Category: News

The members of Pine Tree Golf Club have recently established a new foundation.  Pine Tree’s Scotty Foundation is a non-profit organization centered on supporting opportunities for the betterment of golf for those associated with Pine Tree Golf Club. The mission of the foundation is to provide educational and financial support for individuals, affiliated with Pine Tree, who are passionate about positively impacting their lives and the game of golf.

In their inaugural year the Scotty Foundation endowed an Evans Caddie Scholarship for youth caddies, funded a college scholarship for one of our Chapter students, and awarded a four-year college scholarship to Chapter student Annika Collado.  Annika has been caddying at Pine Tree for the last three years.  She is a senior at Seminole Ridge High School and works hard to maintain a 3.98 GPA and a 5.19 HPA. She started playing golf at 8 years old.  Annika credits caddying for helping her find her voice to come out of her shell, especially when communicating with adults and improving her interpersonal interactions.  She will be attending Florida Gulf Coast University in the Fall.

Pictured above left to right: Former Pine Tree Head Professional (now at Sandglass Golf Club) Justin Thompson, Annika and Pine Tree Club President Bo Gillespie.

Near the end of 2024, Mark Susskind (pictured 2nd from the left) reached out to us to start a new golf program for people affected by Parkinsons. Mark is affected by the disease himself, and, as a fan of golf, he wanted to create a program to help others learn the sport and establish camaraderie with new people. Mark enrolled in our coach training, spread the word about the program, and helped Newell Golf hold the first two classes. With the help of Newell Golf and Boca Raton Golf and Racquet Club, Mark has now started PARS for Parkinsons and will be holding two classes every month. 

Chapter alumnus Abner McWilliams was awarded one of our two college scholarships to attend the Keiser University College of Golf.  He has just completed his freshman year in the program.

“As with starting anything new, especially as a freshman, it has been a challenge for me,” said Abner.  “But being the hard worker I am and with everything I learned at First Tee, I have embraced the challenges and continue to work through them.”

With this scholarship from First Tee generously provided by Keiser University, Abner can pursue his passion in the golf industry at the school of his choice.

Our inaugural James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Parent-Child Invitational was a tremendous success at North Palm Beach Country Club.  Teams competed in 3 divisions- Pros, Open Gross and Open Net in a unique format of 6 holes best-ball, six holes modified alternate shot and six holes scramble.

The Pro division was won by Brian and Brandt Peaper with a score of 64 (pictured above left).  The Open Gross division was won by Kevin and Conor Richardson with as score of 64 (pictured above middle).  The Open Net division was won by Richard Spangler and David Klein with a score of 56.

Special thanks to the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Parent-Child Invitational and Chapter supporter Moe Tarkinow for the generous sponsorships.

Enroll your children at one of our 11 Martin and St. Lucie and Counties Program Locations.

• The Shores of North River Golf Club
• Crane Watch Club
• The Champions Club
• Fairwinds Golf Course
• The Florida Club
• Jensen Beach Golf Club
• Martin Downs Golf Club
• PGA Golf Club
• Sailfish Sands Golf Course
• Sandpiper Bay Golf Club
• 24/7 Indoor Golf

Our golf learning center at the The Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County (B&GCSLC) Westside Campus has become an ideal location for guidance, encouragement, exercise and fun for kids and teens.

A collaboration between two nonprofits in the Treasure Coast is teaching life lessons to children and teens.  B&GCSLC and our Chapter have long shared a mission of youth development.

In February 2022, we opened a state-of-the-art artificial turf golf facility at B&GCSLC’s Westside Campus in Fort Pierce, which was generously sponsored through the Andrew and Robin Hunt Philanthropic Fund.

Our goal is to teach young people life skills such as inner strength, self-

confidence and resilience – through the game of golf – under the guidance of trained First Tee coaches and mentors. The programs have become very popular.  B&GCSLC’s Westside Campus has rapidly grown to become our largest program location in the Treasure Coast. 

If you are located in north St. Lucie County and are interested in learning more about this golf facility and the programs we offer, please contact [email protected]

Coaches Devin Shaw and Trevor Tarashuk teach golf instruction and valuable life skills to the students of Oak Hammock Boys & Girls Club in St. Lucie County.

The Boys & Girls Clubs serve to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

We truly value our relationship with Oak Hammock Boys & Girls Club and enjoy seeing all the smiles from the students. We are grateful for the staff’s support and help at Oak Hammock!!

Chapter Director Ken Duke’s annual golf tournament at Floridian National enjoyed tremendous success again this year.

In 2016 Ken’s vision of founding a non-profit organization to support well deserving local and national organizations came to life! After a meeting of friends and family the Inaugural Ken Duke & Friends Celebrity Pro-Am was born! Each year a great dinner, concert and day of golf are had by all Ken’s guests that attend this fantastic weekend. Each year the board chooses wonderful national and local organizations to benefit from Ken’s charitable mission. 

At this year’s dinner, Chapter student, Angelina Marie Guertin (pictured above middle), discussed her inspirational experiences with First Tee, including playing in the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach and the First Tee National Championship.

“Ken has been such a generous supporter and incredible leader as a Director of our chapter,” said Chapter President Andrew Hunt.  “His tournament provides such tremendous support and helps us reach thousands of students each year in the Treasure Coast.”

We had a great time for our first 100-Hole Challenge at The Shores of North River Golf Club with over 20 supporters raising $25,000 to support youth golf programs in the community. 

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Shores owner, Andres Castellanos, and his dedicated staff for their exceptional hospitality, which significantly enhanced our event experience.

Gratitude is also extended to all participants and supporters whose enthusiasm and generosity made this fundraising effort a tremendous success. Together, contributions totaling near $100,000 are empowering local youth and fostering a love for the game of golf.

Our Martin County office is located at The Shores and it is a fun course to play and also offers a driving range and practice areas.  To learn more about the course and book your tee time, please visit their website.

We are excited to welcome Chapter Alumnus Trevor Tarashuk as a full-time employee in the position of Program Coordinator. Trevor started as one of our First Tee students at 9 years old. As he grew older in our programs, he moved on to volunteering. 

He is in the PGA Associate program Level I, working towards his PGA membership. Trevor has worked at several golf courses including Medalist, Floridian, Mountain Brook Club and Monarch Country Club. 

Last year, he won the alumni division of our Chapter Championship at BallenIsles (pictured above right).

Trevor will be coaching many programs including at Crane Watch Club.  Please visit our website for more information and to register.

A putting shoot out was held on day four of Ocean Club Week following golf and lunch with an entry fee of $100 that was generously donated to our Chapter.

An impressive field featured a mix of the club legends such as: Pauline Disangro, Phil Rinnander, Mike Gates, Rod Ryan, Ed Collins and Tom McKinney and newcomers John Engle, Peg Margiotta, John Berejka and Jen Croot.  Many others attended and they were all there to support our children and veterans.

The Ocean Club generously donated $2,100 to our Chapter to help young golfers by providing educational programs that build character through the wonderful game of golf.  17 players battled it out with their flat sticks.  Grant Goodall and Mike Gates landed in the finals after knocking out Ed Collins and Rich Harrison in the semi-finals. In the end Grant Goodall holed out on his second ball to claim the prize!

The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches is one of Palm Beach County’s marquee sports events. This PGA Tour event attracts the world’s best golfers, consisting of over 100 pro golfers competing over 72 holes at PGA National’s Champion Course. The Cognizant Classic attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators and features some of the best professional golfers in the world.

Volunteer opportunities are available. Please scan the QR code or visit our website to learn more and register to volunteer.