Category: Blog

PGA Jr League Matches Under Way!

PGA Jr League Update
By Coach Anthony
Our First Jr. League Match for our FDR Team was on June 13 at Paxon Hollow. Unfortunately, a storm cut us short around 7:15 but we got enough holes in to make it official.
First Tee Board Member, Mike Cavanaugh came out and both him and I gave new Callaway balls to the kids which they loved. Mike followed Jayden and his group which made his day. Shout out to him!
We ended up losing the match 6-3 with a few groups only completing 6 holes. The kids had a great afternoon and they surprised me with how they played and how well they showed our core values. You can really see a difference between our students and the opposing teams in their mannerisms.

South Philly Open

By Coach Anthony Hoffman Battling the radar, 35 TFT Participants came out to FDR golf course to test their skills in our 2nd TFT Tournament of the year. The South Philly Open. Tee Times for the day started at 2:50 pm with our 15-18-year-old students setting the pace. After a minor storm delay, everyone was on the course by 4:30 pm.
Our 18 hole Divisions played a stroke play event. Our 9 hole Divisions played a Stableford event which the player with the most “points” after 9 holes wins.
The Divisions of play and Champions were as followed : 
Stroke Play
18 Hole Boys – Julian Ciurlino (79)
18 Hole Girls – Dakota Baker (82)
Stableford
9 Hole Futures – Devin Carpenter (25 points)
9 Hole Discoveries – Spencer Einck (21 Points)
Runner-Ups 
18 Hole Boys – Sam Smith
18 Hole Girls – Phoenix Baker
9 Hole Futures – Max Menna (24Points)
9 Hole Discoveries – Nathan Anderson (18 Points)
The weather held off just enough to get the tournament in. The 9 Hole Discovery Division was scored off of 8 holes, due to the fact that weather did not allow a few groups to finish with strong Thunderstorms rolling through the area.
We want to thank all of the parents and participants for coming out and enjoying a day of golf, learning some new things, and being competitive. Each and every
one of the students did an excellent job following the 9 core values throughout the day!
Our next Tournament will be June 25h at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, St. Martins Course.

Mike Quick Celebrity Invitiational

 

TFT Major Series: Spring Shootout

This year we introduced the inaugural TFT Major Championship Series. This 4 tournament series will surround the PGA Tour’s 4 Major tournaments and have our participants compete at our various golf locations. On Sunday, April 28th, the Spring Shootout, the first leg of the series, was held at Walnut Lane Golf Club with 30 of our participants. It was a wonderful day and we were blessed with some incredible weather.

Congratulations to all our winners!

 

Do you want to play? Registration for all of the remaining TFT Majors is open! 

REGISTER HERE

Walnut Lane Golf Club Practice Area Restoration

As you know, a good practice area is imperative to improving one’s game. We are happy to announce we are in the process of renovating the practice facility at Walnut Lane Golf Club. As you can see, the area needed an appropriate area for our kids to practice and grow their games. The area will have a tremendous impact on improving our programs and our kid’s experiences at Walnut Lane.

Thank you to all who have contributed to improving it!

Before

 

After

2019 Leaders & Achievers Gala Recap

The  2019 Leaders and Achievers Gala was a wonderful success.  We far exceeded our fundraising goals and raised $175,000. Thank you, Chubb and Accenture, for your continued support and Eagle Sponsorship.
Last night was a special evening for everyone. Hearing the transformational impact The First Tee has had on the lives of our students was extraordinary. Thank you, Oliver “Chip” Brewer, for inspiring each of us to always be the best versions of ourselves. The perseverance to succeed has given our students the drive to achieve their dreams. Many thanks to our program emcee, Dave Spadaro, who made us laugh while engaging us with The First Tee mission.

Event Highlights

Coach’s Corner: Simulator League Update

By: Anthony Hoffman

This Past Saturday concluded our Winter Simulator Series with a championship at the Junior Level (10-13yrs old) and the ‘Amateur Level’ (14-18yrs old). After 6 weeks of Regular season play, 4 students of each level qualified for the championship event. Lenny Gipson held the low round of the series with a 3 under par score in week 5 to help solidify his spot amongst the finalist. The 4 selections for each division’s championship contenders were based upon season-long scoring averages.

 
The Qualifiers were:
Amateur level: 
Samuel Smith
Luke Beggy
Lenny Gipson
Richard Beggy
 
Junior Level:
Devin Carpentar
Johnny “Banana Boy” Strollo
Gianna Cerne
Joey Mancini
;
The Junior Championship Round went off at 9:00 am with the Amateur Championship followed at 11:30 am.
Junior Champion: Devin Carpentar
 
Amateur Champion: Luke Beggy
It was a great season, and we can’t wait to get outside to see how the game translates!

Golf To Paradise

ABOUT

This three-day competition gives two participants from 12 different First Tee chapters an opportunity to play at the Quail Creek Country Club and the Flamingo Island in Naples during the Chubb Classic. Competition Format During the 2019 event, 24 participants played a total of nine holes during each of the three days of competition with an alternative format each day. On Friday, the teams played in a scramble, followed by a modified alternate shot on Saturday and closing with a better ball format on Sunday. Final scoring was based off total points earned each day of the nine-hole format. Following play on Sunday, Feb. 17, the winning chapter of The First Tee Champions Challenge was announced during an award ceremony on 18 green at the Chubb Classic. Fun-Filled Weekend of Activities For many participants, the First Tee Champions Challenge is a mini-vacation filled with great competition and fun activities with their family and friends. All participants will have a chance to participate in a clinic and attend a PGA TOUR Superstore private event filled with fun putting games, prizes, and shopping. The private PGA TOUR Superstore event will be followed by a trip to the Naples Beach.  

Do You Want To Go In 2020?

Get Your Game Ready!

Apply Here

2/14: Pre Tournament Activities

2/15: Scramble Tournament

2/16: Alternate Shot

2/17: Better Ball

Lilly Pulitzer Shop & Share

Lilly Pulitzer hosted a Shop & Share at their King of Prussia Mall location showcasing their new golf line. 10% of all proceeds benefitted The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia! Thank you, Lilly, for your tremendous support!

ABOUT Lilly Pulitzer

More than fifty years ago, a wave of pioneering prints in the form of pink monkeys dancing, green elephants swimming in pools and flowers blooming in a rainbow of colors hit the American fashion scene. And to think, it all started with a juice stand in Palm Beach when young Lilly needed a hobby! As the story goes, Lillian McKim, a young, sassy New York socialite had eloped with Peter Pulitzer, grandson of the Pulitzer Prize’s Joseph Pulitzer, and settled in Palm Beach to live the life of the rich and famous. Peter owned several Florida citrus groves, but Lilly needed a project of her own. So in the late 1950’s, with Peter’s produce, she opened a juice stand on Via Mizner, just off Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. Lilly Pulitzer’s business was a hit, but squeezing oranges, lemons, limes, and pink grapefruit made a mess of her clothes. Realizing that she needed a juice stand uniform, Lilly asked her dressmaker to design a dress that would camouflage the stains.

Ellis A. Gimbel Trust Making An Impact For The First Tee

We thank The Ellis A. Gimbel Trust for their partnership with The First Tee in making a difference in the lives of many visually impaired underprivileged young people in the Philadelphia community.  The First Tee and golf for underprivileged children provides an entertainment outlet for the children to enjoy themselves while making healthy connections within their peer group.  Poor young children do not have access to youth sport leagues. At The First Tee, we offer young people the joy of golf to empower kids to overcome the effects of poverty and to help them grow physically, emotionally and mentally.  Golf and The First Tee give poor youth a chance to learn and a place to escape from their situation. The First Tee offers underprivileged children, the entertaining value of care free pleasures and the ability to have fun being a kid. With funding from the Ellis A. Gimbel Trust, hundreds of visually impaired children from June through September 2018 have been able to enjoy the following program benefits:
  • Spend countless hours in an outdoor, green grass environment.
  • Be entertained while experiencing a fun and relaxed environment.  
  • Learn life skills to overcome poverty and the effects of poverty.
  • Learn the game of golf which will open doors and opportunities for them.
  • Grow physically, mentally and emotionally.
  • Become Good Golfers but, Even Better People.

Ametek Equipment Drive

Golf equipment donations are an essential aspect of our fundraising for our programs. The clubs directly support our programs and those participants in need of equipment. Thanks again to AMETEK, Inc. for all the wonderful club donations. Special thanks to Ron Oscher, Ametek Chief Administrative Officer and TFTGP board member for organizing the drive. We are grateful for your support. #goodgolfersbetterpeople #thefirsttee #ametek

Middle School Golf

Middle School Golf has been coming to FDR Golf Course and Walnut Lane Golf Club over the past 7 weeks practicing golf and learning The First Tee 9 Core Values. It was a lot of fun watching the students grow both on and off the golf course. Their understanding of the core values reflected in their conduct on the course and we are so proud of their development! They worked hard and it culminated in the Middle School Golf Championship held on November 14th at Walnut Lane Golf Club. Congratulations to Julia R. Masterman School for winning the Championship! Thanks to all the kids who participated this season. We had a blast! -Coach Anthony Hoffman