Alice Shifts Focus & Shoots Her Personal Best

Alice (center) poses with Wando Lady Warrior Golf Team after winning the 2023 Region VI AAAAA Championship.

October 24, 2023Participant Spotlight

Earlier this month, Coach Todd Murphy played a round of golf with two program participants at Berkeley Country Club as part of his continuing education (Level 2 Coach Certification). One of those program participants was Alice, a senior at Wando High School who was preparing for the 2023 Region VI AAAAA Championship to be held at Berkeley on October 10th.

This low-pressure playdate provided Alice with keen perspective…

“The main reason I couldn’t break 80 was because I was getting in my head too much about my score… Playing a practice round with Coach Todd helped me relax and focus on each shot individually.”

– Alice Li, First Tee – Greater Charleston Program Participant

When Alice returned to Berkeley with the Wando Lady Warrior Golf Team, she broke 80 for the first time ever, shooting 77, and her team captured the title, setting a new Wando record of 310.

Coach Todd and Alice share Alice’s new personal best (77).

There’s a fine line between pursuing perfection and pursuing one’s personal best. Alice understands the difference, and lucky for us, she’s decided to share her constructive perspective with others as an Assistant Coach this season. (Thank you, Alice! We’re so proud of you!!)

Want to learn more about unique play/volunteer opportunities for a young person in your life? Email Meghan Taylor to learn more.

Rolex Girls Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament

May 3, 2023 | Program Spotlight

The Rolex Girls Junior Championship is returning to the Golf Club at Briar’s Creek Monday, June 19, and this year’s event will feature a Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament benefitting First Tee – Greater Charleston.

Annually, this championship attracts the best up-and-coming golfers (ages 12-19) in the nation, most of whom will go on to play Division 1 collegiate golf and potentially the LPGA Tour. The charity event presents an amazing play opportunity for any golfer—young women in particular.

Thanks to a generous gift, one of our program participants, Alice Li, was able to play the Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament when it was last at Briar’s Creek.

“The event showed me how serious I could be about golf, and it pushed me to pursue a role in my high school golf team. It also helped get me into bigger golf tournaments, like SCJGA and PKBGT… I wish others knew that you don’t have to be super good at golf to play in the Charity AM. When I played, I’m pretty sure my nine-hole average was in the 50s. It was really just a super fun experience to go out and play some tournament golf.”

– Alice Li, First Tee – Greater Charleston Program Participant

Alice brought home more than happy memories from the event. She also won a charity event contest, and her prize was a 60 degree wedge, a keepsake that she still loves and uses today.

Register to Play or Sponsor a Team

Register to play or give our program participants a chance to play with future LPGA stars by sponsoring a team. The cost is $500 per girl or $1500 per team. First Tee teams will feature three of our program participants paired with an aspiring pro.

100 Hole Golfathon: Meet Our First Tee Alumni Players

May 1, 2023 | Participant Spotlight

On May 22, Friends of First Tee – Greater Charleston will take on the incredible challenge of playing 100 holes of golf in one day at Wescott Golf Club. That’s a lot of golf! And while some might suggest that it’s too much golf, we promise it is for a good cause.

The 100 Hole Golfathon, formerly known as the 100 Hole Hike, got its start in 2019. To date, this fundraiser has sponsored 5,000+ FREE rounds of golf through our Swing it Forward program, 400+ rides to local golf courses and enrichment activities, and 1,200+ scholarships for on-course Golf & Life Skills classes. None of that would be possible without committed Golfathon-ers and the generous friends, family members, and colleagues who support them with pledges.

Meet Our First Tee Alumni Golfathon-ers

In the spirit of friendly competition, we’ve recruited two First Tee – Greater Charleston alumni to face off with board members, YAC members, PGA club professionals, and other seasoned golfers in the Charleston community.

Maya Timmons

Maya is a First Tee alum who participated in our Golf & Life Skills program for 12 years. She attended Ashley Ridge High School, certified Ace at First Tee in 2015, graduated high school 2017, attends Western Governors University, and works at Topgolf. She graciously volunteered to cheer on our teams at the 2022 100 Hole Golfathon. This will be her second year attending and first year captaining a team!

“I’m really excited about playing in the 100 Hole Golfathon… I wish more people knew about it so that we could get a bigger crowd of people fundraising for our kids! I also wish that people knew playing 100 holes isn’t as daunting as they may believe. Last year’s event was extremely fun!”

– Maya Timmons, First Tee – Greater Charleston Alum

Kyle Myers

Kyle is a First Tee alum with more than 10 years Golf & Life Skills experience. He attended Fort Dorchester High School (where he played on the golf team), certified Ace at First Tee in 2015, and graduated high school in 2016. He now coaches First Tee classes at Pine Forest Country Club in Summerville.

“I’m overjoyed to participate in the 100 Hole Golfathon, especially with it being hosted at my old stomping grounds, Wescott Golf Course. I am looking forward to some good shots and great memories while raising money and awareness for First Tee, an organization that I spent over a decade of taking golf classes from and now get the privilege of coaching classes of my own. First Tee provides a safe, positive and instructional environment to teach golf and life skills that can be used on and off the course. I can’t wait to tee off the first hole and make the most out of this great opportunity!”

– Kyle Myers, First Tee – Greater Charleston Alum

Help Maya & Kyle Keep Kids On Course

Maya, Kyle, and their teammates will battle it out for Golfathon bragging rights in the following categories:

  • Most funds raised
  • Most donor support (number of donors)

They will be out at Wescott Golf Club from sun-up to sun-down, walking, running, and riding 20+ miles—taking hundreds of swings along the way. We’re confident that they have what it takes to stay the course, but it’s going to be a long day. Support from you will keep them going, and it will also help us keep kids on course throughout the year!

All per hole pledges and flat-rate donations welcome, and they add up to accomplish big things! When you make a gift to Maya or Kyle:

  • Kids can attend On Course Programming FREE of charge. For every $1,500 raised, we can offer up to 6 FULL scholarships.
  • Golf is FREE for ALL Charleston Area Kids through Swing it Forward. For every $2,000 raised, we can sponsor 400 rounds of golf.
  • Kids receive FREE rides to and from the golf course. For every $2,500 raised, we can provide 80 round trips to groups of young people who are facing transportation challenges.

Visit our PledgeIt page to see fundraising progress, and tune into our Instagram and Facebook feeds on May 22 for day-of-play coverage.

First Tee – Greater Charleston Participant Spotlight: Meet Florence

December 5, 2022 | Participant Spotlight

We recently interviewed 10 year-old program participant Florence to learn more about her move from Washington DC and what she loves most about First Tee. Here’s what she had to say…

How long have you been involved with First Tee?

Florence: I’ve been playing golf my whole life. I’ve had little kits since I was one or two, but I’ve been playing with the First Tee for about four or five years. 

So you started with First Tee in DC before coming to Charleston?

Florence: Yes.

That’s quite a move! How did it make you feel?

Florence: It was a really big move, and I didn’t like it at first.

What do you like most about First Tee?

Florence: What I like most about First Tee is that they don’t just teach you how to play good golf; they teach you proper manners and how to act in situations.

Is First Tee – Greater Charleston different than First Tee – Greater Washington?

Florence: The accents are different… [At this point Florence delighted us with her best impression of a Southern accent, which we unfortunately did not catch on camera.]

Coach Charlie and Coach Chuck tell me that you’re a great golfer! How does that make you feel?

Florence: If someone says that I’m a good golfer, it makes me feel really proud because I’ve worked hard all of my life to achieve that. 

First Tee focuses on some important core values (honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment)… Can you think of a time when one of those values helped you accomplish a goal? 

Florence: I recently went to the CJ Cup with my dad and his friend, Mr. Russ. I used respect by being the only one asking for just a high five instead of asking for things. 

That’s awesome! I’m sure you impressed the pros..

Florence: Ooh! I got several people’s signatures there! …Shane Lowry, Collin Marikawa, and Rory McIlroy (aka the world’s best golfer).

Aside from golf, what do you like to do and/or who do you like to spend time with?

Florence: Aside from golf, I really like to spend time with my dog and to horse ride, but we’re having trouble finding a pony for me to ride down here. …But we are going to a hunt club this weekend, and I’ll get to ride there!

Do you think you’ll keep playing golf?

Florence: I think I’ll continue to play golf because it’s a great way to spend time outside and get fresh air. 

At First Tee – Greater Charleston, we’re teaching more than golf. We want to help kids build confidence and resilience that are applicable to all aspects of life. Email [email protected] to learn more about ways to get involved.

First Tee Game Changers Play Port City Golf Club Fall Classic Amateur Tournament at Charleston Municipal

Photo courtesy of Toby Jenkins | Isaiah Myers (far left); Macio Jacobs Sr. (left); Josiah Myers (right); and Eduardo Curry Jr. (far right) pose with teammates at the 2nd Annual Fall Classic Amateur Golf Tournament

October 27, 2022 | Participant Spotlight

First Tee Game Changers Isaiah and Josiah Myers attended Port City Golf Club’s Fall Classic Amateur Golf Tournament at Charleston Municipal Golf Course on Saturday, October 22nd. Accompanied by mentor and friend Eduardo Curry Jr., the brothers played 9 holes in a competitive youth event ahead of adult participants.

Isaiah (age 12) started strong, hitting well off of the tee box on the first hole and putting skillfully on the green. Josiah (age 13) got off to a slower start, but as the day heated up so did his game. We’re proud to have both of these fine young men representing us in the community!

When asked how they liked participating in the tournament, Isaiah and Josiah expressed sincere appreciation for the chance to play. Thank you to Macio Jacobs Sr., President of Port City Golf Club for providing the opportunity and to Eduardo for accompanying!

Eduardo is a mentor and School Engagement Program Manager for Charleston Promise Neighborhood, a local nonprofit working to improve academic, health, and social outcomes for underserved youth. Visit charlestonpromise.org to learn more. He also serves on a nominations task force for our Game Changers Immersion Program.

Isaiah and Josiah are both second-year Game Changers, and they are part of our original immersion program class (Class of 2028). They meet with First Tee coaches Monday-Friday each summer and on Saturdays during the school year for on-course instruction and off-course enrichment activities.

We add a new class of Game Changers each summer (rising 6th graders), and we intend to offer year-round support to all immersion program participants through high school graduation. Email [email protected] to learn more about ways to get involved!

Participant Spotlight: Fall Program Assessments

This Fall, our chapter had a record number of participants enrolled in Core Golf & Life Skills Programs with a total of 348 young people across 8 locations.  At the end of each season, participants at the PLAYer, Advanced PLAYer, Par, Teen, Birdie, and Eagle levels have the option to take an assessment to see if they are ready to certify to the next progressive program level.  These assessments are completed separately from Core classes and include written golf & life skill tests as well as playing, putting, chipping, and full swing component.  Most important is the coaches’ observation of participants’ understanding of the life skills learned at that level.  At the PLAYer level, coaches are looking to see that participants are respectful of their playing partners and honest in their scoring, while at the Par level, demonstrating the 4Rs (replay, relax, ready, redo) after each shot shows coaches that participants understood what they were taught in class. Over the last month, 89 participants attempted assessments across 5 eligible programming levels.  On average, it takes participants 3-5 full 8-week seasons at a given level to successfully certify to the next one.  We are very proud to share that 49 participants have successfully completed each program component for their current level and will be starting 2019 in a new class!

PLAYer to Advanced PLAYer certified: Emma B, Noah B, Sheppard B, Charlie C, Clayton C, John Robert D, Hunter E, Layne F, Ruby G, Samuel G, Burns H, Aiden K, Andrew K, Gray L, Emily M, Sophia M, Trig N, Cooper P, Thomas R, Ray S, Andrew T, Asa W, and Kyle W

Advanced PLAYer to Par certified: Bailey B, Claire B, Lincoln B, McCrae B, Tripp B, Robert C, Samantha C, Tobias C, Charlie D, Mason J, Aidyn M, Andrew M, Madison M, Gavin P, Jackson S, Lindsey S, Sam S, Inman W, and Olivia W

Par/Teen to Birdie certified: Luke B, Carson D, Ichiwa D, Dalton E, Jacob M, Cade S, and Mark S

Congratulations to all of our Fall Core Golf & Life Skills participants on a fantastic season!  If you would like to read more about The First Tee’s progressive levels, please click here or more about the assessment process, please click here.

Participant Spotlight: Rye Tifft

Congratulations to Rye Tifft on his selection as this month’s Participant of the Month!  Rye has been a member of the Greater Charleston chapter of The First Tee for more than four years, since his family moved to Mount Pleasant from Maine.  Before arriving in Charleston, he was already an accomplished member of The First Tee of Maine at the Birdie level.  Since moving to Charleston, he completed certifications at the Birdie and Eagle level, and is now an Ace participant. Rye is one of our most active participants as he is also a volunteer each season with PLAYer and Advanced PLAYer classes at RiverTowne as well as a member of the Teen Advisory Council. Rye has had some amazing experiences as a junior golfer, including playing in the Beth Daniel Junior Azalea Golf Tournament at the Country Club of Charleston, the St. Augustine Amateur through a First Tee exemption at St. John’s Golf Club in Florida, and helping the United States team defeat Scotland in the inaugural Watson Cup this fall at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. One of his most accomplished experiences to date was his selection into the Congaree Global Golf Initiative this summer.  He spent a full week living at Congaree Golf Club, learning about life as a college golfer, perfecting his game, and making friendships and mentorships that will last a lifetime. “From the first moment we entered the gates to Congaree, I knew this was going to be something special. The entrance itself was what I’d image Augusta to be like, trees overhanging and all. Everything was top of the line from our rooms to the food, and, of course, the golf course and practice facility itself. In the first hour of arriving for CGGI, it had already exceeded way beyond my expectations. The overall experience really gave me a boost of confidence in myself, my studies, and my game. Being able to work with experienced and world-renowned teachers like Mike Harmon, Jason Baile, and Bruce Davidson, as well as working with other experts in their field whether it be fitness, medicine, mental game, education, even table manners made me feel equipped for not only college, but the rest of my future whether that be in golf or something else that I enjoy. I really enjoyed meeting everyone who made the Congaree Global Golf Initiative such an incredible experience for all of the junior golfers like me who participated. I felt like I was able to step out of my shell a little and make life long connections with not only the kids that we spent the week with, but the coaches, mentors, and ambassadors that were at CGGI and were there to help us and tell us their story.” Rye says that his favorite core value is perseverance because it helps him not only in golf, but also in his studies.  He will graduate from Oceanside Collegiate Academy Charter School in Mount Pleasant this spring and looks forward to playing golf in college next year.  Keep up the great work, Rye!

Participant Spotlight: Kharynton Beggs at the Pure Insurance Championship

What an incredible week it was for Kharynton Beggs at the Pebble Beach Golf Resort last week!  She was selected earlier this year for the Pure Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee, a PGA TOUR Champions event where 81 junior participants of The First Tee are paired with PGA TOUR Champions players.  They play a best ball format with rounds at Poppy Hills Golf Course and Pebble Beach Golf Links.  Kharynton, her mom Teia, and Program Director Meghan Taylor flew across the country last Tuesday.  Kharynton played practice rounds at each course on Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday began the tournament round.  Each night also included a special event for juniors to meet one another and mingle with professional golfers and honored guests. Kharynton was paired with fellow South Carolinian, Jay Haas, who has 33 professional victories.  The two played their first round at Poppy Hills on Friday and finished at -4.  Saturday’s round was at Pebble Beach, and after two days, the duo were at -1.  Unfortunately, they did not make the cut, but their played fantastic golf, and The First Tee of Greater Charleston is so proud to have Kharynton as our first ever representative to this national event. Kharynton had this to say about the event: “This experience was absolutely nothing like I possibly could have imagined – it was better!  From the first day I arrived, I felt so confident and ready for the week, seeing familiar faces from other national opportunities through The First Tee like the Life Skills & Leadership Academy and Perfect Sense Challenge as well as adults like Mr. Dennis Kirwin from Pure Insurance and Mr. Matt Ginella from Golf Channel.  I met so many new friends this week and am so grateful to Mr. Jay Haas and his family for their kindness.  Mr. Haas even helped me on the range after the first day at Poppy Hills and taught me a lot.  It was so cool to even take part in special events like the Train concert on Friday night and meet awesome people like Tom Watson and Alfonso Ribeiro!  Thank you to Pure Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions, Pebble Beach Golf Resort, all the sponsors, and each member of the committee who selected me for this opportunity this week.” To see even more photos from Kharynton’s week, please visit our Facebook page (click here) for each of our daily updates.

Participant Spotlight: PGA Jr League

The PGA Jr League is a program where junior golfers have the opportunity to enjoy their first team golf experience.  Playing in a 2-player captain’s choice format, juniors take turns playing with and caddying for their group.  The program encourages sportsmanship, promotes mentorship, and builds confidence. For the last three summers, The First Tee of Greater Charleston has participated as its own team in the Charleston region, competing against teams from area public and private golf courses.  Our team is open to participants at the Advanced PLAYer, Par, and Birdie levels, who are between the ages of 8 and 13.  This summer, we had so much demand for the PGA Jr League that we created two teams who each competed in matches at fantastic courses like the Country Club of Charleston and Kiawah’s River Course.  Participants earned flags for winning their 3-hole matches as well as showing teamwork, respect, and responsibility. Thank you to all of families who sent in photos from this season’s matches and practices!To end the season, PGA Jr League players had the chance to attend a Riverdogs game with their families earlier this month.  All players were even down on the field, high-fiving players before the game! If your child is at the Advanced PLAYer, Par, or Birdie level and interested in joining PGA Jr League, be on the lookout for registration information in the spring of 2019!

Supporter Spotlight: YAC Gives Back

The mission of The First Tee is to instill Nine Core Values like confidence, responsibility, and judgment in young people through our youth development programs.  All of our core values are inherent to the game of golf but are also so important in every aspect of life.  We want to help children succeed on and off the golf course: at home, at school, and in other activities. Last week, we distributed 250 backpacks filled with school supplies to Lowcountry students.  For the last 3 years, we have held our annual SNAG Some Supplies event each August, before school starts, for young people who have taken part in Core Golf & Life Skills Programming that year.  The backpacks and supplies are donated by The First Tee Young Ambassadors Council.  The goal is to give kids the backpacks and school supplies they need to feel confident and persevere through the new school year.  Because of the heavy rainfall and flooding across our area this month, we were unable to play our traditional SNAG baseball game, but we did distribute 50 backpacks to Core participants. However, this year, 50 backpacks wasn’t enough for our Young Ambassadors Council! The Young Ambassadors Council, under the project leadership of Tyson Marlow and Brittain Cherry, set a goal of upping their past donation numbers from 30 backpacks to 200.  When that goal was reached, they increased the goal again and collected enough money to pack 250 backpacks this year.  With 50 of the backpacks going to Core Program participants, we were left with 200 in need of good homes.  Last year, we began partnering with Charleston Promise Neighborhood to provide after school programming at one of their sites, Mary Ford Elementary.  We even transported some of their students to Patriots Point this spring to take part in our PLAYer Core Program this spring.  On Friday night, we took part in Mary Ford Elementary’s Back to School Bash where we handed out all 200 of the backpacks to families with pre-school through fifth grade-age children! We wish all of our participants a successful and fun back to school season!  For our next Participant Spotlight, we would like to share all of your “first day of school” photos, so please email photos of your children to Program Director, Meghan Taylor: [email protected].

Participant Spotlight: Spring 2018 A/B Honor Roll Recipients

This month, we are excited to honor the fifty-four participants who received all As and Bs at their school during the spring 2018 semester and submitted a copy of their report card into The First Tee.  All of these participants will be honored with a certificate and special A/B Honor Roll bag tag mailed to their home.  Congratulations to the following participants for showing perseverance, responsibility, and and confidence on and off the golf course:

Curtis B                            Jack H                              Mason R Allie B                              Laura H                            Alayna R Alaina B                           SarahAnne H                   Matt R Kharynton B                    William H                         Theo R Jacob B                           Bally J                              Ray S Bradyn B                          Emily J                            Jackson S Francisco C                     Avery J                            Sam S Karla C                             Blake J                             Banks S Simon D                          Sarah J                            Jackson S Dominck D                      Sam K                              Cade S Alanna D                         Noah L                             Jackson S Marlie D                          Ryan L                              Erin T Lilian D                            Sam L                              Joseph T David F                            Mackenzie M                  Maddie T Jackie F                           David M                          Caitlin T Cooper H                         Andrew M                       Brady T Headen H                        Bailey Q                          Olivia W Colton H                          Brodie Q                         Lucas Y

Participant Spotlight: SarahAnne Horne

Congratulations to SarahAnne on her selection as Participant of the Month for June 2018!  SarahAnne has been a member of The First Tee for 5 years, since she was 7 years old.  She lives in Mount Pleasant and currently attends Palmetto Christian Academy, where she is on the golf team. SarahAnne takes part in the Core Golf & Life Skills Program at Patriots Point Golf Links with Coach Wayne.  Last month, she successfully certified from the Par level to the Birdie level through our assessment process.  You can click here to read more about The First Tee assessment and certification process.  Her favorite part about group lessons with The First Tee are the “the chipping and putting games, they make learning about golf fun.  Riding the big golf cart together is something I like, too.” (fourth from left, top row) SarahAnne exemplifies each of the Nine Core Values, and her favorite is judgment.  “I have to use my own judgment to make decisions on the golf course.  When I first started, my coach helped choose what clubs I would use, but now I use judgment on what club to use by myself.” (far right, bottom row) She says that she most enjoys golf because, “I like to challenge myself.  Golf is a good sport for that.  Golf also helps me meet new people!”  In addition to her participation in Core Golf & Life Skills Programs through The First Tee, SarahAnne also attends our LPGA-USGA Girls Nights Out at Patriots Point and is also a member of The First Tee’s PGA Junior League team. (second from right, top row) Off the golf course, SarahAnne also enjoys basketball, reading, beach volleyball, and spending time with her dog.  If you see SarahAnne this month, please make sure you also wish her a happy birthday – she turned 13 on May 25th!