THE FIRST TEE

by Warren Grant

That lofty goal finally became the fulfilled vision in 1997 of the Commissioner of the PGA Tour, Tim Finchem. He had guided that member organization of elite tour golfers like Tiger Woods and Fred Couples to unprecedented successes while for years supporting the growth of the game through countless charitable contributions and related civic initiatives across the country.

But Finchemʻs vision was specifically focused on this country ’s youth — the game ’s future — as he secured the support for his endeavor from the four additional major American influencing bodies in the sport; the United States Golf Association (USGA), The Ladies PGA Tour (LPGA), the Masters Tournament Foundation, and the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA).

Under Finchem’s guidance, those five founding partners laid the ambitious groundwork for The First Tee, whose mission was to make the game of golf more accessible. The program was officially launched in November of 1997 in Central Park with the announcement of Honorary Chair President George H.W. Bush.

Over the next two years, First Tee took life and structure, but it also organically grew its mission to “ impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.”

It was no longer a program to introduce kids and teens to golf but to develop inner strengths they ’ ll carry with them everywhere. The inaugural First Tee Chapter opened in March of 1999 in Valparaiso, IN, with the new and broader mission as their beacon.

This November, as First Tee celebrates its 25th anniversary, the organization has grown to a network of 150 chapters with programs delivered at 1,400 golf courses, 1,700 youth centers, and 10,000 schools in all 50 states and select international locations, while reaching 2.2 million youth.

“For over 25 years, we’ve used golf to teach lessons about life. We’ve spun the unexpected challenges on the fairway to coach kids about adversity in the everyday. It ’s not just a game; it ’s game-changing. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we recognize that every one of us plays a role in lifting up our youth— partners, donors, coaches, volunteers, and staff. And we collectively commit as an organization to spending the next 25 years and beyond opening the door to even more kids,” said a spokesman for First Tee.

As mentioned in that statement, two of the vital resources First Tee relies on are coaches and volunteers. And that ’s proven a valuable outlet for seniors looking to get involved in their local community … often a new community for those who have recently relocated after retirement.

For retiree Chris Messerlie of Sunset Beach, North Carolina, First Tee proved the perfect fit for his dual interests in civic involvement and golf.

Says Chris, “I had been volunteer-teaching at a local elementary school when a golf buddy invited me to play in the local First Tee charity golf tournament. Before we teed off, the organizers explained the program’s positive impact on children, which piqued my interest. So, I signed up as a volunteer coach and am now constantly rewarded working with these remarkable kids.”

As you might imagine, volunteering to teach life skills to young children requires training and understanding. All volunteers for First Tee first go through a background check, then complete an online national certification by SafeSport, which teaches the facts, principles, and strategies to help provide safe and positive sport environments. That ’s followed by important classroom training run by the staff of First Tee’s local chapter.

That training focuses on the two overriding tenants to be shared with the kids. The first is to always follow First Tee Code of Conduct:

Respect for myself

Respect for others

Respect for my surroundings

The second tenant is to instill the program ’s Nine Core Values: Honesty, Integrity, Sportsmanship, Respect, Confidence, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courtesy, and Judgement.

All the other teaching — and it is considerable — revolves around those two overriding tenants. The informal third tenant is just to have fun.

“ I ’ ve seen how powerful these teachings are when they’ re integrated with the game of golf,” shares Chris. “ We had a little guy in the program with a stutter, and he was shy and didn’t speak much. Now, after a year in the program, we can’t get him to hush up. And none of his friends ever made fun of him … never.”

Adds Chris, “ COVID-19 put a hold on a lot of public interactions, so there ’s a shortage of volunteers and coaches at First Tee. I would encourage retirees like me to contact your local chapter and experience for yourself how fulfilling the interaction with the kids can be.”

Chris is part of the Brunswick County section, the geographic middle of the Coastal Carolinas First Tee Chapter, which runs from New Bern, NC, down to Horry County, SC, and inspires about 30,000 kids.

The program manager for Brunswick County is Terry Mauney, a former PGA Tour and PGA Champions Tour professional who competed against Jack Nicklaus back in the day. He is also a Class-A member of the PGA of America.

Mauney answers the phone ‘ Coach Terry ’ thoroughly appropriate as his enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring is infectious, even through a phone line. Coach Terry is a full-time employee of First Tee Chapter, as are just a few other administrative people. Everyone else is a volunteer. From fundraising and coaching to tournament planning and marketing, they are all volunteer driven.

Coach Terry runs a pretty cool, privately owned 27-acre facility that includes an administrative building, a 400-yard driving range, three regulation-length holes (pars 3, 4, and 5), and a nine-hole short course designed by Tom Watson Golf Course Design, plus a Learning Center and Leadership Academy.

One of his program ’s success stories is 11-year-old Cameron, who had a stressful upbringing and was socially reticent. Cameron, a novice golfer, participated in the in-school, after-school, and summer camp programs of First Tee. Within weeks in the program, his confidence levels surged.

Says Coach, "I first saw Cameron at a camp and thought, 'Who is this child?' He had perfect balance in his golf swing. He was respectful; he changed his grip on the spot. And we had him playing small tournaments with older kids soon after. He came out of his shell."

According to Cameron, "First Tee teaches you about sportsmanship a lot and improved my confidence when I used to be nervous. They've helped improve my responsibility and stuff. It's just fun overall, and you meet a lot of new friends."

Cameron, who now puts Post-its on his bathroom mirror to remind him of responsibilities, even mentors his younger niece, telling her things like, "You can do this; you just have to try hard."

Sounds like Commissioner Finchem had it right.