Category: Palm Beaches

The annual First Tee Leadership Series in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore concluded last month at the Palm Beach Gardens store. 10 students from our chapter participated. 

The program is an interactive five-week series designed to provide teens the opportunity to discover their personal values and emerging leadership strengths. Through the series, teens also begin to explore potential career fields based on those findings and frame out multi-year goals to guide them as they navigate future career opportunities. 

The Leadership Series – which was co-created between First Tee and PGA TOUR Superstore – is being hosted in communities across the country where there is a store and a First Tee chapter. PGA TOUR Superstore general managers will facilitate the interactive sessions either virtually or in stores. 

Once the participants complete the series, they will be eligible to apply for the First Tee Leadership Summit in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore. The Summit will be held this summer at PGA TOUR Superstore Chairman Arthur M. Blank’s West Creek Ranch in Montana. Forty teens will be selected for the Summit where they will take part in interactive workshops and outdoor leadership trainings.

Calling our nation’s heroes. Did you know that we offer FREE programs for veterans six days a week? Any skill level welcome, including beginners. We provide instruction, golf equipment and the opportunity to play on area courses. Please contact Coach Dave McNulty, PGA at 561-324-4176 or [email protected] for more information.

Staff Sergeant Shaw stated, “Being able to connect with my veteran brothers through the First Tee veterans’ program has improved my life.”

Our veterans have significantly improved their golf game, but more importantly, they have improved their life and are inspired by their fellow veterans and coaches that are involved in our program. Several of our veterans have additionally began volunteering for us, continuing their service to give back to the community through the greatest game- golf. 

Douglas added, “This program has changed my life and the life of my children who are also involved with the First Tee program.”

In 2021, we served 179 veterans with generous grants from Pratt & Whitney and the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation.

Jacie started with our chapter in fifth grade. Wasn’t that just yesterday? Now she is a high school senior playing on the Palm Beach Gardens golf team and will be attending college starting in August!

Chapter student Jacie Goodman has enjoyed an incredible eight years as a First Tee student. She attended the Game Changers Academy in Boise, Idaho and the John Deere Drive Your Future Academy in Detroit, Michigan. She has volunteered as an Assistant Coach and worked at the Els Center of Excellence serving students on the autism spectrum.

During her sophomore year she asked about joining our caddie program. There was an opening available at Old Marsh Golf Club and her journey began to become an Evans Scholar. Through the Western Golf Association, the Evans Scholars Foundation awards full tuition and housing scholarship to deserving caddies. There are currently 1,070 promising young men and women at 22 leading universities across the country.

To earn this prestigious and very competitive scholarship candidates must demonstrate: 

– A strong caddie record………Jacie will have over 160 loops in 3 years.
– Excellent academics…………How about a 3.7 GPA.
– Financial need………………..Jacie grew up in a single parent household.
– Outstanding character……….First Tee, Sports Management Magnet, Els for Autism volunteer, National Honor Society, Golf Team Captain.

“The members at Old Marsh simply love Jacie,” said Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta. “It has been an incredible three-year experience for her. We are so appreciative to the members and golf staff at Old Marsh, especially Caddie Master Ron Letellier who played such an integral role in her success. She is not only our first chapter student to win the scholarship, but she is also the first female caddie from Florida to become an Evans Scholar!”

Jacie applied to 9 Evans Scholar colleges and was accepted to Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and many others. The last step was earning the Evans Scholarship. During her scholarship interview, there was not a dry eye in the house. She was awarded the scholarship and will be attending the University of Michigan in the Fall. Go Blue!

“Michigan was always her first choice, and her dreams have come true,” said Jacie’s mom Paula Goodman. “She worked so hard for this scholarship. It took so many people to make it happen for her- First Tee for the opportunity, the members of Old Marsh and the Evans Scholars Foundation. These generous people have changed Jacie’s life.”

Pictured above, left to right: John Braniff- Evans Foundation Director and Old Marsh member, Jack Druga- VP Development Evans Foundation, Paula Goodman, Jacie, Ron Letellier, Carl Mistretta and Emily Valentine.

Time to enroll your children in our First Tee programs. Summer camps are just around the corner.
 
Our program locations include: 

• Keiser University Golf Coaching Center 
• Commons Park Golf Learning Center 
• John Prince Golf Learning Center 
• The Golf Club of Jupiter 
• Madison Green Country Club 
• Michael B. Finnegan Learning Center – Dyer Park 
• North Palm Beach Country Club 
• Okeeheelee Golf Course 
• Park Ridge Golf Course 
• Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course
• PGA TOUR Superstore – Palm Beach Gardens 
• Southwinds Golf Course 
• Wellington National Golf Club 
• Park Ridge 
• Westchester Country Club
• The Village Golf Club
 
For more information and to register, please visit our website. 

Manny had a great week at The Honda Classic with his dad. Somehow, he gets all the great pics with the pros and celebrities wherever he goes.

Here is one with Honda Classic Co-Chair Barbara Nicklaus. Manny, what is your secret and when are you running for office?

Enroll your children in our First Tee programs as golf is the sport of business and the sport of a lifetime! 
 
Our program locations include: 

• Keiser University Golf Coaching Center 
• Commons Park Golf Learning Center 
• John Prince Golf Learning Center 
• The Golf Club of Jupiter 
• Madison Green Country Club 
• Michael B. Finnegan Learning Center – Dyer Park 
• North Palm Beach Country Club 
• Okeeheelee Golf Course 
• Park Ridge Golf Course 
• PGA TOUR Superstore – Palm Beach Gardens 
• Southwinds Golf Course 
• Wellington National Golf Club 
 
For more information and to register, please visit our website.

Our Chapter enjoys a very long and continually growing partnership with the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course. Each year, the Par 3 Foundation funds three weeks of summer camps for our students at the course. These funds are raised each year at the Raymond Floyd Open.

Our Chapter sends a team each year to compete in the Raymond Floyd Open. This year’s team was comprised PGA TOUR winner and Chapter Coach Trevor Dodds, chapter students Billy Reid, Olivia Marano, and Mateo Muniz and Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta.

The team got hot and finished with 10 birdies in a row to card a 13 under par round. We finished tied for 1st but lost on a match of cards to the team lead by Dennis Walters and Gussie.

“We really wanted to win,” said Mateo. “This tournament was so much fun, and I rolled in a lot of putts. We did beat Trustee Bob Simses’ team, which was very important to Mr. Carl for some reason. I think Mr. Bob is his uncle.”
Special SHOUT OUT to Tony Chateavert, PGA and Angie Young of the Palm Beach G.C. for conducting such an awesome event!

Monday afternoon after tournament week, our Chapter conducted our annual Monday after The Honda Invitational. Our donors, supporters and students play the Sunday pins from the PGA TOUR event. A few crazy people even played the pro tees!

“The course was so much fun, and the greens were lightning fast. Even the fairways were fast!” said Chapter student Zoe Shamy. “This tournament allows us to see what it is really like to play on the PGA TOUR. We are so grateful to The Honda Classic for offering us such a memorable experience.”

Everyone met for dinner after the tournament and the highlight for the day was Chapter student Jacie Goodman telling the players all about her experiences with First Tee including attending national academies and caddying at Old Marsh. She was accompanied by chapter students and alumni (pictured above right).

Monday after the Honda tournament results were as follows:

LOW GROSS
1st – Peter Helie and Bobby Collins (68) (pictured above left)
2nd – John Hahn and Anthony Webb (68)
3rd – David Ladd and James Wittek (69)

LOW NET
1st – Steve Politziner and Eric Glasband (58) (pictured above middle)
2nd – Mike Miller and Mike Townsend (60)
3rd – Mark Reid and Alex Gilmurray (60)

Closest to the Hole #5 – Scott Pagano 1′-3″
Closest to the Hole #7 – Bobby Collins 7′-4″
Closest to the Hole #15 – Eric Glasband 12′-6″
Closest to the Hole #17 – Rod Ryan 5′-2″

Saturday morning of tournament week Chapter participants and students from Inner City Youth Golfers were invited to a special behind the scenes tour of The Honda Classic. The tour included the media center, inside the ropes access to the driving range and putting green, the ShotLink truck and a meet and greet and lunch with John Cowles, CEO of Trugreen at the TruGreen Backyard tent.

Pictured above: Manny the mayor with (left to right): Honda Classic Executive Director Ken Kennerly, John Cowles, Manny and Chapter Executive Director Carl Mistretta.

During Friday of tournament week, Chapter students Willie “Coyote” Inman and Jayda Dookie were selected as this year’s inside the ropes PGA TOUR Junior Course Reporters. They were given special media credentials, toured the Tim Rosaforte Media Center and learned about camera work and reporting from ESPN’s and WPTV’s sports anchor Theo Dorsey. The students were invited to video interview Chase Koepka!

“Theo was awesome!” said Wylie. “He spent the whole day with us and showed us what it takes to cover the most important sporting event in Palm Beach County.”
At the end of the day, Wylie accompanied his father Bill, a veteran, to the Patriots Outpost and met Governor Ron DeSantis!