More than 800 kids in the San Antonio area will continue to learn the game of golf and its inherent values, thanks to a $15,000 grant from the United States Golf Association. The grant is being presented to Golf San Antonio and will directly benefit The First Tee of San Antonio. This program exposes disadvantaged youth in our community to golf and the life enhancing values that are associated with the game.
USGA Junior Championship Committee member, Chip Puhl, presented the check to Mary Carriker, director of The First Tee of San Antonio at The Polo Field at Brackenridge Park Driving Range.
The First Tee of San Antonio’s main objective is to make the sport of golf and related life skills accessible for San Antonio youth. This program focuses on teaching children between the ages of 5 and 17 the game of golf while exposing them to the core values and etiquette inherent in the game, which is also life skill valuable in every day life. The life skills being taught are based on the Nine Core Values of The First Tee: Confidence, Courtesy, Honesty, Integrity, Judgment, Perseverance, Respect, Responsibility and Sportsmanship. These values can be used to improve the lives of the children who participate.
San Antonio was one of the first cities to be awarded a chapter of The First Tee, a national organization committed to making golf facilities available and providing instruction to children whom may not otherwise be exposed to the game. The First Tee is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation. Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has opened 138 golf learning facilities and has introduced the game of golf to more than 170,000 young people since 2000.
The First Tee of San Antonio has more than 800 members itself. The focus is to give young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values. This grant from the USGA will help The First Tee of San Antonio remain a free program for all participants.
“The strength of The First Tee Chapters has improved greatly since 1997,” said USGA President Fred Ridley, “And our support for The First Tee initiative remains strong.”
This USGA grant is part of an overall financial commitment of $11 million to The First Tee Home Office and its local chapters. Since the beginning of 1997, the year in which the USGA’s “For the Good of the Game” Grants Initiative was announced, the USGA has provided $4 million in start-up and development support to The First Tee’s Home Office and $7 million to local chapters of The First Tee across the country.