First Tee swinging for success in WInter Park

Three teens at a time line up to tee off along the green at the Winter Park Country Club, polo shirts tucked into their pleated shorts. They practice their swings as their paired-up partners wait in the wings behind them with their eyes fixed to arrows drawn on duct-tape stuck on the heads of the in-motion clubs.

“Too high.” “Nope.” “Perfect!” they critique, as the swinger aims to get the arrow facing up and club completely parallel in their backswing.

Shoe-sized divots left in the ground sometimes outnumber small white projectiles, moving occasionally in a straight line, as golf’s next generation aims for the fairways and greens. When a pair needs further guidance, whether it’s with their stance or correct club angle, the young novices hold up a white card with “help” written across it and a First Tee instructor is there to assist.

But First Tee doesn’t teach golf skills, executive director Thomas Lawrence said, it teaches life skills.

And as of this winter the Winter Park Country Club will serve as the second home course for The First Tee of Central Florida chapter – the first located at Hunter’s Creek Golf Club in Orlando.

The organization aims to build a solid foundation for kids ranging from age 7 to 17 where they can learn how to have fun playing the game, and the etiquette and skills associated with golf. Every detail, from shaking hands with your opponent at the end of a round, raking your footprints after hitting a shot out of the sand, to the history of golf is reiterated so that each player is aware of the rules and roots of the game. Instructors purposely blend in life strategies to go along with the golf lessons.

After a day’s practice, Lawrence asks the group what are the two words to describe being positive, to which they responded “I can.”

First Tee has a progressive curriculum, in which each player earns their way through different levels, using the program’s nine core values. Core values such as confidence and perseverance teach the kids not only how to hit a tough shot out of the bunker, but the instructors encourage application of those same skills to the classroom and other life situations, Lawrence said.

“The program has helped me to respect the course and to do the right thing [off the course],” said seventh-grader Chaz Pilgram.

With the help of LPGA Tour pro Annika Sorenstam and her ANNIKA Foundation, the First Tee also incorporates nine health and wellness habits into its programming.

“The nine healthy habits promote children being active and [along with] the core values helps the kids build character,” said Matt Certo, board president for The First Tee of Central Florida.

The First Tee’s founding partners include the PGA Tour, PGA of America, LPGA, The Masters Tournament, and the USGA.

Another partner, the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, has stepped up to help provide scholarships for children who want to experience the game of golf, but who may need financial assistance to do so.

“We’re raising money so that any child who is not able to pay can have an opportunity [to participate],” said Certo. “We don’t want to turn away any kid who wants to learn.”

Certo says First Tee instructors recognize their opportunity to help develop golf skills, but to also be a mentor to kids who may not have one.

“The most gratifying thing is teaching kids lessons that can ultimately change lives,” he said. “This program is about giving kids a chance.”