SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The First Tee Phoenix celebrated its 20th year with a “green” carpet fundraising bash Monday night.
PGA Tour golfers Joel Dahmen and James Hahn were among those who walked the celebrity green carpet at Ocean 44, a high-end seafood restaurant in Scottsdale, where guests paid $1,500 a plate to raise money for the First Tee program, first established in 2003. There are now 14 golf courses hosting First Tee-Phoenix programs, including TPC Scottsdale, home of the PGA Tour’s WM Phoenix Open.
Other famous faces who showed up Monday included ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon, golf trick shot artist Tania Tare, PXG founder Bob Parsons, former Arizona governor Doug Ducey and former vice president Dan Quayle.
Joel Dahmen is interviewed by a local TV station during a fundraising event for the First Tee Phoenix in Scottsdale. (Photo: Todd Kelly/Golfweek)
The First Tee has 150 chapters nationwide with a goal of connecting the game of golf with junior golfers ages 4 to 18 in underserved communities. First Tee-Phoenix reports that there are now more than 120,000 young golfers involved in the program statewide.
Jeff Mastro, owner and founder of Ocean 44 as well as popular Scottsdale steak restaurants Steak 44 and Dominick’s Steakhouse, hosted the event and underwrote the entire cost of the evening.
There were about 180 attendees in all and the night raised close to $1 million.
Megan Meng and Cooper Groshart of San Luis Obispo, California, won the girls and boys divisions of the third annual First Tee National Championship at Stanford Golf Course.
The event brought together First Tee’s elite golfers for an opportunity to showcase how the program has helped build the strength of character needed to play at the next level.
Meng, a 16-year-old senior from Pennington, New Jersey, has been involved with First Tee for more than 10 years. She finished the 54-hole tournament 5-under to win by five strokes. In the final round, Meng shot a tournament-low 66 – including a front nine 30 – to secure her victory.
In 2022, Meng won another marquee First Tee event, the PURE Insurance Championship pro-junior title, a PGA Tour Champions event held at Pebble Beach, shooting a 64 on Sunday. Meng is committed to play golf at Northwestern.
“Practice makes better, and practice definitely gets you where you want to go, so it’s all about how much time you’re willing to put in practicing on the course, but also make sure to have fun with it. Golf is a game for fun and spending time with your friends,” Meng said.
Groshart, 18, finished in the top 10 at the 2021 and 2022 First Tee National Championships before winning in this, his third and final attempt. He finished the tournament 4 over after shooting a final-round 71. Groshart recently graduated from San Luis Obispo High School and will play golf this fall at California State University, East Bay.
Like Meng, Groshart played at the 2022 PURE Insurance Championship, where he hit a hole-in-one on the iconic seventh hole during a practice round.
“This week I’ve just made a ton of friends and seen old friends I don’t get to see that often,” Groshart said. “This tournament feels like everyone is friends. Everyone is out here for a good time. We want to play some good golf too, but it’s a bunch of friends hanging out on the golf course.”
Both winners were awarded the Tattersall Cup in honor of event chairman Fred Tattersall. Two players from the First Tee National Championship field were also awarded a one-time exemption into the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting the First Tee, held at Pebble Beach Golf Links Sept. 16-24, 2023.
With this year’s national championship winners having already played in the tournament, the exemptions were passed to Alaythia Hinds of First Tee – Greater Sacramento, who finished second among the girls, and Sean Kwok of First Tee – Tri Valley, who finished fifth among the boys.
For the first time, the four lowest-scoring eligible players (two boys and two girls) from the national championship also earned admission into the PGA Tour’s new Pathways to Progression program, which aims to support talented golfers from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the sport.
The PGA Tour will announce the full roster for its Pathways program, including the four players who earned their spots at the First Tee National Championship, in the coming days.
“Congratulations to everyone who competed in the third annual First Tee national championship this week,” First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin said. “Especially to Megan and Cooper. They represented First Tee with confidence and poise, and we look forward to seeing all that they continue to accomplish on and off the golf course. Thank you to Fred Tattersall for his ongoing support of this tournament and Stanford University for a memorable week.”
First Tee’s national championship is held annually at various college golf courses around the nation providing First Tee participants the opportunity to network with others from across the country and take in the college experience. Stanford University hosted the third annual Championship, following the previous two years at University of Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course and Clemson University’s The Walker Course, respectively.
The field included 24 boys and 24 girls, ages 14-18, who were selected based on their golf skills and competitive golf experience including 15 competitors who are currently committed to play collegiate golf. Players came from 29 First Tee chapters across the country.
On Wednesday, with the help of the folks from Wells Fargo and the First Tee, a trio of HBCU players were featured once again at the Queen City’s crown jewel.
First Tee alumni Kai Dawson (North Carolina A&T State University), Ahmad Raoul (Winston‑Salem State University), and Nyla Sims (University of Maryland Eastern Shore) played the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship pro-am with none other than three-time Wells Fargo winner Rory McIlroy before helping host a First Tee clinic to support the Greater Charlotte chapter alongside PGA Tour players like Joseph Bramlett, Austin Eckroat and Trey Mullinax.
“Wells Fargo is committed to advancing opportunities for diverse communities inside and outside of the financial industry year-round,” said Kristy Fercho, Wells Fargo’s head of Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion. This year’s tournament offered exemptions to the APGA Tour’s Marcus Byrd and Quinn Riley. “In addition to their friends and families supporting these young men, they now have 240,000 new fans in Wells Fargo’s employees who will be cheering them on during the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship.”
“For me, I want to see more color in the game. Seeing all these kids come out to watch us at the clinic, it’s a big step in my dream to diversify the game,” said Raoul, who like Byrd and Riley has dreams of making it to the PGA Tour. “I want to see more kids play the game that look like me. Having this opportunity to show who I am to these kids, be a role model, to introduce myself to them and then have them go on a better path than what I grew up with, with more accessibility to technology, golf courses like this, that just a dream come true.”
“I have students back home in West Palm Beach, and me being away this week, my coach called me this morning, he’s like, ‘The kids miss you, they’re upset that you’re gone, but they’re all rooting for you,'” said Sims, who now teaches for the First Tee. “It kind of made me emotional because I really am making a significant impact. I’m getting to expose them to golf and doing the same thing that the First Tee did for me. It’s just been nothing short of amazing.”
For Dawson, the experience was nothing new. He’s been a role model for his 11-year-old sister, Zoe, who picked up golf at the age of 7 and now participates in her local First Tee chapter.
PGA Tour players and First Tee participants during a clinic ahead of the 2023 Wells Fargo Championship on Wednesday, May 03, 2023 in Charlotte, N.C. (Nell Redmond/AP Images for Wells Fargo)
What was new, however, was the opportunity to tee it up with not only a PGA Tour, but McIlroy, a four-time major champion and the world No. 3.
“It was an honor to play in the big leagues, on the PGA Tour,” added Dawson.
“This is probably one of the biggest motivators I’ve had in my career,” said Raoul. “We took a picture with Rory, and I told him, ‘I hope to see you one day out here,’ and he said, ‘I hope so to,’ and that set so deeply with me and motivated me to work even harder than I do now. I had other visions in mind of backup plans, but this is Plan A and something I’m gonna strive for.”
The grow the game phrase has become an overly-used cliché in golf, but it accurately describes what occurred on the Quail Hollow range. Wells Fargo prides itself as being the “Bank of Doing,” and its commitment to bring the game to those who may not otherwise be able to experience it – more than 100 First Tee participants were on hand on Wednesday – show the title is more than just a self-proclaimed tagline.
The announcement from Augusta National brought smiles to many, but with change comes uncertainty.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — For all the merriment surrounding Augusta National Golf Club’s announcement last week that a new partnership would be forged with Augusta Municipal Golf Course, there was anything but a look of glee on Jim Dent Jr.’s face the day after the 2023 Masters wrapped up and Jon Rahm was fitted for his first green jacket.
The son of the former PGA Tour pro and 12-time PGA Tour Champions winner, Dent Jr. has been the head pro at Augusta Municipal, known as “The Patch,” for five years since relocating from Shreveport, Louisiana. He played college golf at Talladega College, an HBCU in Alabama, after growing up in Florida. He moved to Augusta to take the job at this historic course and be closer to his father.
Dent Jr. thinks the news is a major coup for the course, which stands to gain a considerable investment from the new partnership with Augusta Municipal, the First Tee of Augusta and Augusta Tech, which previously announced a deal with the City of Augusta to assume the operation of The Patch by 2025. As part of this new announcement, Augusta Tech will relocate its golf course management program to The Patch, creating a living classroom environment.
But while that should mean better conditions for those who play the course designed by David Ogilvie in 1928, it puts Dent Jr. in the awkward position of not knowing whether he’ll be part of the campus’s future.
“It’s good for the golf course,” Dent Jr. told Golfweek on Monday. “But we’re still in limbo because we’re with the management company. Things are going to change, for sure, and we don’t know where our jobs are going.”
Head pro Jim Dent Jr. stands behind the counter at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, known as “The Patch,” which will partner with Augusta National on a major initiative. (Photo by Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)
As with many municipal golf courses, The Patch works through a management company, which helps handle day-to-day operations. In this case, the company is Cypress Management of Orlando, which took over the course nearly a decade ago. So it’s possible the change to Augusta Municipal and the stronger relationship with Augusta National could force Dent Jr., course superintendent Scott Giles and general manager Ira Miller to the side if Cypress Management is not retained. No details have been released on that business arrangement.
Still, Dent Jr., who clearly has the trust of regulars, has tried to stay positive for those who will reap the rewards of the new arrangement.
“Even the announcement was something. We heard when everybody else heard. At least I did. I didn’t know anything. My first reaction was, this is good, it’s great for the golf course, great for the community,” Dent Jr. said. “And then my second reaction was, am I going to have a job? That was it. I mean, it’s great for the city. Great for the course. When Augusta takes something over, they make sure it’s right. But we don’t know what’s next for us.”
Augusta Municipal Golf Course, a public course also known as The Patch in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo: Augusta National)
Like his dad, who excelled as a senior, Dent Jr. hopes to eventually crack the PGA Tour Champions and has been working toward that goal as he approaches 50. His father, who turns 84 next month, made more than $9 million in earnings in professional golf, much of it on the senior circuit.
But Dent Jr.’s focus is still clearly on The Patch, a place where many congregate even when they’re not playing golf. On Monday a group was playing cards in a back room while a number of golfers practiced on the range. The Patch is a bustling place, and while it certainly can use some more love, it’s become a community hub of sorts. The elder Dent still plays in the local skins game each week, and he’s still posting low numbers.
“You get my dad at the right tees and he’s still knocking birdies down,” Dent Jr. said. “He still hits it good. And he gets him some skins. He can still play, man.”
The course could use some renovations, for certain, including on the tee boxes, which Miller told the Augusta Chronicle are “in desperate need.” While Dent Jr. said Giles has done a great job keeping the course in good condition, Miller said the influx of ANGC money could make The Patch something truly special.
“Oh, they could make it look like Augusta National,” Miller told longtime Chronicle reporter David Westin. “They’ve got unlimited money, they could. Whether or not they go that far with it, I don’t think so.”
Benjamin Wright, 58, of Augusta, Georgia, prepares to play Augusta Municipal Golf Course, also known as “The Patch.” (Photo by Tim Schmitt/Golfweek)
But what will that mean for many locals who now can afford to play multiple times a week because greens fees are as low as $20 for 18 holes?
Benjamin Wright, 58, of Augusta, has played The Patch for years. He hopes the changes will be good for everyone.
“It’ll bring more revenue in, number one. And it’ll get a lot more people coming here. You’ve got one golf course near here that’s closed down, and we don’t need more of that,” Wright said. “The course is in great shape and if they do come in, they’ll do some things different, I’m sure, in the fairways and making the holes longer and whatnot.
“I’m just happy to be here. I love the game. And I practice and get better. That’s all you can do.”
Jim Dent Way near the Augusta Municipal Golf Course, a public course also known as The Patch in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo: Augusta National)
But while Wright remains positive, Dent Jr. said many other regulars have expressed concern about potential changes. This is a haven for them, many of whom make the trip up Jim Dent Way as many as six times a week.
“We just don’t know anything yet,” Dent Jr. said. “It sounds really, really great for the golf course and the community, but a lot of the regular guys, they don’t know what’s going to come out of this. Any time change happens, people get a little nervous. A lot of guys come and play cards here and with Augusta Tech, that might not be something they keep going.
“Look, like I said, this is great for the course, it’s great for the community. We just don’t know what’s next.”
It was a special night in Dallas for Joe Louis Barrow, Jr.
The former CEO of the First Tee earned a big honor Thursday from the organization, which was hosting a network summit to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Barrow was presented the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and former commissioner Tim Finchem presented the award to Barrow.
Barrow led the First Tee from 2000 until 2017. Under his leadership, First Tee expanded its network of chapters across the country and witnessed incredible growth. The organization also launched school and community programs, which serve millions who may not have access to a golf course.
“While at First Tee, Joe was appropriately called the ‘Chief Evangelist’ because he was always sharing a great story about the impact First Tee had on a particular young person,” said Monahan, who also serves as Chair for the First Tee Board of Governors. “Joe led with many strengths, but perhaps his greatest was ensuring that kids remained at the heart of every decision.”
Barrow was CEO when First Tee launched its first national participant event, the Life Skills and Leadership Academy. In 2021, the event was renamed the Game Changers Academy honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., and evolved to address challenges teens face in their daily lives, including social justice issues and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Barrow took on his role as CEO while First Tee was in its infancy. The nonprofit – which teaches life skills through the game of golf – was first announced by Finchem and other leaders from the golf industry at a Central Park press conference on Nov. 13, 1997. A quarter century later, the organization has served millions of kids.
“I am truly humbled by this recognition,” Barrow said. “And I am deeply proud of the positive impact First Tee has had over the years. It wouldn’t have been possible without my dedicated colleagues, the coaches and chapter staff and supporters who believed in our mission.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award was one of several awards First Tee presented in Dallas during the organization’s gathering held Nov. 16-18. The summit brought together representatives from First Tee’s network of 150 chapters to celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary and continue building momentum for the future with robust workshops, training and peer-to-peer networking.
Former President George W. Bush, an honorary chair of First Tee, and Will Zalatoris each made an appearance.
The USGA and First Tee are investing in the future.
Nick Nelson has been watching the First Tee transform lives for nearly 20 years.
The CEO of First Tee Monterey County in California, Nelson comes from an area where golf is prominent, yet the difference in diversity from the coast is much different than farther inland.
On the Monterey Peninsula sits Pebble Beach, one of the most iconic golf venues in the world. About 23 miles inland is Salinas, California, with a population of more than 160,000 with a significant Latino population that is surrounded by farmland. The area also had one of the highest youth suicide rates in the state.
That, among other reasons, is why Nelson wanted to use the First Tee to help kids in Monterey County, and it’s why the U.S. Golf Association’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) grant is pivotal to help Nelson continue changing lives.
“Having their support means so much to us on the front lines,” Nelson said.
Commemorating a 25-year partnership, the USGA has continued its investment in First Tee by awarding IDEA grants to 25 chapters across the country, including Monterey County.
The IDEA grant program funds community-based programs that aim to grow participation in golf and in particular First Tee’s programs, improving pathways to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. In 2022, 25 chapters from across the country were awarded up to $25,000 each to provide transportation, hire diverse coaches, train volunteers and build programs in diverse communities.
The USGA has invested in the First Tee since the start, with its $3 million, three-year commitment in 1997 spurring First Tee to reach more than 2 million kids annually.
“Your first experience or two in the game can really make a lifetime of difference,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, told Golfweek. “If you get it right here, you get it right forever.”
The USGA’s targeted support has helped First Tee drive greater equity among underrepresented youth to access golf. The IDEA grants, launched in 2021, fund innovative initiatives for golfers with disabilities, those in Spanish-speaking communities, Indigenous people and at-risk students, among others.
The efforts are contributing to the diversification of the sport: Since 1997, there has been a 25 percent increase in non-Caucasian golfers, many of whom entered the game through First Tee.
Nelson said in Monterey County, they started with about 100 First Tee participants. That number is up to 10,000.
“And we want to get to 30,000 eventually,” Nelson said. “And we can do it because of the structure and because of the huge support that we get from organizations like the USGA and the philanthropic parts of our board of directors and the community.”
That impact is a big reason why the USGA thinks the First Tee is an integral part of growing the game and why it will continue to give back.
“We’re going to continue down the path of these idea grants, and then hopefully we can fill in an even greater void,” Whan said. “I remember when Tiger Woods was inducted to the Hall of Fame. He said at age 13, he and his family had a family meeting at the kitchen table because they were in financial challenges. It was expensive to raise Tiger Woods, and his dad decided to do a second mortgage on the house. Otherwise, they would have had to come up with other options. And I think how many Tiger Woods this sport might have lost because the kitchen table discussion went another way.
“So we’re gonna step in and build a fund to make sure that those kinds of talented kids with those kinds of aspirations don’t give up because they can’t afford it.”
“It’s like you envision people winning at Augusta, you envision people winning at Pebble Beach.”
Steve Flesch birdied his first four holes Sunday but got his biggest birdie of the week on the famous closing hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Flesch bogeyed the 12th and 13th holes but made a 4 on the par-5 18th to win the PGA Tour Champions Pure Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee by a shot over Ernie Els, Steven Alker and Paul Stankowski.
His 11 under total earned him his third win on the senior circuit and second this season. The left-hander won four times on the PGA Tour.
Alker bogeyed the 17th and parred the 18th and Flesch made the most of the situation.
“You don’t get many opportunities to win, but I got an open door when Steven gave me a chance on 18 and hit a great wedge shot in there,” Flesch said. “It ran the putt in, but it meant so much more to me because every pro wants to win at Pebble Beach and it was just a lot of fun. I hung in there all day, I got off to a great start, but winning at Pebble Beach I think is every professional golfer’s dream.”
Steve Flesch reacts after making a birdie on the 18th hole to win the 2022 Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. (Photo: Brandon Vallance/Getty Images)
“It’s just one of those things, it’s like you envision people winning at Augusta, you envision people winning at Pebble Beach. There’s been so much history around this great golf course that winning at Pebble Beach is just one of those places you always want to be a champion. To have an opportunity to do it today means so much. You know, even though we are over 50 and we’re still playing good golf, these guys are good and it’s hard to win. To win at Pebble Beach just makes it all the more special.”
Alker shot 68-69-69 to tie for second and bounce back from his tie for 58th a week ago at the Sanford International, his lowest finish in 28 outings on the Champions tour. His final-round 76 at the Sanford is his worst score on the tour.
“I struggled last week with my game a little bit, especially down the stretch, then just kind of got it together this week,” he said. “I enjoy playing here anyway. So I got it together, gave myself a chance, hung in today and got super start.”
Meng, Hughes wins First Tee portion
There were 78 First Tee members from 54 chapters at the event.
Megan Meng won the girls division at 22 under, also sinking a birdie putt on No. 18 to win by a stroke.
Bryson Hughes won the boys division at 18 under.
There were three aces made by junior golfers during their practice rounds.
This First Tee is one of 10 chapters in the United States to have its own course.
RENO, Nevada — It took several months for the paperwork to be signed and pushed through, but First Tee Northern Nevada is now the official owner of Wildcreek Golf Course in north Reno.
Washoe County commissioners approved the deal last fall and the deed was signed on Tuesday, transferring ownership to First Tee.
Wildcreek is the new home base for the youth development organization that serves thousands of Washoe County kids and teens. First Tee is one of 10 chapters in the United States to have its own course.
The Washoe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously last year to transfer ownership of Wildcreek Golf Course on Sullivan Lane in Sparks to the nonprofit youth development organization.
Wildcreek Golf Course in Sparks in October 2021.
Under the terms of the agreement, First Tee will be required to operate the golf course for charitable or civic purposes for the community. If the property ever ceases being used as agreed upon, it will revert automatically back to Washoe County.
“This is such a fantastic opportunity for First Tee Northern Nevada — our branch of this amazing national organization will now be one of just 10 across the country that has a course of its own to call home,” Chris Dewar, executive director of First Tee Northern Nevada said in a news release. “Every year we teach more than 20,000 youth, ages 5 to 18, life skills through the game of golf, in schools and on golf courses. Having a home course will allow us to reach many thousands more.
“The core values we teach — honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment — serve our young people well for the rest of their lives.”
Wildcreek Golf Course in Sparks, Nevada Oct. 15, 2021.
First Tee Northern Nevada will now begin a fundraising campaign to raise money needed to remodel the current clubhouse so it can be used as an after-school tutoring center.
The balance of the funds the county has earmarked for the Wildcreek Golf Course at the time of transfer will be donated to First Tee Northern Nevada to be used as a one-to-one match for the organization’s fundraising efforts to make facility improvements that better support the organization’s mission.
“I know I speak for the entire board when I say we are so excited to share this opportunity with First Tee,” Vaughn Hartung, chair of the Washoe County Board of Commissioners said in a news release. “Our whole community benefits when we have young people who participate in character-building programs like the ones offered by First Tee.”
“This is the best thing that has happened to public golf in Washoe county in a very long time,” Mike Mazzaferri, owner of Mazz Golf Management, said.
First Tee Northern Nevada began operating in 1997.
“No one owns the game of golf. Golf is for everybody.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Unless you’re a fan of golf history or you’ve spent some time in our nation’s capital, chances are you’ve never heard of the Langston Golf Course.
For those unfamiliar, the public track in Northeast D.C. is named after John Mercer Langston, the first black man elected to Congress from Virginia and the first dean of the nearby Howard University School of Law, and opened its first nine holes back in 1939 (the back nine came later in 1955). Langston’s front nine were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, has been a safe haven for minority golfers over the years and has played host to the likes of boxing legends Joe Louis (who played an amateur event there in the 1940s), Mike Tyson (who loved the chicken wings) and Muhammad Ali.
“His limousine pulls up, and . . . he said to me, ‘I’ve never picked up a golf club before,’ and he reached out and got my putter,” remembers David Ross, a longtime regular at the course who met Ali on the putting green. Interactions like those were par for the course.
A few more celebrities were on the course’s driving range on Tuesday as part of a Wells Fargo Championship and First Tee skills clinic for the Greater Washington, D.C. chapter that featured PGA Tour professionals Chesson Hadley, Camilo Villegas and college stars Eugenio Chacarra and Jacob Bridgeman. Mr. Langston would’ve been pleased to also see four First Tee alumni and HBCU student-athletes participating and helping the kids: Jakari Harris (Hampton University class of 2022), Lennard Long (Morehouse College class of 2019), Elijah Royal (Fisk University class of 2021) and Joia Robertson (Fisk University class of 2025).
PGA Tour pro Chesson Hadley during a First Tee clinic at Langston Golf Course in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Simon Bruty for Wells Fargo)
“This place is home and has been treating me so well growing up, so just to see these kids out here has been an amazing opportunity, especially because I didn’t have this opportunity to see pros on the course so I’m glad they are able to,” said Long, who learned the game at Langston. “I wanted to be on Tour, I’m not gonna lie. But I’m happy that I’m with (the kids) and I can use all the knowledge that I’ve gained from my experiences and really give it to them because I didn’t have it at that age.”
“Lennard Long, I first met him when I started 10 years ago and he was 14 years old,” explained Clint Sanchez, the Executive Director for the First Tee’s Greater D.C. chapter. “He was our first kid that could really play. When he was nine or 10, he had never played before. So he learned the game in D.C. He’s our first kid that played in what was then called the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, he was the first one and now we haven’t looked back. We’ve had a kid every year play in that event, but Lennard started it.”
The program currently has 1,850 kids involved, with Sanchez projecting the number to grow to a record 2,000 by the end of the year.
“I think when the kids see the pros, whether it’s Chesson or Camillo or whoever, that’s just light-years away. I mean, there’s a totally different level,” said Sanchez. “But when they see some of the alums that have played college golf, that’s more relatable, and they see people that look like a lot of them. We have a very diverse program. I think you saw that here today. I think that’s very impactful when they see a young man, speaking of just Lennard right now, that grew up in our program, that’s a coach and that’s a mentor to them, and that can flat out play and that loves to play and loves to teach, that means a lot.”
The fun didn’t stop on Tuesday for the four HBCU students, as each played during the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship pro-am on Wednesday with defending champion and 20-time Tour winner Rory McIlroy.
“It was amazing,” said Long, who detailed how friendly and helpful his Tour partner was. “Asked him some tips for chipping and he was willing to give them to me, so I’m going to take them back and give them to our kids when I coach them so they’re really appreciative of it.”
“Yeah, I would just reiterate that it was unreal,” added Harris. “You see these pros on TV and you never think you’ll get a chance to see them, meet them in person let alone play with them, so it was an amazing experience for sure.”
The common theme of the day, putting aside how cliché the phrase has become, was growing the game and providing opportunities for more players to get involved.
“No one owns the game of golf. Golf is for everybody,” said Hadley. “I think it’s great that there are black people here, there are Asian people here, white people here, nobody owns the game of golf. Everybody should be involved.”
“It’s very important, because we need more people, more kids of color, more women playing this great game,” added Long. “So much business is done on the golf course. Once you get in the professional realm, this is a game that can be used as a tool to get to that next level, you know, not just on the PGA Tour, but then in the business room as well and getting that next promotion. That’s all I want to see from the kids is for them to be successful and to reach new heights.”
“Golf mirrors life. You have your fairways, roughs (and) there’s challenges.”
LOUISVILLE — D’Shawn Johnson wants to teach golf to the youth of Louisville. But more than that, as the executive director of the First Tee Louisville youth golf program, he wants to use the sport to teach life skills to young people all across the metro area.
The nine core values that form the foundation of the program are honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment, and Johnson hopes to not only instill those values but also challenge some people’s perceptions about the game so they can reap its benefits.
“Golf mirrors life,” Johnson said. “You have your fairways, roughs (and) there’s challenges. It makes you think through the process. We work with other youth service providers and community centers, and we continue to knock down perceptional barriers. That’s what sometimes keeps us away from things that (are) going to help us. Golf is just that platform we use for an education-based program.”
Johnson admits he had to take that first step in overcoming his barriers to the game, but there were some other factors that drove him to the driving range. In his prior life, Johnson was an Louisville police officer for 17 years before he sustained a gunshot wound to his arm that forced him to retire early.
D’Shawn Johnson is the Executive Director of First Tee Louisville. Photo by Scott Utterback/Louisville Courier Journal
During his recovery, Johnson’s surgeon suggested adding golf to his therapy regimen. It wasn’t an idea that immediately took root with Johnson.
“Grown men chasing a little white ball around, it’s stupid,” said Johnson, who eventually relinquished those thoughts and accepted an invite from his surgeon to the driving range six months after his shooting. “That day was a humbling day for me. At 30-something years old, I was learning there are some things that I can’t do. At that point, I was determined to learn the game, and I practiced and got better.”
Johnson then took a job with the Louisville Urban League, which had a presence at the Shawnee Golf Course. He seized the opportunity to take his new respect for golf and use it as a means to fill a gap he saw in the community.
“As an officer when I would take kids down to the old juvenile hall, I always wondered maybe if there was someone in their lives to give some advice, they wouldn’t be in the backseat of my car,” Johnson said. “I’ve come to the realization now that person is me. It took on a whole unique perspective for me.”
And with that, Johnson and the Urban League established the initial First Tee program at Shawnee Golf Course in 2005, streamlining three different youth programs under one banner.
They started out averaging anywhere from 40 to 50 kids a week and have since expanded to six golf courses around the metro area to over 1,000 youths through its three seasonal sessions that run in spring, summer and fall.
Shawnee Golf Course in Louisville. Photo by Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal
“Golf teaches a lot of life lessons in its own way because it’s an individual sport,” said Blake Hardesty, the program director for First Tee Louisville. “There’s a lot of challenges with it. That (plus) being outside and getting the chance to learn in different environments all contribute to golf being a perfect segue to a lot of the life skills that we teach.”
But Johnson emphasizes that there are team building elements that are part of the First Tee curriculum.
“We create group activities,” he said, and gave an example with pairing a couple of young golfers together to have them play tic-tac-toe with their putters. “It’s a game to them, they start having fun. My golf skill I’m teaching them is distance and control. But, my life skill I’m teaching them is teamwork.
“Now these two guys have to work together, (and) they have to strategize to solve a problem. They have to figure out a plan of action and how to attack this. I’m teaching those things while they’re having fun.”
Johnson loves the newfound purpose that golf has presented to him and the First Tee coaches as they use the game to empower young people across the city. He’s always looking to expose new kids and grow the game, and he encourages others to not let their preconceived notions keep them from something that could benefit their child for the rest of their life.
“We’re preparing them for real life,” Johnson said . “Golf is just a tool. The life skills is the key that keeps them going.”
