Inspiration Station by D us tin Turner
The FirsT Tee oF AugusTA On a brisk March afternoon at The First Tee of Augusta, a group of students cheered each other on as they practiced putting a tennis ball on a golf green. Loud pop music played in the background. Obviously, this isn’t your average golf lesson and that’s okay with First Tee of Augusta Executive Director, Jill Brown. “The main thing is to make sure the kids have a great experience and that they are actually learning the core values and apply them on the golf course and away from the course,” Brown says. The First Tee of Augusta is one of more than 170 chapters of The First Tee, an international youth-development program designed to teach core values and life lessons through the game of golf. Children can attend First Tee programs from age 7 until they graduate high school. Much like Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, the participants progress through a series of levels by demonstrating The First Tee Nine Core Values, life skills, golf skills and by passing an assessment. All participants begin as Player and progress through Par, Birdie, Eagle and Ace. Though the national organization sets the overall goals for the program, it is up to each chapter to determine the best way to integrate The First Tee’s Nine Core Values into a golf lesson. Those values are: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgement.
44 • Augusta Family | April 2018
“We really do try to make it a seamless process,” Brown says. “The kids have been in school all day. They don’t want to come here after school for another lecture. We work hard to make it a seamless and engaging experience that ties together the life skills, golf skills and healthy habits. It’s our job to make this exciting, engaging and fun. We might have music playing and a golf course isn’t typically a place you would hear music. We have the freedom and liberty to be as creative as we want in teaching. If kids have a great time, they are more likely to grasp what’s going on and to want more.” The nine core values are worked into situations on the golf course. “When we plan our classes, we are really conscious that we want those values to be the common thread,” Brown says. “We want young people to recognize those core values and when they can apply them in various situations. If we equip them with those tools, their future is going to be pretty bright.” Even First Tee understands that golf can be expensive, which is why it keeps everything affordable. There is a $55 annual fee for student memberships (scholarships are available). Outside of class time, members can hit balls on the driving range for 50 cents per bucket and play the regulation six-hole course for $1. The driving range and course are open to the public. Anyone can come play six holes walking for $5 or hit a bucket of