Category: Treasure Coast

Congratulations Chapter Coach Gabbie Budd, LPGA on completing her Class A LPGA Certification!

Coach Gabbie has been an LPGA A2 professional since December 2020, and she has spent the last three years attending classes and seminars to complete her Class A. 

Her goal as an instructor is to grow the game that we all love, and through First Tee she has been able to accomplish this goal daily. She finds her role very rewarding, and she has committed herself to building Game Changers through the game of golf. 

We are so proud of Coach Gabbie and look forward to watching her grow in her career and as an integral part of our team.

Martin County Special Olympics participant Caroline Shea qualified for the State Golf Skills games at Orange County National. Caroline loves the game of golf and plays regularly with her parents at Mariner Sands Country Club. Caroline placed 3rd in her division.  We are all so proud of her and her coach, David Fleck!

This fall, we teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters to bring golf to students at Pinewood Elementary School. Big Brothers Big Sisters focuses on pairing up a “Big” with a “Little” to provide the Littles with a positive role model and to give the Bigs an opportunity to be involved in their community. Coach Gabbie Budd, LPGA was a firsthand witness to the success of this program. Each week, the Littles were so excited to see their Bigs, and the Bigs felt the same way!

We recently partnered with the Martin County Police Athletic League (PAL) at Sailfish Sands Golf Course for a 6-week program. Each week, the participants learned golf and life skills we establish through the game. The students learned how to set and pursue goals.

For the final week of class, they had a fun celebration at the indoor hitting bays at Sailfish Sands! Coach Gabbie Budd, LPGA taught the program.  She was inspired by the kids’ excitement.  She was thrilled by the enthusiasm that the students demonstrated. We are so proud of these students and their commitment to being Game Changers.

Our Fall programs are under way.  Enroll your children at one of our 11 Martin and St. Lucie Counties program locations.

For more information and to register, please visit our website by scanning the QR code.

Visit our new online store to shop for First Tee – Treasure Coast branded merchandise!  Tons of items and colors to choose from.  Just in time for the holiday season!

Chapter Coach Chuck Washington, veteran and Coach Willie Scott, volunteer Dave McCall, and participant Maximus Resendiz won the Fort Pierce Rotary Club Golf Tournament at Gator Trace Golf and Country Club with a score of 54!

Rotary clubs bring together people across generations who wish to create lasting change in the world, in their communities, and in themselves. Rotary members around the world strengthen their connections to friends and neighbors by taking action through service.

David Ladd, PGA has been a long-time coach and supporter of our Chapter.  He is a huge advocate of junior golf in the Treasure Coast. We are excited to share that David has qualified for the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan. David will be in the field with the most accomplished senior golfers to take on this Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in May 2024. This is an amazing accomplishment, and we look forward to cheering for David during tournament week.

The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship is one of the most historic and prestigious major championships in senior golf.  The championship was first held in 1937 and was contested at Augusta National Golf Club. Each year, it showcases the legends of golf.

Two Chapter students attended the TimberTech Women’s Day and Pro-Am with Coaches Gabbie Budd, LPGA and Nyla Sims. The students, Emma Huber and Mia Baez, spent the morning listening to a panel led by philanthropist, former LPGA Tour Player and current broadcaster, Morgan Pressel. Emma and Mia were inspired by her words, and both wish to continue her legacy by being fierce competitors on the course, and Game Changers off the course.

In the afternoon Emma, Mia, and our Coaches played the Pro-Am with Chapter Director Ken Duke at the Old Course at Broken Sound. They had a team score of 11 under par.

“Ken Duke and his caddie, Marvin, made the round a fantastic experience for the girls,” said Coach Gabbie. “He captained our team and helped the students during the round. Mia and Emma were both amazed by how straight and far the ball went when Ken hit it.”

In 2016, Ken Duke’s vision of founding a non-profit 501(c) 3 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 enjoyed by everyone that attends this great weekend. The tournament supports national and local organizations each year to benefit from the event.

The tournament generously supports our Chapter’s children and veterans each year.  Ken also serves as a Director on our Treasure Coast Board.  Chapter President Andrew Hunt joined Director of Operations Anthony Coletta and Executive Director Carl Mistretta to play in this year’s event.

“We are so grateful to Ken for his incredible generosity,” said Chapter President Andrew Hunt.  “Ken and his tournament supporters impact the lives of so many deserving people each year.  It is an honor to be a benefitting charity of this tournament and to have Ken very involved with our organization.”

Our Fall programs are under way.  Enroll your children at one of our 11 St. Lucie and Martin Counties Program Locations. 

For more information and to register, please visit our website by scanning the QR code.