Category: News

We enjoyed a memorable afternoon at our 9th Annual Par 3 Corporate Challenge, hosted at the beautiful Rees Jones Par 3 Course at Coral Ridge Country Club.

The event brought together our entire community—veterans, youth participants, staff, and supporters—for a high-energy day filled with competition and purpose. Every hole featured a youth or veteran participant, offering them a unique opportunity to interact with our corporate foursomes while showcasing their growing confidence and golf skills.

The Challenge teed off with a shotgun start after opening remarks by board member, Erica Bennett and Coral Ridge Director of Golf, Scott Fox. With closest-to-the-hole contests, our guests enjoyed a competitive event with a challenge on every hole.

The true highlight of the day came at Hole 7, where Greg Mingo and his son, a proud participant in our special needs program, sank putts and stole the hearts of everyone playing. It was a powerful reminder of what we are all about—creating spaces where everyone belongs and shines.

After play concluded, guests gathered for hors d’oeuvres, networking, and the announcement of the winners. Team Steady Returns took home the trophy, but every player left the course with a win in community connection.  (Pictured above left, Team Steady Returns: Rick Rogers, Chris Burr, Michael Greenwood and Rob Norell)

“This wasn’t just another golf event,” said Development Director Gale Nelson II. “It was a celebration of our mission in action—bringing golfers together and giving our students a platform to demonstrate their golf and life skills.”

Over 90 board members from our 3 chapters and governing board of directors, staff, coaches, students and special guests attended our Spring Social & Meeting at PopStroke.  This event is a networking opportunity for everyone involved in our organization to spend time together getting to know one another and sharing ideas.

The event included an impressive and diverse panel of industry leaders discussing how the game and their businesses have changed since Covid.  The panel included (above right), Kathy Jorden (Membership Executive Apogee), David Ladd, PGA (General  Manager Champions Club), Greg Nathan (CEO National Golf Foundation) and Tim Glita Chief People Officer Popstroke).

Steady Returns specializes in managing money for retirees and high net worth investors. They use long-term demographic trends, relative currency valuation, and asset class diversification to guide their investment strategy in managing portfolios their clients can depend on.

They look for significant, long-term trends to guide their investment allocations. For example, the aging of the population in the U.S. They believe this one factor will profoundly impact inflation/deflation, the size of the workforce, consumer spending, and the growth of the healthcare sector.

At Steady Returns, clients:

1. Can talk with their advisor as much as needed.
2. Are not going to do any paperwork.
3. Have online access to a comprehensive view of their investments.
4. Receive frequent communications from the team about pertinent financial topics.

For more information, please contact Christopher Burr, Director of Client Service, at [email protected]

The 2025 100-Hole Challenge is upon us.  We also offer a chance to win a trip to play and stay Pebble Beach!

Please visit our website for more information.

To register your club or team to play, please contact [email protected]

The Youth on Course membership enables young people 18 and under to gain access to play rounds of golf for $5 or less at thousands of courses and opportunities to succeed off the course through various programs. Financial assistance is available. Please visit the YOC website to register.

We began a special needs golf program at Quiet Waters Elementary School. The four-week golf program is for a class of twenty-four kindergarten and first grade students. Coach Robert Ferzoco is leading the classes.

Thank you to the Quiet Waters Elementary School, supervisor Alison Keenan and all the special needs staff and volunteers for their assistance in making this possible.

The James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational generously invited our Chapter to send a team to the Women’s Pro-Am and the Wednesday Pro-Am.

Senior Program Director Emily Valentine joined teen participants Taylor Pedrique, Keala Richichi, and Madyson Barone for a truly unforgettable experience– playing in the James Hardie Invitational Women’s Pro-Am at Broken Sound Club on Monday of tournament week.

To make the day even more special, the group had the honor of teeing it up alongside PGA Tour Champions player Ted Purdy, who brought pro-level insight, encouragement, and plenty of fun to the round.

“This experience wasn’t just about playing in a Pro-Am,” said Emily. “It was about showing these young women—and everyone watching—what’s possible when opportunity meets preparation.”

On Wednesday, of tournament week, three Chapter alumni were invited to play with a PGA TOUR Champions player and an NFL Hall of Famer.  Chapter alumni Trevor Tarashuk, Nyla Sims and Felipe Obando were selected to play with professional Felipe Aguilar and Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer John Randle- WOW!

“The course was in perfect condition and the SWAG was incredible,” said Trevor.  “I received a $450 gift card from TaylorMade, which is awesome, because I need new wedges.”

It was a special day for our alumni as Aguilar and Randle shared stories and insights on their professional careers with our alumni.

Our PGA Junior League Draft Party was a huge success! Seventy enthusiastic junior golfers came together to kick off an exciting new season, and the energy was electric from the very start.

Setting the tone for the celebration, one of our very own All-Star participants, Collin Link, wowed the crowd with an amazing electric guitar rendition of the National Anthem—a moment to remember and a perfect way to launch the season in style!

We’re thrilled to see such passion, teamwork, and sportsmanship from the very beginning, and we cannot wait for an incredible season ahead.

At just 7 years old, Kensley is already turning heads on the fairways. With a natural swing and a smile that lights up the course, Kensley is quickly becoming one of the most exciting young talents in our program, and she only picked up a golf club last year.

From the moment Kensley joined us, coaches noticed something special. A lefty with a fluid, effortless swing, she approaches every lesson with curiosity, energy, and an eagerness to improve. What’s most inspiring? She still doesn’t realize just how good she really is.

Kensley is the kind of young athlete who reminds us of what the First Tee experience is all about, developing not only golf skills, but also confidence, character, and a love for the game that will last a lifetime. As she grows with our program, we can’t wait to see her potential blossom.

The students from Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward had a great time at our clinic at Topgolf Pompano.  The BGC Leo Goodwin Foundation Teen Center attended the 90-minute field trip to Topgolf Pompano.

The Boys & Girls Clubs have planned four more field trips for golf clinics at Topgolf Pompano and All Golf @ CB Smith Park over the summer.

Coach Robert Ferzoco taught the clinic with special thanks to Jill Arbogast, Teen Center Director of BGC Broward County for arranging, transporting and chaperoning the students.

Thank you to the Topgolf Pompano Team for donating the hitting bays and welcoming our team.

Our Chapter hosted an unforgettable evening at the Lauderdale Yacht Club for our Wine Tasting Fundraiser.

Thanks to the generosity of our guests, we raised an impressive $38,000 to support youth development and veterans programs across Broward County. A highlight of the evening was our silent auction, featuring a premier offering from Exclusive Resorts, one of the key sponsors of the evening.

The night was filled with exceptional wine, meaningful conversations, and a touch of elegance, as guests had the opportunity to socialize and learn about the rich history behind a beautifully curated wine selection.

A very special thank you goes to our Presenting Wine Sponsor, Caymus Vineyards, for providing an outstanding array of wines that elevated the evening’s experience. We are equally grateful to our supporting sponsors:

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