills. More importantly, they practiced life skills like taking turns and listening. 

We partnered with Edna W. Runner’s summer camp program, serving 25 elementary and middle school students. Working on activities focused on hand-eye coordination, distance control, and sportsmanship.

The camp’s mission is to help students thrive during summer break. Through reading, math, project-based activities, and excursions, students build core skills like communication, academic self-efficacy, self-control, and teamwork, which result in positive academic and socio-emotional outcomes.

For the 3rd year, chapter supporter Jeremey Howard hosted a 2-club, 2-man tournament at Jupiter Dunes, named DOS MAS. All funds went to support our Chapter participant Liam Tugwell with being fitted for a brand-new set of clubs at PGA TOUR Superstore.

Liam was so excited, “I would like to give my sincerest thank you to Jeremy Howard and all the amazing people at Dos Mas. I can continue improving and pursuing my passion for golf. Without their kindness and generosity, improving at golf would be a distant dream. My gratitude extends to all that have supported me and helped me with academics and golf. Thank you.”

Alyssa Cleckley won another SFPGA Prep Tour tournament in the Girls 13–18 Division at the Wanamaker Course at PGA Golf Club!

Alyssa said, “The Wanamaker Course was definitely a challenge, but I stayed patient, focused, and kept fighting through all 18 holes. I finished the front nine even par and made 3 birdies during my round! This tournament reminded me that when things become difficult, I have to trust my game, stay composed, and persevere.”

Another tournament. Another lesson. Another WIN! We cannot wait to see what Alyssa does next!

Our FORE Freedom program hosts golf lessons for veterans at Dyer Park, free of charge. Recently, we completed a four-week scoring clinic led by PGA professional and Coach, Peter Nathan. Many veterans received valuable tips and developed skills on how to navigate around the greens and score better. Rodrick Hughes (Navy) and Quintin Fulgham commented on how much their short game has improved in such a short amount of time. These types of programs are helping to build the skill sets our veterans need to compete at a higher level.

Alumna Daniela Perez graduated from Palm Beach State College with her Associate of Arts degree in Spring 2026. She is now attending Florida Atlantic University, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in professional studies with a minor in Business Administration. She is a recipient of one of our college scholarships.

Daniela served as a host for The Panther Experience podcast at Palm Beach State College. She interviewed students, faculty, and campus leaders. The goal was to help share their stories and showcase everything happening around campus.

Daniela said, “Being part of the podcast has helped me grow my confidence, strengthen my communication skills, and connect with so many amazing people. I’m looking forward to everything still to come as I continue my education and work toward my future career goals.”

Listen to the podcast.