We are pleased to announce the appointment of Conor O’Rourke as our new Philanthropy Director!
Conor has over a decade of fundraising experience in both independent and higher education sectors. He has dedicated his career to supporting advancement opportunities for young people. Most recently, he served as Director of Development at Rocky Hill Country Day School in Rhode Island and has held various development roles at St. George’s School (Newport, RI) and Brown University. The son of a PGA Professional, Conor developed a keen interest in golf at an early age and benefited significantly from lessons learned on the golf course. He is excited to contribute to similar hands-on learning experiences for youth in the Charleston area.
Conor hails from New England but has strong family ties to Charleston and is eager to be an active member of the community.
Conor enjoys history, cooking, and spending time with his wife, Amy, and daughter, Finley Anne. He also loves to play golf, particularly with pre-1930 hickory clubs that he collects and restores.
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.
We are pleased to welcome local entrepreneur Juan Acevedo to our Board of Directors! He is joining an active group of 19 returning directors, which brings total board membership to 20.
Born in Columbia, South America and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Juan Acevedo developed a passion for athletics at an early age. He was an All-American high school soccer player and went on to play for Ohio State University.
After college, Acevedo ventured to South Florida where he opened several successful businesses. In 1995, he became a McDonald’s owner-operator and was awarded his first store in Ft. Lauderdale. In 1999, he relocated to Charleston, acquiring 7 McDonald’s restaurants and building 3 more stores.
Acevedo recently sold his McDonald’s restaurants but is still involved in the industry as a partner, investing in farm-to-table Mexican restaurants in San Diego (Lola 55).
In addition to serving Charleston Area youth through First Tee, Acevedo has been instrumental in the growth of the Ronald McDonald House Charity Golf Tournament in Charleston, an event that has raised more than $2,500,000 over the last 10 years to help families with children battling cancer.
Outside of work and community service, Juan enjoys spending time with his wife (Lina) and two children (Camille and Lucas).
Pathfinder Immersion Program participants visit College of Charleston for a robotics lesson.
January 1, 2024 | Press Release
First Tee – Greater Charleston is kicking off the New Year with a new name for its golf and STEM enrichment program. The Pathfinder Immersion Program, which launched under the name Game Changers in 2021, will continue providing year-round athletic, academic, and social/emotional support to students grades 6-12. The rebrand, set in motion by a Board of Directors vote in November, simply aims to more clearly communicate program objectives.
“We say it all the time… ‘First Tee – Greater Charleston is Building Game Changers.’ That means all of our programs–immersion, on-course/after-school, in-school, and community outreach–are Building Game Changers,” says Bucky Dudley, Executive Director. “Rebranding the immersion program is just a formality, but we hope the distinction between our tagline and this specific program will help people better understand what we’re trying to accomplish–at an organizational and program level.”
First Tee’s mission is to positively impact the lives of youth by providing structured educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choice through the game of golf. The newly dubbed Pathfinder Immersion Program is merely one tool in First Tee – Greater Charleston’s toolbox.
Dudley says “It’s still the same great program.” That means Pathfinder Immersion Program participants will continue to enjoy a full day of enrichment activities Monday through Friday each summer and Saturday meetups during the school year with all transportation, meals, and equipment provided at no cost thanks to generous donations.
A major component of the program, since its inception, has been and will continue to be professional development and STEM curriculum administered through enrichment partners such as Boeing, Synovus, College of Charleston, Charleston Southern University, Terracon, Frampton Construction, Main Ocean Logistics, Seafox Boats, and others. Pathfinder Immersion Program Director Lerone Johnson, Sr. says, “Our goal is to expose young people to a variety of educational options and career paths in hopes that they will be prepared to make informed choices as they mature into positive productive adults.”
Pathfinders visit Frampton Construction for a professional enrichment presentation.
The Pathfinder Immersion Program, will continue accepting a new class of rising sixth graders each summer and relies heavily on community support for continued expansion. Individuals who want to explore volunteer or enrichment partner opportunities are encouraged to contact Coach Johnson ([email protected]).
About First Tee – Greater Charleston
Established in 2008, First Tee – Greater Charleston serves young people, ages 5-18, from all walks of life. The 501(c)3 offers on-course, in-school, and community outreach programs that teach life-enhancing values and interpersonal skills through the game of golf. The organization reaches thousands of children each year in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties–19,869 young people in 2023 alone. Visit FirstTeeCHS.org to learn more.
About the Pathfinder Immersion Program
The Pathfinder Immersion Program launched in summer 2021 with six students. In 2022, the program earned the Barbara A. Douglass and Dr. William J. Powell Diversity Award from The TORO Foundation and was featured on the Golf Channel. In 2023, program participation increased to 22 students thanks to generous community support and USGA IDEA Grant funding. First Tee – Greater Charleston endeavors to serve more than 50 students through the Pathfinder Immersion Program by summer 2027. Visit FirstTeeCHS.org/pathfinders to learn more.
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.
Our very own Bucky Dudley, who also happens to be a Carolinas PGA Section Youth Player Development Award winner, recently shared some teaching insights with the PGA. Here are his thoughts on the importance of keeping students engaged…
Coaches must ensure their junior golfers are not only taking away an understanding of each lesson but are also enjoying the learning process. I employ a few teaching strategies… The first is ending the activity at the height of enjoyment. While this might sound counterintuitive, kids have a limited attention span. There is a limited amount of time before they get “bored” and their minds wander, creating unengaged participants and an unsafe environment. By only playing for a few minutes before shifting focus, participants will leave the activity with a positive experience and remember how much fun it was to play. They will want more! This also allows for the same games to be played week after week and for participants to see improvement across the weeks. This means that coaches must have at least two games or activities ready for each class. Consider using the change of activity as a water break to help refresh your participants for the next activity.
The second strategy is Play-Practice-Play, especially for older participants or those with more experience. I was introduced to this concept in First Tee Coach Training, and it was an “aha” moment in my professional development. The idea is to create games and activities for participants to quickly start playing after arrival, and to sandwich them around purposeful practice of the intended skill. For example, if the skill is putting, participants may immediately start play of a game where they need to putt the ball into a hole around obstacles. Finding it difficult at first, stopping for instruction and practice, and returning to the game afterwards can allow for improvement and increased enjoyment of the game during the second half.
Finally, the best coaches are master game creators. Drills are boring, but they are a great tool to help learn new techniques or skills. What if you could create games that bundle the skills needed to improve into a game that kids enjoy. Drills become less boring, and your students learn more quickly while having fun. Become a master game creator and your students will reap the rewards.
We may be biased, but we think Bucky’s advice rings true for all educators, regardless of subject matter. Hop over to our programs page to learn more about First Tee curriculum and how we utilize Bucky’s concepts to teach interpersonal skills through the game of golf.
First Tee – Greater Charleston (FTGC) hosted its annual Giving Days marathon November 15-16 to raise money for golf and life skills programs administered at golf courses, schools, and community centers throughout Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. This year’s campaign reached a record-breaking 536 donors in 48 hours culminating in a $200,000 gift from Charlotte/Charleston-based real estate firm, Madison Capital Group.
“Giving Days is more than a fundraiser… It’s an awareness campaign,” says Bucky Dudley, Executive Director of First Tee – Greater Charleston. “Our goal is to reach as many donors as possible within 48 hours. Even if a donor only gives $1, that’s $1 that we can put to work in our community, and one more person who knows about our mission to help young people. This year we reached twice as many donors as last year, and I don’t think that would have been possible without Madison Capital Group’s support!”
A series of corporate sponsors pledged unlocking gifts for Giving Days, with Madison Capital Group offering $200,000 when the campaign reached a donor threshold of 350.
“We are thrilled to invest in this wonderful organization,” says Ryan Hanks, Madison Capital’s Chief Executive Officer. “Their work is inspiring and will have a generational impact on kids and families in the Charleston community for years to come.”
Giving Days 2023 raised $311,005. $41,505 came from individual contributions and $269,500 from corporate sponsors including Madison Capital Group, Charles Schwab, Wadsworth Golf Charities Foundation, The Cassina Group, Banks Construction, and Selling Kiawah.
Funds raised will help serve 17k+ kids each year and keep 97% of FTGC programs free for families in need.
“Madison Capital’s gift is transformative for a nonprofit like ours! It gives us the essential resources to not only grow programs to reach more kids but also to invest in program improvements such as training, equipment, and transportation,” says Bucky Dudley, Executive Director of First Tee – Greater Charleston. “We are tremendously grateful for their continued partnership and commitment to helping kids in our community!”
About Madison Capital Group
Madison Capital Group is a vertically integrated real estate investment firm specializing in the acquisition, development, and management of suburban, garden-style multifamily communities and self-storage facilities. For more information, visit www.madisoncapgroup.com.
About First Tee – Greater Charleston
Established in 2008, First Tee – Greater Charleston serves young people, ages 5-18, from all walks of life. The chapter offers on-course, in-school, and community programs to teach life-enhancing values and interpersonal skills through the game of golf. The organization reaches more than 17,000 children each year in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties–17,975 young people in 2022 alone. Visit firstteegreatercharleston.org to learn more.
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.
Clayton, Jayden, and Baron played the Gene’s Dream Foundation Mentor Cup in Myrtle Beach last weekend. They kicked things off on Friday with a meet-and-greet event at Topgolf. Jayden even got a few pointers from special guest Nancy Lopez!
On Saturday, Baron got closest to the pin on the #9 par 3 and won a pro shop gift card. He nearly holed it for an Ace! He tapped in a one-foot putt for birdie, his best hole ever.
Clayton and Jayden also played well. Here’s Clayton stripping a drive…
The Mentor Cup is an annual mentor/mentee team event dedicated to the memory of Gene Weldon, a 50-year PGA Professional who was instrumental in the foundation and development of a formidable junior golf program in Myrtle Beach. Gene believed that golf was a reflection of life—that friendships made and character developed on the course could be transformative. That spirit is captured in the Mentor Cup. Our mentor and mentee participants were touched by the level of community support. Each hole had volunteers handing out drinks, candy, golf balls, and other goodies, and comradery among teams was a major aspect of the event.
Coach Todd and Baron (left) pose with playing partners from First Tee – Greater Charlotte (right)
“It was great meeting representatives from other [First Tee] chapters… I really enjoyed it and think the event was great exposure for all three of our mentee participants!” – Coach Todd Murphy
Our superstars didn’t bring home the cup, but we certainly are proud of the way they represented Charleston! We hope to send more teams in 2024. Stay tuned for details and visit GenesDream.com to learn more.
Alice (center) poses with Wando Lady Warrior Golf Team after winning the 2023 Region VI AAAAA Championship.
October 24, 2023 | Participant Spotlight
Earlier this month, Coach Todd Murphy played a round of golf with two program participants at Berkeley Country Club as part of his continuing education (Level 2 Coach Certification). One of those program participants was Alice, a senior at Wando High School who was preparing for the 2023 Region VI AAAAA Championship to be held at Berkeley on October 10th.
This low-pressure playdate provided Alice with keen perspective…
“The main reason I couldn’t break 80 was because I was getting in my head too much about my score… Playing a practice round with Coach Todd helped me relax and focus on each shot individually.”
– Alice Li, First Tee – Greater Charleston Program Participant
When Alice returned to Berkeley with the Wando Lady Warrior Golf Team, she broke 80 for the first time ever, shooting 77, and her team captured the title, setting a new Wando record of 310.
Coach Todd and Alice share Alice’s new personal best (77).
There’s a fine line between pursuing perfection and pursuing one’s personal best. Alice understands the difference, and lucky for us, she’s decided to share her constructive perspective with others as an Assistant Coach this season. (Thank you, Alice! We’re so proud of you!!)
Want to learn more about unique play/volunteer opportunities for a young person in your life? Email Meghan Taylor to learn more.
Program Update January 1, 2024: The Game Changers Immersion Program is now called Pathfinder Immersion Program. Learn more about the switch and our vision for Pathfinders here.
First Tee – Greater Charleston is receiving a $7,500 IDEA grant from the United States Golf Association. Funds will support academic, athletic, and professional enrichment opportunities for local youth in underserved communities through First Tee’s Game Changers Immersion Program—a program that has garnered USGA support since its inception in 2021.
The USGA awards IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility) grants to organizations that are expanding access to the game of golf and its inherent social emotional benefits.
Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA says, “The best way to introduce youth to the game is by meeting them where they are in their communities, and we are going to continue to drive resources toward the local level to ensure a more accessible and inclusive game for generations to come.”
Thanks to continued USGA funding and generous community support, First Tee – Greater Charleston is currently serving students grade 6-8 on a year-round basis. Participants meet with coaches and mentors Monday through Friday during the summer and on Saturdays throughout the school year for golf instruction and STEAM activities. All activities, transportation, snacks, meals, and equipment are provided at no cost to participating families.
The program is still very young, but First Tee is excited to share early trends and benefits. According to recent survey data (summer 2023), 100% of Immersion Program parents report that their child is more confident and more likely to exercise good judgment after spending time with First Tee coaches and mentors. 83% of parents report that their child is better able to cope with challenges.
“Access is important, but our primary objective isn’t access to the game. We want to provide children with access to game-changing learning opportunities. We want to help them build a toolbox for life. Confidence and coping skills are significant short-term outcomes, and we look forward to sharing more long-term program benefits as our Immersion Program matures,” says Bucky Dudley, Executive Director of First Tee – Greater Charleston.
The Game Changers Immersion Program accepts a new class of rising 6th graders each summer and is on track to serve more than 56 young people, grades 6-12, by 2027.
About First Tee – Greater Charleston
Established in 2008, First Tee – Greater Charleston serves young people, ages 5-18, from all walks of life. In addition to the Game Changers Immersion Program, the chapter offers on-course, in-school, and community programs to teach life skills using the game of golf and its inherent values to more than 17,000 children each year in Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties. 97% of participants receive free programming thanks to generous community support.
Thank you to Charleston Magazine for spotlighting the impact of First Tee life skills curriculum on Charleston Area youth! Read the article in print (on newsstands now) or online at charlestonmag.com.
