NORTON, Massachusetts – Golfers may have been dressed in several layers for the 15th annual First Tee of Massachusetts Charity Golf Tournament, but the rain and cold didn’t deter their spirits and efforts to support youth golf.
A total of 128 golfers took part in the shotgun start event at TPC Boston, with the proceeds supporting First Tee Massachusetts, which helped raise important funds for the mission to provide golf instruction and life skills to the next generation of golfers. According to Kyle Harris, Director of Operations for First Tee Massachusetts, the tournament has continued to grow each year, and saw a 63% increase in net proceeds from the year prior.
“We had a tremendous response from the golf community,” Harris said. “The word gets out that it’s a good tournament and obviously the venue is incredible. They want to support us, they want to support the kids so much that they’re willing to throw on layers and just go out and play.”
Sarah Forbes, who serves on the Board of Directors for Mass Golf and First Tee Massachusetts, said the proceeds will help expand the program’s reach in more areas so more young people experience the game and learn its inherent values.
“As we move forward, we hope to see us open up a couple more locations, expand the program, reach more kids, continue to spread the word about the program and find more kids out there that could use it and learn about golf as more than just a game, but the life skills and core values,” Forbes said.
Among the participants in the field were standout amateur golfers Shannon Johnson and Herbie Aikens, as well as former New England Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett, and First Tee Lead Coaches Paul Coutomous (Brockton), Dan Moran (Natick), and Joe Eadie (Springfield).
The tournament also got a tremendous boost from its Title Sponsor: LPM Charitable Foundation, one of the largest charitable organizations in Massachusetts. Robert J. Watson, President, and CEO of LPM Holding Co. Inc., founded the organization in 1991 to help support and give back to the communities in which his company conducted business. In addition to health-related organizations, LPM has also supported Massachusetts youth summer camps, including Camp Wing in Duxbury.
The Acronym “LPM” stands for Laurie, Patrick, & Mike; Watson’s wife and two sons.
Patrick Watson represented the organization on Monday and played alongside JP Chouinard, Jack Tannar, and Earl Daniels. Watson said LPM’s support of First Tee is two-fold. One, many of his relatives have worked in public service, including his parents who met each other as juvenile corrections officers. The second is golf as LPM has hosted a charity tournament each of the past 30 years to help raise money.
“We just thought it was a perfect fit,” Watson said. “Helping the youth of Massachusetts has always been kind of their mantra.”
Added Harris: “To be able to partner up with LPM Charitable Foundation is phenomenal. Our missions align closely. They’ve been a great partner in year one, so we’re incredibly appreciative of their efforts and their support of us.”
LPM & Associates has specialized in contract foodservice management and catering for business & industry, schools, healthcare, and cultural / entertainment venues.
In addition to this year’s tournament, there are many ways you can support the mission of First Tee and help us introduce the game of golf and its inherent values like honesty, respect, and confidence, to kids and teens. Options include: equipment donations, volunteerism, and monetary contributions.
To learn more about giving back to First Tee Massachusetts, visit: FirstTeeMass.org
Chris Towle, a four-year participant in the First Tee program at William J. Devine Golf Course in Boston, packed his bags and headed west this past summer for the first-ever First Tee Leadership Summit out at Arthur Blank’s West Creek Ranch in Montana. First Tee Massachusetts was one of 29 nationwide chapters to host a Leadership Series for its students, and over the course of five weeks, Towle was chosen to represent the local chapter.
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Four volunteer leaders at Mass Golf played alongside four female First Tee participants in Mass Golf’s Mother-Daughter/Member Junior back in July to help bridge the generational gap in the game and over mentorship opportunities for these young women.
Beginning in May 2021, First Tee Massachusetts participants who have reached Birdie level or above and register for a First Tee class at that level became automatically be enrolled into a Youth on Course membership for the remainder of 2021 at no additional charge. Youth On Course (YOC) allows youth 6-18 to play at any of the 29 participating locations in the state for just $5 per round. YOC benefits also include a Mass Golf Membership, as well as access to paid summer internship programs, leadership council, caddie programs, and several more opportunities that will set individuals up for future success.
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Back in February, First Tee Massachusetts expanded by adding Allyson Mollung to the staff as the organization’s Program Manager. Mollung, a former volunteer with the First Tee of Delaware, has overseen programming at the seven on-course locations and has deepened the connection with First Tee participants, parents, and coaching teams. She has also expanded First Tee’s outreach on its various social media channels.
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In 2003, Mass Golf was selected by The First Tee to join its national network with the goal of bringing an affordable junior golf program to youth and communities that did not have them.
Since that time, Mass Golf has introduced seven program locations: D.W. Field Golf Course (Brockton), William J. Devine GC at Franklin Park (Boston), Hyannis Golf Course (Cape Cod), Cranberry Valley Golf Course (Harwich), Fenway Golf Center (Springfield), KOHR Golf (Natick) and The Links at Mass Golf (Norton).
As part of the curriculum, the children progress through a series of golf lessons where they are introduced to the different aspects of a golf course including the green, tee, fairway, rough, bunkers, and water hazards. The participants are also introduced to the basic elements of the game of golf and the swing including distance and accuracy control, course management, how to score, pace of play, honor, and proper, grip, stance, and posture.
In addition to golf, the participants are introduced to the nine core values inherent to the game including honesty, integrity, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, sportsmanship, judgment, respect, and courtesy. The life skills experience was the platform used in getting the participants to become comfortable with introducing themselves to others, meeting new people, learning something new, setting goals, and dealing with conflict. The life skills learned are useful for the participants both on and off the golf course.
