History of The First Tee

Sports have been traditional vehicles for teaching life lessons, but today, sport at its highest levels, is played in an atmosphere where we have a preponderance of athletes who deny they have responsibility to be role models, let alone idols of the young. 

There is, however, a sport that not only continues to teach positive life lessons, but also depends on an adherence to them for its very existence. That sport, of course, is golf. 

It is a game in which there are no officials to call a breach of the rules. It is a game where only the individual participants know if the score he or she handed in is the score that was actually shot. It is a game with a rich history and timeless traditions that invites respect for the old and wonderment of the new. Most of all, golf is fun. The game is never solved, perfection is never achieved; there is always the opportunity for improvement and success. It is also a game where the raw beginner can play a competitive match with the most seasoned expert. It is a game where youngsters can delight in playing with each other and it is a game suited to the young and old playing together - if they have a place to learn and play the game at all. 

The First Tee, an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, has as its mission To impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character-development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.

Our goal is to provide the golf learning facilities and the experience that will enable kids from every walk of life to partake of a game that teaches values for life and which can be played for a lifetime. 



Through research it was determined that the primary reason more children, and especially economically disadvantaged children, did not play golf was because of the lack of  places that welcomed them, places they could physically get to, and places that they could afford. The World Golf Foundation created The First Tee in November of 1997 as a way to bring golf to youngsters that otherwise would not be exposed to the game and its positive values.  

The World Golf Foundation also played an important role in garnering the support of golf's major organizations to grow and promote The First Tee. The program is overseen and has the active support of a committee comprised of members representing The Masters Tournament, the Ladies Professional Golf Association, PGA of America, PGA TOUR, and the United States Golf Association. In addition, former President George Bush serves as Honorary Chairman.

Along with establishing an initial goal of having 100 golf-learning facilities in some form of development by the end of the year 2000, The First Tee realized that there existed a larger opportunity than just teaching the game of golf. The primary objectives began to evolve around providing young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. This  immediately led to the development of The First Tee Life Skills Experience.

The First Tee Life Skills Experience was formulated with the help of academic, coaching and golf experts. Although there are many sports that teach valuable lessons, The First Tee is unique in that it proactively teaches these lessons for life as part of the basic instruction program. A child cannot participate in The First Tee and opt out of the life skills instruction and learning because these lessons are seamlessly integrated into the physical instruction.

The First Tee's business objectives for its Phase III of development over the next five years (2006-2010) are: