Category: Events

First Tee launches National Alumni Advisory Council to strengthen engagement across its growing Alumni Network 

The First Tee National Alumni Advisory Council held its first in-person meeting in Charlotte 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Sept. 15, 2025) – First Tee has launched a National Alumni Advisory Council, a group of 20 dynamic alumni who are business and community leaders from across the United States. The council will play a key role in shaping the future of the organization’s growing Alumni Network. 

The Alumni Council’s primary focus will be to guide and direct strategies that engage more alumni in meaningful ways — helping them stay connected to each other and to First Tee’s mission of empowering young people through golf and life skills programming. 

In addition to virtual meetings, the Alumni Council will gather annually, with its first session having taken place Sept. 12-14 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event is sponsored by Gallagher. 

“First Tee alumni are an essential part of our story and our future,” said First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin. “The Alumni Council will help ensure we are creating opportunities for them to continue to grow, give back and lead, while staying connected to the values they developed through First Tee.” 

The Alumni Council is co-chaired by Rayshon Payton of First Tee – Metropolitan Oklahoma City, who works as general counsel for Delaware Sen. Lisa Blunt, and Sara Diaz of First Tee – San Antonio, a presenter for ESPN+ and PGA TOUR Live and vice president of recruiting for Capstone Hospitality. 

“I’m thrilled to come full circle with First Tee, an organization that has shaped not only my life but the lives of so many others,” Payton said. “Serving as board chair of the Alumni Council is a special opportunity to give back, support the next generation and help strengthen a community that continues to inspire growth on and off the course.” 

“I’m excited to continue being part of the First Tee, the program where my golf journey began,” Diaz said. “I’m truly honored to be selected as co-chair of the First Tee Alumni Council and look forward to expanding our Alumni Network to foster lasting connections and meaningful opportunities.” 

Council members represent a diverse group of graduates who embody the impact of First Tee programs. They were appointed and will serve terms of two, three or four years. Together, they will guide efforts to recruit alumni, design impactful engagement opportunities and drive alumni reconnection to local chapters. As ambassadors of the program, they will inspire current participants and help grow a powerful, united Alumni Network. 

The First Tee Alumni Network includes thousands of former participants who have carried the organization’s values into their careers, communities and lives. Since its launch in 2020, the First Tee Alumni Network has provided career assistance, professional and personal development opportunities and fun events for former participants. It’s free to join and open to all First Tee Alumni. 

For more information about the Alumni Network, visit firsttee.org/alumni. 

2025 Alumni Council members 

Rayshon Payton Metropolitan Oklahoma City General Counsel, Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester 
Sara Diaz Greater San Antonio VP of Recruiting, Capstone Hospitality 
Anthony Bonales Central Valley Finance Manager, Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling 
Grace Kehoe Greater Charlotte Media Logger, PGA TOUR 
Karrington Knight Greater New Orleans Staff Assistant, Rep. Jasmine Crockett 
Steven Outlaw, PGA Hammond (Historical) Director of Sales & Marketing, Troon 
Colm Parrish Pittsburgh Category Manager, Catalent Pharma Solutions 
Hannah Rens Siouxland Systems Engineer, Boeing 
Benjamin Nganga Tennessee Real Estate Valuations Analyst, Baker Tilly 
Ashley Noda Greater Sacramento Director of Outreach & Competitive Activities, First Tee – Greater Sacramento 
Alyssa Ramont Central Valley Executive Administrative Assistant, San Francisco Giants 
David Singh Tampa Bay Program Manager, Cleveland Clinic of Florida 
Blake Christenson Tennessee Designer, Cooper Carry 
Michelle Xie Silicon Valley Software Engineer, Dave 
Mia Bishop Metro Atlanta Psychotherapist 
Brittany Gill Greater Richmond Corporate Partnerships Manager, PGA TOUR 
Derrick Ow Monterey County Communications & Customer Service Coordinator, Northern California Golf Association 
Connor Shooks Benton Harbor Sports Management Student, University of Michigan 
Callen Williams Metropolitan New York Assistant Program Director, First Tee – Metropolitan New York 
Taryn Yee Greater Sacramento Program Manager, Meta 

Canaan and Michelle Win 3rd Annual Mini Mentor Cup

Canaan Adams pictured with his mentor/mom, Michelle

March 3, 2025 | Program Update

Thank you to all the mentors, kids, and volunteers who joined us yesterday for our 3rd Annual Mini Mentor Cup, and special thanks to Charleston Fun Park for sponsoring!

33 mentor/mentee teams, featuring youth participants from our On-Course and Pathfinder Immersion Program, played 36 challenging mini-golf holes, and submitted their best 18-hole score for chance to win the Mini Mentor Cup title and a Charleston Fun Park arcade card. 12 year-old Canaan Adams and his mentor/mom, Michelle, captured first with an impressive score of 35.

De’Marrion Ellison and his mentor, Glenn Hudock, placed second, and Miles Phelps and his mentor/dad, Donald, placed third. Both teams scored 36 on their best 18.

All of our teams played well, and we thoroughly enjoyed all the games and snacks that Charleston Fun Park has to offer after the tournament.

Want to get involved in events like Mini Mentor Cup? Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, or visit our Mentor Page to learn more about how you can help Charleston Area young people pursue their personal best.

Join Us for Our 3rd Annual Mini Mentor Cup

Join us for our annual mini golf tournament!

Sunday, March 2
11:30am-1:00pm
Charleston Fun Park
3255 N Hwy 17 Mt. Pleasant

Tournament Format: Adult/child pairs will play best ball. Both teammates will play each hole. The team will record the best score. Each team is required to use at least four of the junior participant’s scores.

Teams: A child can team up with any adult (a parent, grandparent, neighbor, friend, coach or mentor). If your child does not have a teammate, please email [email protected]. We have volunteers on stand-by who would love to play!

Cost: A $10 donation per team includes 36 holes. Donation waived registration is available as needed. Please email Program Director Meghan Taylor to learn more about financial assistance.

Registration Deadline: February 17 (Please note that space is limited, and openings may fill up before the registration deadline.)

Presented By:

Register Your Team

Registration is at capacity. Please join our waitlist if you would like to attend, and we will contact you if space comes available.

100 Hole Golfathon Impact 2024

Photos by Ron Grant, Red Multimedia

May 14, 2024 | Events

On May 13, Friends of First Tee – Greater Charleston gathered to play 100 holes of golf at Wescott Golf Club. We teed off at 7:30am, and our last team finished the challenge at 6:40pm.

Teams collectively raised $110,586 to keep kids on course, and we are sincerely grateful for every gift and per-hole pledge! Event proceeds will cover the cost of a new bus (our third vehicle) and will help ensure that 97% of our kids can participate in programs free of charge.

Bucky Dudley, First Tee – Greater Charleston’s Executive Director, gives First Tee Alumni, Maya and Jackie, a pit-stop pep talk

Each year, we crown two winning teams: the team who raised the most money and the team who reached the most donors. This year, for the first time in Golfathon history, one team won BOTH categories. With $32,720 raised and 131 donors reached, the 2024 100 Hole Golfathon Champions are Jared Black and Jim Mackey!

Fundraising Champions Jim Mackey and Jared Black

James Becherer also made Golfathon history, by scoring his first ever hole-in-one on hole 3 of Wescott’s Oak Forest course.

This event makes a meaningful difference in the lives of Charleston Area young people, and we can’t thank our players and donors enough for supporting!

Our next 100 Hole Golfathon will be Monday, May 12, 2025. If you’re ready to play 100 holes in a day for an amazing cause, subscribe to our newsletter for registration alerts, or email [email protected] to learn more.

100 Hole Golfathon: Meet Our Alumni Team

April 9, 2024 | Alumni Spotlight

Since 2019, the 100 Hole Golfathon has raised more than $600,000 to Keep Kids On Course. Those funds have played a vital role in increasing golf access, providing transportation to those who need it most, and ensuring our character development programs remain free for 97% of participants.

On May 13, 2024, Friends of First Tee – Greater Charleston will take on the incredible challenge of playing 100 holes of golf in one day yet again at Wescott Golf Club to raise money and awareness for First Tee programs. Among them will be All-Star Alumni Maya Timmons and Jackie Freibert.

(Left) Maya poses with First Tee friends, Ricky and Kyle, after certifying Ace. (Right) Maya, Kyle and their childhood coach, Perry Green, pictured at the 5th Annual 100 Hole Golfathon.

Maya is a First Tee alum who participated in our On-Course Golf & Life Skills Program for 12 years. She attended Ashley Ridge High School, certified Ace at First Tee in 2015, graduated high school 2017, and now splits time between working at Topgolf and assisting with our Pathfinder Immersion Program. This will be her third Golfathon appearance and second year captaining a team.

(Left) Seven year-old Jackie poses on the First Tee putting green at Patriots Point Links. (Right) Coach Wayne thanks Jackie for her volunteer service.

Jackie has been attending our On-Course Golf & Life Skills Program for 10 years, and she’s also a volunteer coach at Patriots Point Links. She will be graduating from Oceanside Collegiate Academy this spring and entering Coastal Carolina’s PGA Golf Management Program in the fall. This will be her second year playing in our Golfathon fundraiser.

Pledge Your Support

Maya and Jackie will battle it out with other Golfathon-ers for bragging rights in the following categories:

  • Most funds raised
  • Most donor support (number of donors)

They will be out at Wescott Golf Club from sun-up to sun-down, walking, running, and riding 20+ miles—taking hundreds of swings along the way. We’re confident that they have what it takes to stay the course, but it’s going to be a long day. Support from you will keep them going, and it will also help us Keep Kids On Course throughout the year! Funds raised will be used to purchase a NEW bus to transport inner city school groups and Immersion Program participants to enrichment activities. Proceeds will also ensure FREE program access for families in need.

Help Maya and Jackie meet their 2,000 fundraising goal (or better yet, top our fundraising leaderboard) by making a per hole pledge or one-time, flat-rate gift.

Pledge Your Support

Baron and Chandler Win 2nd Annual Mini Mentor Cup

Baron sinks four hole-in-ones to win 2nd Annual Mini Mentor Cup at Charleston Fun Park.

January 22, 2024 | Program Update

Thank you to all the mentors, kids, and volunteers who joined us for our 2nd Annual Mini Mentor Cup at Charleston Fun Park yesterday! We hosted 32 mentor/mentee teams who played a best ball format on 36 chilly and challenging holes. Teams submitted their best 18-hole score for a chance to win game cards. 14 year-old Baron, who made four hole-in-ones, and his mentor, Chandler, took home first place with an impressive 18-hole score of 31.

Jack and Trip brought home second place with a competitive score of 37.

All participants played well, and teams topped off the afternoon with complimentary games and go-kart rides, courtesy of Charleston Fun Park and generous donors.

Join Us for Our 2nd Annual Mini Mentor Cup

Join us for our annual mini golf tournament!

Sunday, January 21
11:30-2:00pm
Charleston Fun Park
3255 N Hwy 17 Mt. Pleasant

Tournament Format: Adult/child pairs will play best ball. Both teammates will play each hole. The team will record the best score. Each team is required to use at least four of the junior participant’s scores.

Teams: A child can team up with any adult (a parent, grandparent, neighbor, friend, coach or mentor). If your child does not have a teammate, please email [email protected]. We have volunteers on stand-by who would love to play!

Cost: Tournament entry is $10 per pair and includes 36 holes. Financial aid is available as needed. Please email Program Director Meghan Taylor to learn more about financial assistance.

Registration Deadline: Sunday, January 12 (Please note that space is limited and openings may fill up before the registration deadline.)

Presented By:

Register Your Team

Thank you for your interest! This event has reached capacity. Click here to join our waitlist.

AEC Cornhole Tournament Raises $15k for First Tee

Frampton Construction chooses First Tee – Greater Charleston as beneficiary for 2nd Annual Charleston AEC Industry Cornhole Tournament.

November 3, 2023 | Community Support

Our friends at Frampton Construction hosted the 2nd Annual Charleston AEC Industry Cornhole Tournament at Holy City Brewing yesterday and raised $15,000 with the help of industry partners for First Tee – Greater Charleston programs!

As reigning 2022 champs, Frampton was nominated to orchestrate the event and chose First Tee as beneficiary. Thank you, Team Frampton!

Teams from Seaman Whiteside took home first and second place, and will have the opportunity to host next year’s event.

A huge thank you goes to Triangle Lawn Games for coordinating tournament logistics and all participating teams: Frampton Construction, Terracon, Landmark Construction, Davis & Floyd, Lithko Contracting, Eldeco Inc, JE Dunn Construction, Steel Fab, Trident Construction, Quantum Commercial, Mashburn Construction, and Seamon Whiteside & Associates.

Want to host an event benefiting First Tee – Greater Charleston? Email Kendall to coordinate.

Rolex Girls Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament

May 3, 2023 | Program Spotlight

The Rolex Girls Junior Championship is returning to the Golf Club at Briar’s Creek Monday, June 19, and this year’s event will feature a Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament benefitting First Tee – Greater Charleston.

Annually, this championship attracts the best up-and-coming golfers (ages 12-19) in the nation, most of whom will go on to play Division 1 collegiate golf and potentially the LPGA Tour. The charity event presents an amazing play opportunity for any golfer—young women in particular.

Thanks to a generous gift, one of our program participants, Alice Li, was able to play the Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament when it was last at Briar’s Creek.

“The event showed me how serious I could be about golf, and it pushed me to pursue a role in my high school golf team. It also helped get me into bigger golf tournaments, like SCJGA and PKBGT… I wish others knew that you don’t have to be super good at golf to play in the Charity AM. When I played, I’m pretty sure my nine-hole average was in the 50s. It was really just a super fun experience to go out and play some tournament golf.”

– Alice Li, First Tee – Greater Charleston Program Participant

Alice brought home more than happy memories from the event. She also won a charity event contest, and her prize was a 60 degree wedge, a keepsake that she still loves and uses today.

Register to Play or Sponsor a Team

Register to play or give our program participants a chance to play with future LPGA stars by sponsoring a team. The cost is $500 per girl or $1500 per team. First Tee teams will feature three of our program participants paired with an aspiring pro.

100 Hole Golfathon: Meet Our First Tee Alumni Players

May 1, 2023 | Participant Spotlight

On May 22, Friends of First Tee – Greater Charleston will take on the incredible challenge of playing 100 holes of golf in one day at Wescott Golf Club. That’s a lot of golf! And while some might suggest that it’s too much golf, we promise it is for a good cause.

The 100 Hole Golfathon, formerly known as the 100 Hole Hike, got its start in 2019. To date, this fundraiser has sponsored 5,000+ FREE rounds of golf through our Swing it Forward program, 400+ rides to local golf courses and enrichment activities, and 1,200+ scholarships for on-course Golf & Life Skills classes. None of that would be possible without committed Golfathon-ers and the generous friends, family members, and colleagues who support them with pledges.

Meet Our First Tee Alumni Golfathon-ers

In the spirit of friendly competition, we’ve recruited two First Tee – Greater Charleston alumni to face off with board members, YAC members, PGA club professionals, and other seasoned golfers in the Charleston community.

Maya Timmons

Maya is a First Tee alum who participated in our Golf & Life Skills program for 12 years. She attended Ashley Ridge High School, certified Ace at First Tee in 2015, graduated high school 2017, attends Western Governors University, and works at Topgolf. She graciously volunteered to cheer on our teams at the 2022 100 Hole Golfathon. This will be her second year attending and first year captaining a team!

“I’m really excited about playing in the 100 Hole Golfathon… I wish more people knew about it so that we could get a bigger crowd of people fundraising for our kids! I also wish that people knew playing 100 holes isn’t as daunting as they may believe. Last year’s event was extremely fun!”

– Maya Timmons, First Tee – Greater Charleston Alum

Kyle Myers

Kyle is a First Tee alum with more than 10 years Golf & Life Skills experience. He attended Fort Dorchester High School (where he played on the golf team), certified Ace at First Tee in 2015, and graduated high school in 2016. He now coaches First Tee classes at Pine Forest Country Club in Summerville.

“I’m overjoyed to participate in the 100 Hole Golfathon, especially with it being hosted at my old stomping grounds, Wescott Golf Course. I am looking forward to some good shots and great memories while raising money and awareness for First Tee, an organization that I spent over a decade of taking golf classes from and now get the privilege of coaching classes of my own. First Tee provides a safe, positive and instructional environment to teach golf and life skills that can be used on and off the course. I can’t wait to tee off the first hole and make the most out of this great opportunity!”

– Kyle Myers, First Tee – Greater Charleston Alum

Help Maya & Kyle Keep Kids On Course

Maya, Kyle, and their teammates will battle it out for Golfathon bragging rights in the following categories:

  • Most funds raised
  • Most donor support (number of donors)

They will be out at Wescott Golf Club from sun-up to sun-down, walking, running, and riding 20+ miles—taking hundreds of swings along the way. We’re confident that they have what it takes to stay the course, but it’s going to be a long day. Support from you will keep them going, and it will also help us keep kids on course throughout the year!

Pledge for Maya
Pledge for Kyle

All per hole pledges and flat-rate donations welcome, and they add up to accomplish big things like scholarships for On Course Programming, and free rides to the golf course.

Visit our PledgeIt page to see fundraising progress, and tune into our Instagram and Facebook feeds on May 22 for day-of-play coverage.

Local Students Demonstrate Golf & Life Skills at Champions Cup

April 4, 2023 | Program Update

Charleston Area elementary school students traveled to Wescott Golf Club on March 29th to compete in the First Tee – Greater Charleston Champions Cup tournament. Each team, led by their PE teacher, tackled 9 golf challenges and 9 core value challenges to demonstrate all they have learned as part of our In-School Golf & Life Skills Program.

Volunteers from the Lucy Beckham Golf Team kept tournament participants on track and having fun.

This year’s tournament featured players from Charleston Development Academy, Chicora Elementary School, James B. Edwards Elementary School, Julian Mitchell Elementary School, Lambs Elementary School, Marrington Elementary School, Montessori Community School, Oakland Elementary School, Orange Grove Charter School, Sanders Clyde Elementary School, and St. John’s Catholic School.

Students enjoyed putting, chipping into our inflatable hippo, driving, and sling-shotting SNAG balls angry bird style. They even had an opportunity to learn about golf course design from course architect Troy Miller.

Students from Charleston Development Academy enjoy “Pin the Hazard on the Dogleg” with course architect Troy Miller.

Teams demonstrated a firm grasp of the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills they’ve been learning about in their PE classes by answering questions about honesty, integrity, courtesy, confidence, judgment, perseverance, respect, responsibility, and sportsmanship. These core value questions factored into each team’s point total.

We are extremely proud of all 2023 tournament participants, including Orange Grove Charter School, Sanders Clyde Elementary, and Marrington Elementary who placed first, second, and third. Our champions will be recognized at a special awards ceremony where they will receive sets of clubs.

Coach Jackson high fives a student (Chicora Elementary), and our 2023 champions (Orange Grove Charter School) pose with their trophy.

The Champions Cup tournament is an annual event, sponsored by First Tee and the Henry & Sylvia Yaschik Foundation, to celebrate school program participation. To maintain COVID safety protocols, we hosted virtual tournaments in 2021 and 2022 where students participated in golf and core value challenges remotely from their schools. While those events were well attended, we’ve missed the magic of a green grass venue. Many of the students who participate in Champions Cup have never visited or played a golf course before. As such, it was all the sweeter to gather in person this year at Wescott… a uniquely special event for kids, coaches, volunteers, and spectators alike.

Thank you to the dedicated Physical Educators who administer First Tee curriculum and go the extra mile to train kids for this event. Thanks also to the MANY volunteers who make Champions Cup possible year after year. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2024!

Help Us Celebrate 15 Years of Building Game Changers

January 3, 2023 | Chapter News

2022 was a spectacular year! We served 17,975 children (more than ever before) at eight local golf courses, 35 schools, and 14 community partner locations. We distributed 44 sets of clubs and helped kids play more than 2,000 free rounds of golf. We also gave away $10,500 to First Tee program alumni who are pursuing secondary education, and we rounded out the year with the Barbara A. Douglas and Dr. William J. Powell Diversity Award.

And there’s even more to celebrate in 2023… It’s our 15th anniversary! We’ve come a long way since 2008. We served 132 kids that year. This year, we hope to reach more than 18,000.

Our programming wouldn’t be where it is today without generous community support, and we hope you will help us keep the party going all year long by joining us for a happy hour or playday event. Our first play opportunity will be the Mini Mentor Cup on Sunday, January 29th. Happy hour dates to follow. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for updates.

Stay tuned for event details, and we look forward to seeing you soon. Happy New Year, First Tee Family!