Coach Pete at Atlantis and Coach Katrina at Drive Shack are continuing their veteran golf programs! These groups have so much fun socializing and practicing golf. We host veterans’ programs free of charge to Palm Beach County veterans at various locations.
For more information, locations, and schedules, please visit our website.
The First Tee Future Entrepreneurs presented by Wells Fargo celebrates promising First Tee alumni currently attending or who have graduated from an Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and provides them an opportunity for mentorship, networking, and personal and professional development. Wells Fargo is committed to community organizations like First Tee that help to create a brighter future for young people.
Chapter Coach Nyla Sims attended the event in May in Charlotte, North Carolina with two other First Tee alumni. During her trip, she visited the Wells Fargo Trading Floor, attended a First Tee Clinic, met Rory McIlroy, and toured the Duke Mansion.
Our golf program at Franklin Academy is loved by their elementary kiddos! Chapter Coach Sam has helped create incredible golfers, especially with student Brenden (pictured above left). There are even some rising sixth graders who are looking forward to being a part of the program next year.
Chapter Participant, Londyn Leon, recently had unexpected surgery on her foot and ankle. The following week, she was at practice with her girl’s golf group at Keiser University. She was determined to compete in her PGA Junior League event, less than a week after her discharge from the hospital.
“My First Tee Coaches helped me adjust my swing from the wheelchair for all my clubs, so I kept weight off my ankle and foot. I felt so special to be included after my surgery,” Londyn said.
Read the report from First Tee & Harris Polls that discusses how character is a lost value driven by a lack of regular opportunities to cultivate it.
It’s official… the First Tee App is now live!
We are excited to bring a fun, interactive way for your participants to engage with First Tee away from the course! The First Tee App includes games and challenges that will enhance concepts taught during class and bring them to life in new ways. Kids and teens will earn badges and points as they complete activities within the app, motivating them to keep playing, and tracking their progress over time.
You can access the app from your Apple or Android device or tablet, or from an internet browser. The games and activities are also available to download for offline use.
Download the First Tee App:
Apple iOS: apps.apple.com/us/app/first-tee/id1579272763
Google Play (Android): play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pga.firsttee
In partnership with First Tee – Aiken, 6 of our students took a road trip and volunteered at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley Golf Club. The group was even invited to tour the new PGA Tour Headquarters in Ponte Vedra.
Isabella Rubio, said about the experience, “I had such an amazing time being a standard bearer for the best junior players in the world. It is such an honor to represent our chapter at this tournament. I learned so much from simply watching the great play. The agility, strength, and mental thinking of these players is so inspiring. Their ability to restart and recover from a bad shot was incredible. South Carolina was truly a wonderful place to visit. This was such a remarkable experience!”
Summer is here! Enroll your children in our Palm Beach County programs. We have 16 program locations across the county.
Classes are grouped by ages. All ages (from 2 to 18 years old) are invited to Saturday classes at the Finnegan Learning Center at Dyer Park!
2-3 years old: Little Chippers
4-6 years old: Rugrats
7-9 years old
10-14 years old
15-18 years old
For more information and to register, please visit our website.
Coral Ridge Country Club recently hosted our annual Par 3 Corporate Challenge on their Rees Jones Course. 36-players representing nine local companies helped raise $30,000 to fund our mission and programs.
This year’s winning team with a score of 4 under par was LaRocca & Associates comprised of Joe LaRocca, Nick LaRocca, Anthony Fasano, and Brady Quinn (pictured above left).
The Presenting Sponsors included Steady Returns, Gunther Motors and AutoNation. The Awards Sponsor was City Furniture, and the Carts Sponsor was Spirit Airlines.
Special thanks to the other teams that competed in this event: Young Consulting Group, Miller Construction and BDO.
Coach Robert Ferzoco and veterans Robert Bartholomew, Tony Spina, and Scott Siegal visited The Moving Wall – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Traveling Half-Size Replica at Sportsplex Park. This memorial is sponsored by Veterans helping Veterans & Their Families, a 501(c)(19) Veterans Charitable Organization.
This memorial is a traveling half-size replica of the Vietnam memorial in Washington D.C. with over 58,000 names who gave their lives between 1957 and 1975.
The guest speaker, Tom Melville (pictured right) is a veteran who served on the USS Coral Sea CV-43. He spoke of his service and of the 18 men he personally knew and their names are on the wall.
Ed Fitzmaurice, Marines USMC, has been playing golf for the last 5 years as a part of our veterans’ golf programs.
When talking about his experience in our programs, he said: “A very warm, friendly, and congenial group of both students and instructors. Coach Darrell has had a lot of patience with me. Knowing that, I keep coming back! Truth be told, the classes are therapy for both students and coaches.”
This program is generously sponsored by The Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. Foundation.
Tom Kruse, a 4-year participant in our veterans’ program, scored a hole in one last week at our annual Par 3 Corporate Challenge. He achieved this amazing feat on the 3rd hole of the Rees Jones Par 3 Course at Coral Ridge Country Club.
Tom was volunteering for the day by hitting a shot for each foursome that came through, allowing the foursome to use his shot if it was better than their worst shot.
He achieved his first ever hole in one with the final foursome of the day.
Congrats to Tom! He gives the Coaches at Pompano Beach Golf Course much of the credit for the improvement in his game.
