Category: News

ACE students Liam Tugwell and Tyler Liu spent their summer interning at Certuity, a nationally recognized wealth management firm.

Throughout their internship, the students learned from industry professionals and gained valuable insight into careers in wealth management and financial planning. This hands-on experience helped them build professional skills while exploring future career opportunities. The students also had the opportunity to meet Certuity COO Carter Mecham.

About the opportunity, Tyler said, “This internship really opened my eyes to the finance world. This experience solidified my decision to major in finance and pursue a future career in the field. None of this would be possible without First Tee. Thank you for believing in me and giving me a chance to grow.”

Liam is entering his junior year at Dreyfoos School of the Arts, and Tyler is entering his senior year at Seminole Ridge High School.

Pictured above, left to right: Liam Tugwell, Certuity’s Carter Mecham and Garrett Alton, and Tyler Liu.

Did you know that our Chapter’s territory includes Clewiston in Hendry County in the Glades?

Our program location, Clewiston Golf Course, recently held a Junior Championship.  From young golfers taking on the course to parents and families cheering them on, the 2026 Clewiston Boys & Girls Junior Championship was filled with competition and encouragement. Clewiston GC was proud to have welcomed these talented junior golfers to the links. Thank you to all the participants, parents, families, volunteers, and supporters who joined us.

Our Lil’ Legends experienced a fun morning at Osprey Point Golf Course with golf social media icon and YouTuber Grant Horvat! Students ages 3-6 spent the morning coaching, playing games, and learning with a big name in golf.

To make it even better, every kid went home with their very own set of Lil’ Legends clubs!  Thank you to Grant Horvat and everyone who helped make the day so special.

We are so proud of our participants in our Special Olympics Summer Training Camp at the Finnegan Learning Center. Athletes spent seven weeks training at Fore Front Golf and Performance and worked on golf skills at Dyer Park. Let’s bring home the gold!

We really enjoy thanking our nation’s heroes with tournaments and special events. We hosted a group of 20 in our Veteran Invitational to let them show off their golf skills learned in our programs. First place was won by Army veteran William Curry and Army veteran Frank Wingate.

Longtime Chapter Participant, now an alumna and college scholarship recipient, Annika Collado, was presented with her ACE Certification Plaque. In our ACE program, students work on extensive projects that dive into their potential careers, education paths, community service, and the influence golf has in their life. Annika joins the 1% of students to achieve this feat.

About the program, Annika said, “The ACE program was such an incredible experience. ACE is a fun and engaging program because you apply the life skills and lessons from First Tee to learn more about yourself. I made great friends and served my community. Through my passion for golf, I learned about my future career and education. The ACE program showed how hard work can pay off in every aspect of my life.”

Annika is a sophomore at Florida Gulf Coast University majoring in psychology. We are proud of her achievements and know she has a very special future in college and beyond.

Alumnae Asha Farrelly and Emily Valentine, LPGA attended the 2026 Game Changers Academy in Minneapolis Minnesota. Asha attended as a student and Emily as a chaperone. Out of all the nationwide chapters, Asha was one of 72 teens selected, and Emily was one of 16 coaches to attend.  

During this amazing experience, the students and coaches played basketball in the Target Center, played golf at Interlachen Country Club, and attended a clinic hosted by Austin Smotherman.

Check out Asha’s interview in this news story from CBS.

As summer ends and students prepare to return to school, we are excited to announce the launch of our Fall Junior Golf Sessions at Newell Golf!

Learn more.

As a modern organization employing 2,400 people, the Breakers sense of social responsibility extends to their team, their environment and their community. The Breakers Palm Beach generously supports our Chapter in many ways.  The Breakers Palm Beach strives to make a difference in the world. Through Volunteer Time Off (VTO), they empower their staff to use work time to volunteer, and to further inspiring their employees to inject energy and enthusiasm into the local community.

Mark Reid, a Chapter Director, brings his maintenance teams out and their equipment to the Michael B. Finnegan Learning Center multiple times per year to help us with agronomic and landscape projects.  Mark and his team donate hundreds of hours each year.  They are the reason our facility is maintained at the level of a private club.  

In their last visit, the Breakers maintenance team aerified the greens, cut and laid sod, and raised valve boxes and irrigation heads.

Enroll your children and teens at one of our Martin and St. Lucie Counties Program Locations.

• The Champions Club
• Fairwinds Golf Course
• The Florida Club
• PGA Golf Club
• Sailfish Sands Golf Course
• The Shores of North River Golf Club

Congratulations to chapter participant Cheetah (Mia) Baez on an incredible performance at the local qualifying round of the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship!

Competing at the beautiful Lost Tree Club, Cheetah put on an outstanding display of skill and determination, capturing first place in all four categories! She earned top honors in Driving, Chipping, and Putting, ultimately securing the title of Overall Champion for the competition.

We are proud of Cheetah’s accomplishment and cannot wait to see what she achieves in the next stage of the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship.