Year: 2018

Our sister chapter to the south is facing a no-bid deal to replace their golf course and chapter with a soccer stadium.  We cannot let this long-standing beacon of golf and community service disappear from South Florida.  Please CLICK HERE and sign the petition ASAP to save Melreese Country Club.  The public hearing is scheduled for July 12^th.   Just like our chapter, The First Tee of Miami not only serves thousands of students through their programs of The First Tee, but their dedicated staff also brings golf and outdoor recreation to children with special needs and Veterans.  The club hosts many important events and their entire organization provides for over $16,000,000 in economic impact to Miami-Dade County.  Melreese hosts the PGA TOUR LATINOAMERICA Championship, the Haitian American Amateur and The City of Miami Golf Classic.

Summer is almost here.  How will you fill your child’s time while school is out? Golf is an activity that keeps your child active while learning valuable life skills that will help them at school and at home. Here Are 5 Reasons Your Children Should Experience Golf This Summer:

• Your Child Will Have Fun
• All Levels are Welcome from Beginner to Advanced
• More Time Outside
• Golf is the Sport of a Lifetime
• Golf is the Sport of Business.  Help their future business career this summer!

Camp locations include West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Lake Worth and the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course.  Space is limited. CLICK HERE to register for a week of Summer Camp.

We would like to send a special shout out and thank you to the Palm Beach County, Tri-County and Fore County Women’s Golf Associations and to Chapter Director Marsha Funk for supporting our organization. “Our Chapter is proud to continue a 45%+ female participation rate,” said Program Director Connie Capanegra, LPGA.  “Introducing the game to young females and helping them to develop their golf skills through high school is an important segment of our mission. The PBCWGA, Tri-County and Fore County Associations are the driving force in women’s golf in south Florida.  Their membership, tournament schedules and impact on the game continue to grow each year. Pictured:  Barbara Dipalma- President of Fore County Women’s Golf Association, Jack Barrett- Chapter Development Director, Chapter Director Marsha Funk, and Kathy Copelin- President of Palm Beach County Women’s Golf Association. 

The Jupiter Hills Club, home of the highly regarded Hills and Village courses, hosted the 2018 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, where 256 of the best amateur golfers from across the country competed in the 4th annual USGA event. Jupiter Hills became the first Florida golf club to host two USGA National Championships.   The club previously hosted the 1987 U.S. Amateur won by Billy Mayfair. Our Chapter was very excited to be a part of this tournament and lent a hand with many of our students and coaches volunteering as walking scorers or forecaddies.  Our participants and parents were volunteers throughout the week, rain or shine. “Being a volunteer was one of the best ways to experience the excitement of a USGA Championship,” said Chapter participant Harrison Hutchings.  “Thank you to Jupiter Hills and the USGA for letting us be a part of a memorable championship experience.”   Congratulations to the two 18-year-old winners Cole Hammer, of Houston, Texas, and Garrett Barber, of Stuart, Florida.

Experience trips of a lifetime and support our chapter.  The Bucket List Golf & Social Club is designed to provide bucket list experiences to “enhance the lives, businesses and the community for which we live, work and play.”  Each experience is created to provide members and guests the utmost in culinary events, golf outings, sporting events, travel and cultural events while entertaining, networking and enjoying friends and colleagues. The next Bucket List experience includes a visit to The Abaco Club, the #1 rated golf course in the Bahamas for two rounds of golf. Schedule of Events Dates:  August 12 – 13, 2018 Sunday: 9:25AM: Depart Ft. Lauderdale International Airport to Marsh Harbour, The Bahamas (Silver Airways #63) 10:35AM: Arrive in Marsh Harbour, The Bahamas Noon: Lunch (TBD) 2:00PM: Golf (The Abaco Club) 6:00PM: 19th Hole 8:00PM: Dinner (TBD) Monday: 8:00AM: Breakfast 9:30AM: Golf (The Abaco Club) 1:30PM: Lunch / 19th Hole ​5:00PM: Depart Marsh Harbour to Ft. Lauderdale (Silver Airways #68) ​6:15PM: Arrive in Ft. Lauderdale ​ Includes: Food and Beverage per Itinerary ​Overnight Accommodations: Cabana Room Golf (2) ​Ground Transportation​ Cost: $1,750.00 per person. Space is limited. Please RSVP ASAP to [email protected] and make checks payable to The First Tee of The Palm Beaches. Not Covered: Airfare ($321 per Travelocity as of 7/7/18)​ Questions: Please contact Brian Anderson at [email protected] or 954-204-5428.

Special thanks to Atlantic DryJect, The Breakers Hotel Golf Course Maintenance Staff, Golf Agronomics and ITP. DryJect is a revolutionary service which, when added to a maintenance program, can reduce the need for core aerification and greatly amplify the benefits of sand amendments by distributing them into the ground more completely. Our greens are healthy and breathing after all of the hard work.

Congratulations to our longtime friend and ambassador, Dennis Walters, on receiving the Bob Jones Award! His live is a truly inspiring story of perseverance. The USGA will bestow its highest honor, the Bob Jones Award, on Dennis Walters of Jupiter, Fla., at a ceremony on June 13, 2018, one of the highlights of U.S. Open Championship week in Southampton, N.Y. Presented annually since 1955, the Bob Jones Award recognizes an individual who demonstrates the spirit, personal character and respect for the game exhibited by Jones, winner of nine USGA championships. Known for his never-say-quit attitude, Walters turned the tragedy of being paralyzed from the waist down at age 24 from a golf-cart accident into a personal mission to teach golf and life lessons to a worldwide audience. His story continues to inspire fans of all backgrounds through the countless professional talks and trick-shot shows he has conducted since 1977.

An invitation was made possible by an exchange program between our chapter and The First Tee of Aiken. Students from Aiken attended The Honda Classic and played in our Monday after tournament. The objective of this exchange is to expand the inclusion of The First Tee of The Palm Beaches at the 2018 Junior Invitational at Sage Valley by providing a unique environment that promotes enhanced life and golf skills experiences. The participant enjoyed: – Rotating through 4 stations of interactive activities with local pros, reps from TaylorMade and Nike, tournament sponsors, and some of the junior competitors – Volunteer as standard bearers, scoreboards, walking scorers, and other areas as needed – A round of golf Our Chapter sent eight teen participants along with volunteers and chaperones for an awesome experience. Thank you to The First Tee of Aiken staff, directors and students!

Summer is almost here. How will you fill your child’s time while school is out? Golf is an activity that keeps your child active while learning valuable life skills that will help them at school and at home. Here Are 5 Reasons Your Children Should Experience Golf This Summer: – Your Child Will Have Fun – All Levels are Welcome from Beginner to Advanced – More Time Outside – Golf is the Sport of a Lifetime – Golf is the Sport of Business. Help their future business career this summer! Camp locations include West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Lake Worth and the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course. Space is limited. CLICK HERE to register for a week of Summer Camp.

Our Chapter recently hosted a lunch event at The Cooper Restaurant on PGA Boulevard. Our Directors and staff wondered how the event would go as this was our first lunch gathering. The answer was FANTASTIC!! Over 60 guests were in attendance with not a seat left in the house. “We had many new faces join us,” said Eddy Slotnick, Chapter Director. “Our new friends came for the great food at The Cooper, but left with a much better understanding of the programs of The First Tee and the people we serve in our community.” The lunch featured Chapter speakers representing our life skills, Veterans and special needs programs to educate the audience on our mission and programs. Special thanks to Eddy Slotnick and Rich Rosenthal from The Cooper (pictured above). The event also raised over $2,000 for our students and Veterans. To learn more about The Cooper, please visit http://www.thecooperrestaurant.com/