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.

The First Tee TheFirstTee.org is recognized as one of the premier youth development programs in the country. It provides young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, confidence, perseverance, and judgment.

Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has opened over 250 golf-learning facilities in 46 states and five international locations (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore), and has introduced the game of golf and its values to over 675,000 participants.


The First Tee Life Skills Experience™ is the unique feature that separates The First Tee from many other junior golf programs and youth initiatives. Through life lessons taught at more than 200 community-based nonprofit Chapters, participants learn the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, how to make decisions by thinking about possible consequences, how to define and set goals, and how to transfer the positive values of golf to everyday life. 2005 research conducted by the University of Virginia provides data-based evidence of the effectiveness of The First Tee and that the organization is having a strong, positive impact on young people’s development of life skills and core values.


The First Tee National School Program TheFirstTeeNSP.org introduces The First Tee Nine Core Values to elementary school students and provides teachers with modified equipment and a curriculum to teach basic golf skills and etiquette during regular physical education classes. The NSP has reached more than 400,000 students in over 900 elementary schools, and its presence continues to grow in PGA TOUR tournament markets.

Each Labor Day weekend, The Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach showcases the talent and character of young people who participate at The First Tee facilities worldwide. An official Champions Tour event, the tournament pairs one junior with a Champions Tour player and two amateurs. Seventy-eight junior spots are awarded. The Sept. 1-3, 2006 tournament was televised on The Golf Channel and NBC for the third straight year.

Key to The First Tee’s success is the support it receives from its Founding Partners, some of the game’s most respected and influential organizations; Augusta National Golf Club, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR, and the USGA. Former President George Bush serves as honorary chairman.