In a world where technology continues to strive to dominate our day, it’s reassuring to see that a mountain of glow sticks, illuminated golf balls, bee-bop music and some sweet treats can successfully engage a group of kiddos – at least for a few hours.
As Pat McGowan pointed out – when you walk around these activities, you’re not going to see a cell phone, the kids are enjoying being in the moment, getting something positive out of their experience and simply being kids.
Now, that makes for a breath of fresh air. And something worth writing about!
Last weekend’s Glow Ball Night festivities in Fayetteville and Whispering Pines were truly a fun filled winter finale. A celebration where kids giggled, golfed and gamed with their new and old friends.
99 of them to be exact.
Whether they were on the Galaxy Golf Course, Cosmic Tic-Tac-Toe board or competing in an intense game of Laser Toss – the real winner of the evening was FUN. Glow-tastic fun, that is.
All thanks to Gates Four Golf & CC, Country Club of Whispering Pines, Pinehurst Resort and many of our highly enthusiastic volunteers!
It’s just another nod to how successful we can be when Community comes together.
Because, together, we can do so much!
VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE NIGHT(S)
Spring programs across the Sandhills will kick off in three weeks at golf courses, youth centers and ball fields near you.
In an effort to achieve our vision – ensuring a diverse group of kids are provided the chance to develop and grow through mentorship and character education while enjoying the game of golf – we have set the lofty goal of expanding our program offerings to reach 27% more kiddos across 2019.
So, how will we reach 27% more kiddos? A little less sleep and the help of more volunteers!
If seeing kids grin ear to ear when they win their first round of putt-tac-toe, or squeal happily when they launch a rubber ducky out of the bunker excites you – or, even more, having a participant come back on week 3 and exclaim they took out the trash without being asked or studied a little longer and made their best grade on this week’s spelling test – we’d like to tell you more!
To prepare for our March kick off, we are hosting Volunteer Orientation and Training on Tuesday, March 5 at Pinehurst No. 6 from 3:00pm – 5:00pm.
Orientation and Training is open to all volunteers – whether you are returning, newly signed up or simply interested in what we are all about!
The format provides an engaging and interactive overview of The First Tee’s positive youth development model, allowing volunteers to feel confident in their availability to assist with the delivery of the Life Skills Experience curriculum.
During these sessions, we will facilitate a mock lesson plan, review safety standards, introduce The First Tee Coaching Philosophy, and answer any questions you may have.
Anyone in the community that has a willingness to give their time as a positive youth mentor – through golf – is encouraged to attend to learn more.
And, don’t worry! Attending doesn’t commit you to volunteering, it simply gives you a peek inside what we do.
But, for those ready to commit, remember, you can be an asset to The First Tee of the Sandhills no matter your handicap or lack thereof!
Interested? Reach out to Matthew Sullivan at 910.255.3035 or [email protected] to save a spot at Pinehurst No. 6 on March 5.
We hope to see you in a few weeks!
Winter at The First Tee of the Sandhills can feel like an eternity, as our formal ‘off season’ from curriculum programs runs November through February.
It’s always our goal to find fun, unique ways to keep existing participants engaged and connected while encouraging new families to check out our programs and meet our volunteers.
Throughout ‘winter’ we’ve hosted Play Days, Skills Days, Bowling and more.
As our winter calendar comes to a close, we’ve decided to celebrate by combining some of our favorite things – golf, bright lights, and food – into two fun nights for kids.
On Friday, February 22 and Saturday, February 23 we’re hosting Glow Ball Night Events at Gates Four Golf & CC and the Country Club of Whispering Pines, respectively.
The fun and games are open to all youth age 7 to 12. Past participation in The First Tee is not a requirement. While some golf experience is encouraged!
Just imagine Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory converted into a glowing masterpiece and you get Night Golf.
Participants will have their chance play a glow golf putting course, a cosmic corn hole challenge, illuminated tic-tac-toe and more!
Friendly competition will ensue, by age group, with winners taking home glow-tastic prizes and dessert to top off a fun night indoors!
There will be a staggered start for participants based on age. Seven and Eight year olds start first (between 4 – 6pm) with Eleven and Twelve year olds, last (around 7:00pm).
This is a drop-off youth event. Space in the ballroom is limited, The First Tee of the Sandhills Staff and Trained Volunteers will be taking kiddos through the evening’s activities.
Just think, a Date Night on behalf of The First Tee!
Families must register in advance. Space will be limited!
To learn more and get your family registered, visit firstteesandhills.org/glowball or call our office at 910.255.3035.
We’re looking forward to a great winter finale!
This week I’ve been on a vacation of sorts in Ormond Beach, Florida with my mom, Pam. It’s our first trip out of town together, san the kiddos, since before they were born, 10 years ago.
While we’ve been away, I’ve met a lot of really great people, including one in particular, Miguel Eugenio Collado, the proud father of three, including UCF Sophomore, Ana Laura Collado.
Mr. Collado is completing his third year of a three year term on the Executive Committee for the Mexican Golf Federation where he serves as the National Youth Children Committee counselor, advocate and leader.
What was most inspiring about getting to know Miguel over about four hours was his personal story with the game of golf.
His oldest of three children, now 23, came to him at the age of 7 declaring he wanted to play golf. Dad, immediately concerned, because he had never played or been around the sport, was taken back by his young son’s maturity in stating, dad don’t worry about it, I’m going to figure it out.
Miguel quickly realized that if he son had fallen in love with an activity, he wanted to be involved, to be able to understand the game and support his son’s endeavors.
Now, three golfing children later, Mr. Collado still does not play the sport, but is deeply rooted in the game.
Getting involved in the golf world in Mexico while his children were still young school age, Miguel saw something different about the sport. Everyone he met was welcoming, encouraging and positive role models. He truly loved what he was seeing about the people that played the sport and recognized he was an environment he wanted his children to grow up in.
So, he began to get involved himself. Encouraging more families across Mexico to play the game, showing them the opportunities their children could gain by playing golf and coming to the United States for college.
Paths that lead him to his current role with the Mexican Golf Federation. A volunteer role which keeps him incredibly busy traveling across Mexico, mentoring his representatives in each state, four times a year, and working with families to help them along their path.
When you talk to Miguel about golf in Mexico, he truly lights up, expressing the positive impact the sport is having on the country and his family. He doesn’t speak about revenue or tourist impact, only about the Core Values he sees kids and families learning and applying through the sport.
A pretty cool story to sit back and listen to from a man so far away from a local chapter of The First Tee. A family man who has seen the sport naturally make a positive impact on so many families and who is driven to keep progressing the game in the Mexican culture.
I didn’t know I would meet Miguel Eugenio Collado during my vacation, but I’m sure glad I did! And, maybe, you’ll have the chance to meet him too, he hopes in the coming years his daughter will be eligible to play in the North and South Women’s Amateur right here in Pinehurst.
New Year’s Day I was lucky enough to tee it up on Pinehurst No. 2. My first round on the course since moving back in 2015. I shot a larger than life number on the front but scrapped around an even par on the back nine that concluded with a birdie on 18!
So, here we were, playing under the new Rules of Golf on the first day of the year. I was excited to see if any of the rules would come into play during our casual round.
On the first green, I was delighted to tap down imperfections that interfered with the line between my ball and the hole. Possibly one of my favorite new rules of the game!
Throughout the round, we didn’t have many new rules scenarios come up. Or so we thought!
There was one drop taken from knee height. We wondered if the knees should, or could, be bent or if a straight leg was required.
On another hole there was a wayward tee shot. We were pretty confident the ball went out – of – bounds but never found it, so determining which rule to play the next shot under became confusing. Were we allowed to play the new OB rule or did we need to return to the tee hitting three?
With the recent rain, we saw our share of loose impediments in the bunkers and happily removed those while ensuring our ball didn’t move.
On a few longer putts we left the flag in, instead of having someone tend it, simply to keep up our pace of play.
One rule we unintentionally may have broken involved standing behind a player once they began taking their shot. For example, when we had similar lines on the putting green.
Luckily, this Tuesday I’m signed up to attend the Carolinas Golf Association Rules of Golf Seminar and I look forward to bringing up a few situations we had on course to see how they should have played out under the new Rules of Golf.
As a side bar, if you’re interested in a Rules of Golf Seminar, the CGA is hosting many over the next few months, free of charge, visit their website and find one that works for you!
As I’ve learned more about the changes to the Rules of Golf, one thing has become clear – while golf has always been a sport of Integrity, where players call infringements on themselves, today’s rules require a golfer to take on an even greater level of Honesty, Integrity and Judgment while on course.
For example, in year’s past, the other player’s in your foursome, especially the individual assigned to keep your score, would be involved in the process of agreeing upon the line your ball crossed when entering a Hazard, now a penalty area, or agreeing that you took relief from a cart path or ground under repair, correctly.
Today, those decisions and procedures do not require other members of the group to be involved or in agreement, the ownership lies simply on the golfer themselves. In fact, I’m not certain, but I believe there is much less expectation on members of your foursome to even track your shots and be able to provide input.
Another example of applying honesty under the new rules comes into play with preferred lies.
Previously you would be required to mark your ball, say with a tee, measure out a club length, with another tee, and replace your ball within the tee boundaries, no closer to the hole.
Today, marking the ball is not required, you may simply lift the ball and place no closer to the hole.
Then, there are some brand new rules, those about on course etiquette and player code of conduct. Rule 1 now introduces three simple principles of the game for the player.
They include playing the course as you find it and the ball as it lies. Playing by the Rules and in the spirit of the game. And your personal responsibility for applying your own penalties if you breach a Rule.
Today, more than ever, Golf’s uniqueness stands out.
It’s truly a game that will teach and test us in how we apply Life Skills and Core Values on the golf course, and later, off the course.
I’m excited to see how the game of golf evolves in 2019 while learning more about the Rules of Golf and their positive impact on our sport.
To the best of our calculations, in 2018, volunteers have given 2,611 hours of their personal time to The First Tee of the Sandhills.
Simply put, that’s 109 days!
During those 156,630 minutes, their commitment allowed 724 kiddos to come through 64 programs offered in Moore and Cumberland County.
For 9,397,800 seconds they left politics, careers and personal objectives at the door and came together to grow good kids through golf.
Because of this special group of supporters, who’ve given 109 days, we’ve been able to expand our week day program offerings to new facilities, deliver classes to up to 18 kiddos at a time, and get more kids on the golf course!
In addition to these special volunteers, is our golf course facility partners. They graciously open their doors to our programs and kiddos – welcoming us with open arms and supporting our weekly needs.
Because of their year round support, we have a place to meet and provide positive experiences for kiddos. Like when their grinning ear to ear after finally winning a game of tic-tac-toe, or giggling because their chip shot almost got into the net!
As you see, it takes community coming together for a nonprofit organization to be sustainable.
In 2016, The First Tee of the Sandhills and Golf Pride formally announced a partnership which would support Volunteer Programs – one allowing us to ensure our volunteers were qualified and prepared for their role with the organization, appropriately trained locally and nationally, provided The First Tee apparel, to show consistency and togetherness to parents and facility guest, and later, opportunities to be thanked.
Last week, was one of those opportunities as we welcomed guest to our 1st Annual Volunteer and Community Appreciation Celebration at Pinewild CC – a special evening where we began a new tradition within our community of The First Tee.
It reminds me of the high school days were you received your letterman jacket or varsity pin. Then, later in college when you survived fraternity initiation and were pinned.
But instead of being pinned we’ve created The First Tee of the Sandhills badges.
These are a way for us to honor our volunteers, based on their tenure with our organization and frequency they are engaged annually – all of which who’ve given over 36 hours of time to The First Tee in the last two years!
This year we honored 21 volunteers!
We are grateful to be surrounded by such a great team and look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in 2019 and how many more badges we can hand out next fall!
“Like the health of one’s body, it is important to also explore the health of one’s community and discover how one can give back and care for its environment and safety.” – Community, one of The First Tee’s Nine Healthy Habits
The First Tee of the Sandhills footprint stretches across an incredibly rural area of North Carolina – where extremely diverse demographics are deeply intertwined throughout communities.
It’s our goal to bring more kiddos into Life Skills Curriculum programs, those who may need a scholarship and additional support to get involved.
Thanks to corporate and community partners we are able to make our multi week curriculum programs high quality while keeping the cost as affordable as possible.
Four years ago The First Tee of the Sandhills created a formal scholarship for youth attending our golf and life skills programs. Implementing a policy to never turn a child away, regardless of circumstances. While ensuring all scholarship youth are afforded the same opportunities for participation, equipment check out and between session special events.
Since inception, over 900 participants attending The First Tee of the Sandhills multi week programs requested financial aid with 100% being approved!
Last year we realized raising awareness and needed funds for this initiative would be key in 2017 and beyond – and that’s where The Fall Classic was born.
Community members associated with area golf courses raised their hand to volunteer as a Captain – covering seven golf courses in Moore County – Country Club of North Carolina, Forest Creek Golf Club, Mid Pines Golf Club, Mid South Club, Pinehurst No. 6 & 7 and Pinewild Country Club.
They eagerly ‘got to work’ recruiting friends, colleagues and golf group buddies to support the cause by signing up to participate in a friendly nine hole golf competition, or by sponsoring a hole.
The commitment? Sponsor a Child for a future scholarship at The First Tee of the Sandhills.
Then, throughout the month of October, over 230 community members raised their hand in support of the mission. Some heading out for a late afternoon competition, other putting a stake in the ground to acknowledge their commitment.
And, this week, to add a layer of comradery in, the winning foursome from each of the seven facilities earned a coveted spot to represent their club in the Finale at Pinehurst No. 4!
Captains, fellow participants, and spouses came out to watch the action late Wednesday afternoon – cheering on their respective facility. And when it was all said and done, the 2018 winners represented Forest Creek Golf Club!
But, everyone in attendance agreed, the real winners were the kids.
Thanks to the generosity of these local facilities, the captains, participants and sponsors – 390 program scholarships were raised. Hats off to a great year two of The Fall Classic.
It’s an amazing tally, a humble feat, a celebration of community coming together!
As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
And much, they did, indeed.
The final words from Jaclyn Kenzel’s week at The PURE Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, California were, “I can’t emphasize enough how much this trip has meant to me! It has been the most amazing week of my life and I will never forget it! I’m beyond thrilled to have had this opportunity! I have not only gained friends but created memories that will last a lifetime!”
So, now that you know the conclusion, how did she get there? Let’s take a look at the highlight reel!
The entire week included a long list of firsts – from flying across the country, staying in private housing, eating an omelet, playing golf in fog, paddle boarding, seeing new wilderness, and attending a concert!
On Day 1 all the participants gathered at Poppy Hills GC for the PURE Welcome Party and Pairings release. Each junior went onto the putting green to find an oversized flag adorning their name and chapter they are representing. Underneath the flag was a brand new golf bag with their name on it and inside the bag they found the name of their pro.
For Jaclyn, it was Brian Henninger. Mr. Henninger immediately came up to Jaclyn for introduction and a chat. She was beaming from ear to ear about the week getting started!
Day 2 brought Jaclyn’s first practice round – at Poppy Hills GC with fellow junior participant, Vivian Guite from The First Tee of Naples. The highlight of their day on course included sharing the fairways with deer and ‘bumping’ into Bernard Langer.
Wednesday evening participants attended a very special event called ‘Legends and Leaders’ where nine special guest spoke on the Nine Core Values, each highlighting a unique Core Value that carries special interest in their lives.
While every guest had an amazing and inspiring story to tell – the two that resonated with Jaclyn the most were from Jeremy Poincenot and Victoria Arlen – speaking on Perseverance and Confidence.
Oh, and she ‘bummed’ into Tom Watson at dinner!
Thursday was Day 3, bringing many more special experiences for Kenzel. Not only did she get to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, she played with the 2016 tournament winner, Paul Broadhurst, who her Pinecrest High School golf teammate, Mara Hirtle, played with in 2017!
When Kenzel reflected on the experience, she remembered how incredible the undulation changes were, both beautiful and challenging to play. She determined it’s completely impossible to become upset when you’re surrounded by the visual art Pebble Beach Golf Links provides.
At the turn, she decided to apply good Judgment and began ‘clubbing up’ as her shots were coming up 10 yards shorter than they typically do in Pinehurst. This gave her some putts for birdie, resulting in made birdies on Holes 11 and 17!
Also, while practicing on the 12th green, Paul Broadhurst pulled Jaclyn aside and gave her a few chipping pointers to work on when she gets home. Double score for the day!
During the first and second rounds of the PURE Insurance Championship, Kenzel and Henninger would play Poppy Hills GC and Pebble Beach GL, each day with a different pair of amateur partners.
Kenzel’s personal golf highlights including make a birdie on Hole 18 at BOTH courses! How cool!
While #TeamHenninger didn’t make the Pro-Junior cut, it was truly an experience of a lifetime both on and off the course.
And to cap off a week of excitement, as all the juniors were gathered around the 18th green of Pebble Beach GL watching the final groups come in, they witnessed Ken Tanigawa make a bomb of an eagle putt to win the tournament by one!
What an ending to a dream week for Jaclyn Kenzel.
Today was my last day at the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach! While I hate having to say it’s the final day, it was definitely one to remember!We participated in a 7:30am Shotgun start event at Poppy Hills GC where we played a Ryder Cup style event. I was assigned Hole 16 to kick off the day and was paired with Calton Kong. We played against Grace Kehoe and Christopher Khan.The format was a scramble on Holes 10 – 18 and Best Ball on Holes 1 – 9. A few golf highlights from my morning included Birdies on Holes 11, 12, 13 and 18 with a final score of 67 (-4). We ended up just short of a trophy, finishing in 4th place. It was a really fun round though!My host family even came on the front nine and walked with us through Hole 9! After lunch at Poppy Hills GC, we then headed towards Pebble Beach Golf Links to watch the final players come in! As soon as we got there and realized both Mr. Henninger and Mr. Broadhurst had finished, we rushed towards the players dining area to see if they were there. Sadly, I wasn’t able to catch Mr. Henninger but I did get to talk to Mr. Broadhurst about how his day went on the course. And what a cool end to the tournament. The winning Pro made a BOMB of an Eagle Putt on the 18th green to win by 1! Wow. Monday morning I have to be up at 2:00am because our flight leaves San Jose International Aiport at 6:55am. Whew! I can’t emphasize enough how much this trip has meant to me! It has been the most amazing week of my life and I will never forget it! I’m really sad it has to end but am beyond thrilled to have had this opportunity! I have not only gained friends but created memories that will last a lifetime!
Thank you for following along in my travels to California. It’s been fun to write about the trip and have a blog to look back on!
Signing off with gratitude,
Jaclyn Kenzel
On Friday, Brian Henninger and I were scheduled to tee off in the afternoon wave at Poppy Hills GC, with no set morning activities, it was my first (and only) day I would get to sleep in! But not too late as I wanted to get to player breakfast before they closed! Being a week of first, I had my first omelet at player breakfast! YUM!
Later we headed to Poppy Hill GC to get ready for Round 1 – with a new tool in my pocket – a lucky ball marker from my host dad, Mr. Carl. It was a coin he had received during a golf tournament called The Clint, hosted at his home course, Tehama Golf Club.
Playing in the afternoon wave, we had a little extra time so I was able to grab a pin sheet from the starter tent and take a few minutes to mark up my yardage book with where today’s pins would be. I also had the chance to watch a few of the morning groups play through Hole 18 green.
Mr. Henninger and I were paired with two amateurs for Round 1, Greg Orr and Landry Gibbs of Texarkana, Texas.
My first hole that I played was an absolute mess, I was just beyond nervous. I ended up hooking my tee shot all the way into the waste bunker area of the hole adjacent to us, where I had to wait for people in another group to tee off before I could go and hit my shot. Then from there, I hit too far behind my golf ball, luckily avoiding all trees, barely made it to the cart path. I took a drop and ended up shanking my shot so bad that it went straight right into the woods. I decided to pick up but was really sad.Mr. Henninger, however, made a birdie on our first hole (Hole 10) so that was really awesome! On the 11th hole, our second hole, I hit a solid shot onto the green, assuring me the first hole was long gone! Then on the 12th hole, I hit an amazing drive, sealing the deal that I was on the right track. Hole 18 (our 9th Hole) was my highlight of the day! I hit a solid driver and had around a 200 yard carry over the hazard in front of the green (a par 5). My initial thought was to lay up on a safer line, about a 150 yard shot, but Mr. Henninger came over and talked me into going for the green. I hit my 4 wood and it carried just enough to get over the hazard and rolled onto the green about 15 ft from the pin! I two putted for my first birdie of the tournament!On Hole 4 (our 13th Hole), I hit a long drive, giving me my favorite distance into the green – 88 yds. I hit my 52 degree to about 18 ft and drained my putt for birdie. I was so excited! My host dad for the week, Mr. Carl, was able to come out to watch our last four holes of the day. While I made a few bogeys coming in, it was really great to have his support and enthusiasm felt on the course. After Round 1 of the PURE Insurance Championship, Brian Henninger and I were tied for 38th Place at 3 under par.
After golf, our Friday night event was the Core Values Dinner & Train Concert presented by EMoney. This event was on the lawn behind the 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf Links. It truly doesn’t get any better – dinner and a concert over looking Pebble Beach. I had never heard Train before and just loved the concert!
And, an added bonus to the evening was that I had won a gift card to the Pebble Beach Golf Shop! They had a contest to guess the correct number of balls in a container and Mr. Henninger helped me come up with a number, which ended up being the closest!
Tomorrow I have an 8:43am tee time on Pebble Beach Golf Links. I will be playing with Mr. Henninger and 2 new amateur participants. The weather is supposed to be beautiful and the sun is supposed to be out all day! I cannot wait to get my second crack at Pebble Beach Golf Links.Saturday morning was back to our early awake schedule! But it was well worth it because we were headed to the first tee of Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Some of my golf highlights from the day included almost holing out from green side bunkers on Hole 8 and 10, making a par on the famous Hole 7. Then when we reached Hole 18, I hit an incredible tee shot past the big tree in the fairway, able to go for the par 5 green in two, hit the green. Such a cool memory I will never forget!
As we walked those 18 Holes, I just took in the immaculate beauty and landscape every hole provided. While I am incredibly competitive, I had to remind myself the uniqueness of being in California and the opportunity I was provided to walk the fairways of Pebble Beach Golf Links.
After the round, I had the opportunity for another first this week! Coach Matt’s former co-worker now lives nearby Pebble Beach and set us up to go Paddle Boarding in the Monterey Bay. We got changed into wet suits and headed out. Being out on the water was even more beautiful then looking from a distance. I saw jellyfish, otters and sea lions. Initially I was nervous when we got close to the sea lions but as I got comfortable it was really neat to see them following me while paddle boarding and just swimming all around us out in the ocean.
As we left dinner Saturday night, the 2nd round scores from the afternoon wave began to trickle in and it was clear that I would miss the junior cut to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, again on Sunday, by 2 strokes.
Although I am disappointed, I do get to play Poppy Hills GC tomorrow with the other juniors in a Ryder Cup style match.
On a positive note, I’m so happy Mr. Henninger made the cut! He bogeyed Hole 18 today and we thought he was going to miss the cut.
What an amazing two days in California it has been!
Today on Hole 7 at Poppy Hills Golf Course, Jaclyn’s 16th Hole of the day, she became faced with a key decision. Her execution reminded me WHY we do the work we do each week at our Life Skills Curriculum Programs.
I’ll set the scene.
Off the tee she hit a drive through the fairway, it kicks off the cart path and bounces back towards the fairway but about a foot from the cart path and in need of a drop.
She goes through the routine to find the nearest point of relief, places a tee in the ground, and makes her drop.
Her ball bounces and rolls down the hill.
Jaclyn looks around and I call tell she is in serious thought. I’m thinking to myself, ‘Did her ball move closer to the hole? Did it roll outside of the club length she was given to take her drop?’
She looks upset and I think I know why.
Jaclyn proceeds to go through her pre-shot routine and hits a shot that ends up on the front right of the green about 30 yards from the hole with a difficult pitch shot towards the pin.
After she walks away, I walk over to where she just hit her shot from and my thoughts were confirmed.
Her ball had come to rest in an old divot. She had free relief and she had just dropped her ball into a sand-filled divot.
Fast Forward 3 hours later. We are leaving the evening participant event and I brought up to Jaclyn I only wanted to talk to her about one shot, the one after her free drop on the 7th Hole from the fairway.
So, I asked her what happened when she took the drop from the cart path.
She looked puzzled towards me.
I told her it looked like she was distressed.
She said, “It came to rest in an old divot.”
I asked her if her ball had rolled forward on the drop and she stated, ‘it definitely did not.’
Hence, her drop was proper and the ball in play….
At this moment, Jaclyn had a decision to make.
No one saw what happened but her and I. No one in her group saw her even take the drop.
It would’ve been easy for her to pick up the ball and re-drop, claiming it moved forward, but she didn’t. She dealt with the misfortune, played by the rules, and showed huge amounts of integrity for the game.
THIS is why we do what we do.
THIS is why we teach the Nine Core Values.
THIS is why we teach the Par Level Curriculum lesson on Respecting the Rules.
THIS is why we do exercises in the Birdie Level Curriculum on Dealing with Challenges.
Jaclyn Kenzel may have impressed everyone with her golf skills this week, but THIS is what has impressed me.
This one decision said more about her as a human being than any shot she will hit over the next 2 days.
She is a competitor. She wants to win. She wants to be in the top 23 come Saturday night and get to walk the fairways of Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday.
But she is only willing to do it the right way, without taking shortcuts.
Thursday has been so special! Not only did I play Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time, I played with Paul Broadhurst! My day started at 5:45am to get prepped for our 8:30am tee time. During breakfast, I had the chance to sit and eat with Glenn Weckerlin, the Director of University Partnerships and Association Relations for Chevron. After driving range warm ups, my first golf highlight of the day came on the practice putting green where I drained 2 putts in a row from about 40 feet!
When we arrived to the first tee, I met my practice round group, including, Jim Sims and Lee Finley.
Standing on the first tee, I could feel myself become nervous and tense, though, I ended up hitting that first shot pretty well!
Another special memory came on the 2nd Hole when I realized I had out driven Mr. Broadhurst (yes he is playing a longer course, but still cool!).
Some of the hills and undulation changes throughout the course are just incredible.
On Hole 4, I chipped in for par from the side of a cliff! On Hole 6, a par 5, there is a significantly steep hill that you must hit over on your second shot, I had to make sure I had enough room to even have a chance to get over the hill and hit my third into the green.
Our playing group let me hit a ‘mulligan’ on the famous par 3, Hole 7 – I took advantage of the second chance and landed by ball about 4 feet from the pin!
I honestly didn’t play great on the first nine, however, it’s completely impossible to become upset when I’m surrounded by the most beautiful course I’ve ever laid eyes on.
When reviewing the front nine, I applied good Judgment and realized my shots were coming up about 10 yards short, so as I headed to the back, I began clubbing up and was able to give myself opportunities to putt for birdie on the back.
It was super fun to make birdie putts on Holes 11 and 17!!
On the 18th Hole, Mr. Broadhurst and I looked over the cliff behind the tee box and saw Sea Lions and Pelicans hanging out on the rocks. So calming and unique to the west coast.
After today’s practice round, we immediately headed to Cypress Point. While site seeing over the ocean, we saw otters playing in the water! This afternoon was the Chevron Shoot-Out for STEM Scholars. Six PGA Champions Tour Pros were paired with six juniors competing for a $100,000 scholarship money purse.
While cheering on my fellow participants, I had the opportunity to meet Keith Dawkins, the CEO of The First Tee. Mr. Dawkins is was very enthusiastic about this week’s event, congratulated me for being selected and complimented my Sandhills business cards that I passed out to adults.
Ahead of the Chevron Shoot-Out, I noticed my friend Vivian, who I played my practice round with on Wednesday, was playing the 18th Hole. I decided it would be fun to run up and caddie for her on the last. As we were walking down the fairway, I had the opportunity to introduce myself to her practice round partners, Matt Ginella and Alfonso Ribeiro!
Our evening participant activity was the Chevron Slice Party at the STEM Zone. All the activities were focused on math, science and physics. The one that gained my attention the most was the golf ball launcher!
Tomorrow kicks off the official tournament rounds for the PURE Insurance Championship and I couldn’t be more excited for the experience. I’ve been able to get my nervous jitters out over the last few days and am looking forward to spending, at least the next two days, with Brian Henninger.
We tee off at 1:13pm (I finally get to sleep in!) off Hole 10 of Poppy Hills.
Thanks for continuing to follow along!
We participated in a 7:30am Shotgun start event at Poppy Hills GC where we played a Ryder Cup style event. I was assigned Hole 16 to kick off the day and was paired with Calton Kong. We played against Grace Kehoe and Christopher Khan.
I can’t emphasize enough how much this trip has meant to me! It has been the most amazing week of my life and I will never forget it! I’m really sad it has to end but am beyond thrilled to have had this opportunity! I have not only gained friends but created memories that will last a lifetime!
Thank you for following along in my travels to California. It’s been fun to write about the trip and have a blog to look back on!
Signing off with gratitude,
Jaclyn Kenzel 
Mr. Henninger and I were paired with two amateurs for Round 1, Greg Orr and Landry Gibbs of Texarkana, Texas.
After the round, I had the opportunity for another first this week! Coach Matt’s former co-worker now lives nearby Pebble Beach and set us up to go Paddle Boarding in the Monterey Bay. We got changed into wet suits and headed out. Being out on the water was even more beautiful then looking from a distance. I saw jellyfish, otters and sea lions. Initially I was nervous when we got close to the sea lions but as I got comfortable it was really neat to see them following me while paddle boarding and just swimming all around us out in the ocean.
As we left dinner Saturday night, the 2nd round scores from the afternoon wave began to trickle in and it was clear that I would miss the junior cut to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, again on Sunday, by 2 strokes.
Although I am disappointed, I do get to play Poppy Hills GC tomorrow with the other juniors in a Ryder Cup style match.
On a positive note, I’m so happy Mr. Henninger made the cut! He bogeyed Hole 18 today and we thought he was going to miss the cut.
What an amazing two days in California it has been! 
I’ll set the scene.
Not only did I play Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time, I played with Paul Broadhurst! 
Our playing group let me hit a ‘mulligan’ on the famous par 3, Hole 7 – I took advantage of the second chance and landed by ball about 4 feet from the pin!
I honestly didn’t play great on the first nine, however, it’s completely impossible to become upset when I’m surrounded by the most beautiful course I’ve ever laid eyes on.
When reviewing the front nine, I applied good Judgment and realized my shots were coming up about 10 yards short, so as I headed to the back, I began clubbing up and was able to give myself opportunities to putt for birdie on the back.
It was super fun to make birdie putts on Holes 11 and 17!!
On the 18th Hole, Mr. Broadhurst and I looked over the cliff behind the tee box and saw Sea Lions and Pelicans hanging out on the rocks. So calming and unique to the west coast.
Ahead of the Chevron Shoot-Out, I noticed my friend Vivian, who I played my practice round with on Wednesday, was playing the 18th Hole. I decided it would be fun to run up and caddie for her on the last. As we were walking down the fairway, I had the opportunity to introduce myself to her practice round partners, Matt Ginella and Alfonso Ribeiro!