Year: 2019

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ENJOY JUPITER DUNES – NPBCC NEXT UP

Members of our Chapter’s Young Professionals recently enjoyed a summer event at Jupiter Dunes par-3 course.   “We are excited about the growth of the Young Professionals,” said YP Chairman Tom Bliss.  “We will be conducting other golf and social events over the next few months.” The group is open to golfers and non-golfers wishing to support our chapter from ages 21-39.  For more information on joining the YP, please CLICK HERE. UPCOMING YOUNG PROFESSIONALS EVENT: Friday, September 20th at 5:30pm at North Palm Beach Country Club. Join us: $20 riding in carts Please RSVP to Tom Bliss [email protected] to secure your spot! 

NEW AWNINGS SPONSORED BY MORELL STUDIOS

Morell Studios, the leader in creating golf awards and clubhouse recognition panels, continues to support our chapter each year with grants for programming and capital improvements.  When the students are on site at our golf facility in Dyer Park they want to be outside.  The shade from the awnings make this possible all year. “Our previous awnings were 10 years old and were showing signs of wear due to the bright sun and last few hurricanes,” said Carl Mistretta, Chapter Executive Director.  “New awnings were at the top of our capital improvement list and our friends at Morell Studios made it happen for our many students.  We appreciate their continued support.” For more information on Morell Studios golf and corporate gifts and awards, please visit morellstudios.com.

JANELLE HEADING TO Q-SCHOOL- SPONSORS NEEDED

Chapter Alumna, Janelle Johnson, a 2018 college graduate of Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and member of the NSU Sharks Women Golf team turned pro last year after graduation.  In her senior year, Janelle had 3 top 10 finishes, two 3rd place finishes at the NCAA Division II National Preview and the World Golf Invitational and a 9th place finish at the Lady Panther Invitational. After the upcoming Florida Open, Janelle will be playing LPGA TOUR Q-School later this month in Rancho Mirage, California.  She missed advancing to second stage last year by 3 shots! The entry fee for Q-School is $2,500 plus travel and lodging expenses.  If you are interested in sponsoring Janelle to help her with Q-School expenses, please email [email protected] for more information. @janellejashley to follow Janelle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Prior to NSU, Janelle played on the Women’s Raiders Golf Team at Seminole State College of Florida for two years and was part of the 2015 NJCAA Championship Team.  From 2010 to 2013, Janelle played and represented the Palm Beach County Junior Golf Association (PBCJGA) Team at the yearly FSGA Junior Team Championship tournaments.  She also played 4 years on the golf team at Wellington High School and advanced to High School State Nationals as a two-time FHSAA Class 3-A State qualifier (2011 and 2013).  In 2013, Janelle was also the first participant to represent our chapter by playing in Pebble Beach, California in a PGA TOUR Champions event, now called The Pure Insurance Championship impacting The First Tee.  

PALM BEACH COUNTRY CLUB AND BREAKERS HOTEL FUND PROJECTS

The members of Palm Beach Country Club began supporting our Chapter in 2016 with the establishment of the Bobby Benson Scholarship Fund.  The fund was created to honor the retirement of their longtime golf professional and help fund our outreach programs for 15 years. The Palm Beach Country Club Foundation has also generously funded many capital improvements including new office furniture, a trailer (pictured above) and new turf for our par-3 greens.  Their foundation funded the sod, sand and all materials and employees from the Breakers Hotel golf course maintenance team provided the volunteer labor to strip, shape and re-grass the greens (pictured above).  The project was recently completed.  The Breakers also assists us during the year by aerifying and top dressing and provides many other turf cultivation practices. “Words cannot express our gratitude to the Palm Beach Country Club Foundation and the Breakers,” said Chapter President Bobby Hendel.  “Two chapter directors- David Rudnick, a member of Palm Beach Country Club, and Mark Reid, Director of Golf and Grounds at the Breakers, have worked very hard to help us complete so many needed projects.”

BACK TO SCHOOL MEANS BACK TO GOLF

Have you made The First Tee a part of your Back to School Plans?  73% reported high confidence in their ability to do well academically.  82% felt confident in their social skills with peers.  52% credited the program for their ability to appreciate diversity. Positive impact on your child, your family, your community. Register today at program locations in West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Delray Beach and more!

THE HONDA CLASSIC CARES VISITS OUR CHAPTER

Honda Classic Cares

Recently our Chapter received a visit from The Honda Classic team including Tournament Director Andrew George and members of the Couture Club. The Honda Classic Cares presented a generous “big check” in support of our mission of our programs. The Honda Classic is a Founding Partner of our Chapter and impacts our Chapter each year as one of our major donors and supporters.   This year, the tournament awarded a record-shattering $5.1 million to 157 South Florida philanthropic organizations during Honda Classic Cares Week, the 13th consecutive year that the PGA TOUR event has been able to increase its impact on the lives of local children and their families. More than 75,000 children and their families will benefit from the Honda Classic Cares initiative this year.  The $5.1 million awarded this year is $550,000 higher than the $4.55 million that was distributed in 2018. See you in February at The Honda Classic!

CHAPTER PARTICIPANT HEADED TO PEBBLE BEACH

Tyler Mistretta The First Tee and PGA TOUR Champions recently announced that chapter student, Tyler Mistretta, has been selected to compete in the 2019 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee, an official PGA TOUR Champions event to be contested at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California, September 24-29. The 16th annual event, which is hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, will be televised internationally on Golf Channel. The PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee is the only event of its kind where 78 First Tee teenagers from across the country are paired up with 78 PGA TOUR Champions players and 156 amateurs during an official PGA TOUR Champions tournament. Tyler will compete for the Pro-Junior Team title. He will join 77 other participants from First Tee chapters across the country. Participants were selected by a national panel of judges based on their understanding and application of the values and life skills learned through First Tee’s programs, as well as their playing ability. This year’s field of professionals will include World Golf Hall of Fame Members Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen, as well as defending champion and recent KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship winner Ken Tanigawa. Clint Eastwood serves as chairman of the PURE Insurance Championship.  Play will be conducted on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course on Friday and Saturday, with the final round contested solely at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday, where 23 First Tee juniors will compete based on their 36-hole performance. The tournament will crown one male and one female First Tee Junior Champion on Sunday. Nearly 1,000 teens from First Tee have played in the PURE Insurance Championship, experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet, play and be mentored by PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs in the field.  TUNE IN TO GOLFCHANNEL SEPTEMBER 27- 29 TO WATCH!    

GREAT TURNOUT FOR WOMEN’S GOLF DAY AT DYER PARK

Women’s Golf Day is an international community dedicated to engaging, empowering and supporting women through golf. Created by women and men for women to enjoy golf and learn the skills that last a lifetime. During our recent event at Dyer Park, twenty ladies representing all ages joined us to empower new and experienced golfers by creating meaningful connections. Everyone enjoyed breakfast, a rotation of stations for full swing, chipping, pitching, putting and also the opportunity to play our Par 3 course! Girls golf is more popular than ever. It is growing every year and more than 40% of our chapter’s students are female! Golf has become more appealing to girls as our industry is focusing on providing a more girl friendly and supportive environment. The First Tee is leading the way as it continues to partner with organizations like LPGA-USGA Girls Golf to create exciting new ways to invite girls to play the game that will engage them for life. For more information on LPGA-USGA Girls Golf please CLICK HERE to visit our website.

TGA MEMBERS ROAD TRIP TO SAGE VALLEY INVITATIONAL

Recently Teen Golfer Association (TGA) member Kameron Povio, Savannah Mansueti, Mia Thorson, Samara Washington, Christopher Curtis and Shrey Shalia visited The First Tee of Aiken in South Carolina for the Sage Valley Junior Invitational. Chapter Coaches Emily Valentine and Jack Barrett attended and chaperoned the group. Along the drive, the TGA stopped in Jacksonville for a visit to The First Tee home office and then enjoyed a fun evening at TopGolf. Chapter Participants volunteered their time as standard bearers at the Sage Valley Junior Invitational, a tournament that is known to be the “Masters of Junior Golf.” Also, the students were working manual scoreboards. Emily Valentine commented, “Every participant had the time of their lives meeting other participants within The First Tee network, thousands of miles away! As a Chapter Alumni, I truly enjoying getting to see the participants experience these types of activities and trips, as I did.” A special thank you to Lexi Milford and Heidi Hoffman from The First Tee of Aiken for the very warm welcome for the second year at their Chapter and at Sage Valley. To learn more about the TGA, please contact Emily at [email protected]

CHAPTER RAISES OVER $15,000 PLAYING CMAA MARATHON GOLF

Have you ever played 144 holes in one day? Sounds crazy and it is! With the help of the golf professionals at Bear Lakes Country Club and Chapter staff, students and supporters that played CMAA Marathon Golf, we raised over $15,000 to support the thousands of children and veterans in our programs. Special shout out to Bear Lakes’ General Manager and COO Marius Ilie and their members for hosting us this year. “We set a new First Tee chapter record this year and the three South Florida chapters together raised over $110,000,” said Mitch Stump, CPA, Chapter Treasurer and Marathon Golf Committee Member. “CMAA in total for the Seminole Region broke the $400,000 mark for the first time in Marathon Golf history.” It is not to late to donate and support the Marathon Golfers. To make a donation, please CLICK HERE. Pictured above left: Bear Lakes Professionals Adam Packard, Sean Knott, Chad Lauze and Lynn Valentine teed it up all day and received pledges from the members of Bear Lakes. Pictured above right: Chapter staff Carl Mistretta, Jack Barrett and Emily Valentine teed it up with supporter John Rothberg and student Tyler Mistretta.

SAVANNAH ATTENDS INAUGURAL GOVERNOR’S CUP

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis served as host at the inaugural Florida Governor’s Cup on June 3, raising approximately $500,000 for The First Tee. The event took place Monday, June 3 at the Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City, bringing together members of the Florida Legislature and the Executive Branch for a 27-hole Ryder Cup-style event. “I was honored to serve as the host of the inaugural Florida Governor’s Cup to benefit chapters of the First Tee throughout the state,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “The mission of The First Tee aligns perfectly with our goal of creating more opportunities for young Floridians from all walks of life to be successful. I am proud of what we accomplished this first year and look forward to future Governor’s Cups with The First Tee to benefit our leaders of tomorrow.” Chapter student, Savannah Mansueti attended the event and spoke to the tournament guests about her many experiences with our Chapter and how The First Tee helped her gain admittance to the University of Florida! Pictured above: Savannah and her father (in middle) with Governor DeSantis and his wife, Casey. Proceeds from the charity golf event will allow The First Tee to expand and deepen its impact in the state of Florida through grants to chapters, training and education and college scholarships.

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TEEING IT UP AT JUPITER DUNES

When: July 19th, 2019 @ 5:30 pm Where: 401 N Highway A1A, Jupiter, FL 33477 Cost: $16 to walk with pull cart rental or $27 to ride per person Please RSVP to YP Chairman, Tom Bliss at [email protected] The Young Professionals (ages 21-39) invites you to join our network of active Palm Beach County based individuals dedicated to the mission of The First Tee. The Young Professionals supports The First Tee of The Palm Beaches through fundraising, volunteer efforts, and by broadening awareness in the Palm Beach area as ambassadors of our local chapter. To learn more about joining our Chapter’s Young Professionals, please CLICK HERE.