Summer is here, So what makes us different?

As the sun sets on another school year and parents look toward what summer will bring, I receive many inquiries about The First Tee that usually include two questions. Why The First Tee? What makes you different? To be fair, before answering these questions I must first reflect on my past. The First Tee was established in 1997 when I was the age of 16. By this time, I was preparing for college visits and envisioning my “future,” which didn’t take me much past the age of 22. Five years prior I was the child whose parents were in constant preparation seeking out a “things to do” list for their extravert of a daughter. I’ll never forget those summer days being dropped off at Quail Ridge Golf Course with my golf clubs, a bathing suit, water bottle and lunch box. I would be on the property from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and knew what the expectations were if I was spending the day at the golf course. It was to respect the staff, find ways to help, hold the door and no yelling or running. In those eight hours I could walk 27-to-36 holes, hit balls on the range, play two or three games of up and down with a friend and spend time at the pool with my girlfriends that had no interest in golf. Other weeks I remember attending junior golf camps to pass the time or even “help” at a camp when I began excelling out of the group. Fast forward to today, when those two initial questions were asked again. Why The First Tee? What makes you different? What I will tell you is this … The First Tee is not a youth golf camp. It is not a summer program. It is not golf lessons for kids. The First Tee is designed around teaching youth the game of golf, as well as helping them understand and develop the nine core values the organization is based on. It’s a place where golf and life lessons are seamlessly incorporated into each experience. In addition to learning fundamentals of the golf swing and the game, participant experiences will translate into valuable life skills such as problem solving, managing time, controlling emotions, making friends, working well with others and improving relationships with family and community. We encourage our participants that have gotten “the bug” to attend camps, academies or take private lessons. The opportunities today are endless. They may participate in the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, the PGA Junior League, Tin Whistles Junior Tour Series and many more just here in our backyard. Within our arsenal of volunteers, coaches and leaders includes PGA and LPGA members, certified instructors, club fitters and fitness experts. These resources are not only an asset for our curriculum program delivery but for our participants that want to develop their golf abilities outside of their weekly visit to The First Tee of the Sandhills. With that kind of guidance, one of the participants may grow to be the next Rickie Fowler or Paula Creamer … or better yet, the next Bob Burwell, one of the most active volunteers with our local chapter. Here’s to a summer of success, both on and off course. Courtney Stiles is the executive director of The First Tee of the Sandhills. Contact her at [email protected].