First Tee

Does anyone have any feedback on the First Tee program? Seems like a cost effective way to introduce a child to golf.

I don't have any experience as of yet, but I'm in the same boat. I'm looking into this as a possibility for the younger one. Is there anywhere to check the availability in a certain area?

It is a GREAT program as it teaches life enhancing values through the game of golf. Click [url="http://www.thefirsttee.org/club/scripts/section/section.asp?grp=0&NS=FL"]here[/url].

I know if you google first tee they have a website where i believe it has the locations throughout the country. Luckily for me they have a chapter in my county.
The reason i'm looking for feedback is because i emailed them about 2 and a half weeks ago about spring 08 programs and haven't gotten a response. I guess its possible they don't monitor their email in the offseason.

[url="http://www.thefirsttee.org/club/scripts/section/section.asp?grp=0&NS=FL"]http://www.thefirsttee.org/club/scripts/se...grp=0&NS=FL[/url]

My kids enjoyed the program a couple of years ago, and if your kids had never played golf, it's a great program to get it on with other kids. The biggest benefit was to play golf on the golf course with other kids and a mentor ( normally in the late afternoons ), free of charge.
It's a great progrm and don't forget to support it should you're able to financially ( donation, auction...).

Just making sure, you contacted the program director directly, correct? If you did, they might not be monitoring the e-mail inbox during the holidays. I am a First Tee volunteer coach and the next regular program will not be until spring next year. Thank you.

I wonder what options are available if there is no local chapter in my area? The Harrisburg PA area has a large golf community and I'm suprised nothing is available. There are MANY courses in the area, Hershey PA is only about 15 min's, etc.

Is it hard to start a local chapter or see if any local participation is available? I know a couple local courses have literature on the First Tee program, but I don't see any organized events available, etc.

i wanted to join for their 99 cents range bucket but its like 5% grass , no dirt . mostly sand

i dont go to the first tee, but i take my sister all the time. she kicks all the kids's asses at golf. she's #1 in the state of SC. She already talked to the coach at arkansas and auburn.

[quote name='azngolfplaya08' post='843801' date='Dec 31 2007, 08:40 PM']i dont go to the first tee, but i take my sister all the time. she kicks all the kids's asses at golf. she's #1 in the state of SC. She already talked to the coach at arkansas and auburn.[/quote]

its not a noob sanctuary no more

true that bro.

its a place for noobs to be massacred.

They're okay if you want low cost I guess.

they have some great opportunities. like the Pebble Beach Champions tour tourney and a buncha camps that are all paid for(you have to go through an application process). it's definitely worth it though, i've made friends from all over the place from it. As for the teaching, i didn't grow up through the first tee so i don't know about that.

I worked as an instructor a few years back at the First Tee program in Tulsa and absolutely loved it. fantastic program with a very good structured curriculum for the kids. The majority of the children I taught were between 7 and 12 and 95% of them were dropped off by bus at the course from a local inner city center. At the beginning of the summer they would have to be dragged off the bus. By the end of the summer they would have to be dragged back on. I could not believe how excited they were to learn about the game of golf. When I started I was slightly reluctant to teach, but their eagerness to learn made it easier for me and I was able to quickly up the technicality of the fundamentals I was trying to convey. The best time I had was with the level two kids. These children had already completed the basics on how to hit, chip, putt, & the rules and were now focused on putting that practice to use on the course. Lucky for us, the First Tee of Tulsa has a kid scaled 9 hole course with 7 sets of tees for all ability levels. The lessons for level two were focused around course management, etiquette, and pace of play. when these kids started in level two it was usually their second time ever out on a golf course and were usually very nervous. I decided that I would play with them, but to make it interesting I began playing left handed with a child's set of clubs. That way as the summer progressed and I played with them more and more we would get better together. I was able to take away any intimidation factor while still being able to teach them on the course. My favorite requirement for completion of level 2 was the ability to walk and carry your clubs while playing 9 holes in under 2 hours. You could pass every other requirement, but if you could not play in under two hours you would not graduate to level 3. I think this is a fantastic rule. If you are thinking about enrolling your child in a first tee program I would highly suggest doing it. Just make sure that if you the type so compelled to also teach your child talk to the instructors first and ask for a copy of their curriculum. It's no offense to the children, but the hardest kids to teach were the ones who during the weekends were being taught incorrectly by their fathers and digressed from the previous week. In some aspects the curriculum may sound weird, but it works very well for its target audience (the children).