Why First Tee?

Experiences are our greatest teacher. First Tee believes in developing the ones that are just as fun as they are meaningful, where kids feel excited to grow, safe to fail, and better equipped for whatever comes their way next. Through our personal growth and junior golf programs, we see kids’ build self confidence, inspiring more active participation in leadership opportunities and events, community involvement, and college scholarships.

Programming Events Calendar

At First Tee – Greater Detroit, we’re Building Game Changers by empowering kids and teens to be the best version of themselves.

By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with character-building, we create learning experiences that help kids uncover their inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that they can carry to everything they do.

Our trained coaches not only provide an introduction to junior golf and an opportunity to enhance golf skills, but they also create a safe, supportive, and empowering environment to help your child prepare for life ahead, including friendships, school, college and even their careers.

Through our program, kids will learn skills that stay with them for life:

  • Understanding and managing emotions
  • Resolving conflicts
  • Setting up step-by-step goals
  • Planning for the future
  • Appreciating diversity
  • Golf fundamentals and advanced techniques

Advancing through the Program

At each age group, participants engage with the 5 Key Commitments: Pursuing Goals, Growing through Challenge, Collaborating with Others, Building Positive Self-Identity, and Using Good Judgement, while focusing on mastering golf fundamentals and building upon a golf skill foundation as they advance within the program.

Age 7-9

  • Be active and have fun with peers in a safe and encouraging manner
  • Build inner strength and self-confidence
  • Learn to play golf
  • Focus on building relationships with other players while exploring the game of golf

Age 10-11

  • Explore character concepts in active and collaborative ways that are valuable on and off the course
  • Develop golf skills and enthusiasm for the game
  • Support positive Game Changing behaviors in fun and meaningful ways

Age 12-13

  • Explore both golf skills and characters commitments while having fun with peers
  • Provide opportunities to demonstrate mastery and growth in golf skills and abilities
  • Support growth and development of early adolescents

Age 14-17

  • Build character and support personal development
  • Develop additional golf skills and abilities
  • Look toward their future and plan their own paths
  • Evaluate, reflect, and apply their understanding of life and golf skills to new situations on and off the course

Research reveals convincing evidence that youth involved in our programs transferred life skills to multiple settings and learned and used life skills through the game of golf. Our curriculum, combined with trained educators, empowers participants with a set of skills that prepares them for a lifetime of new challenges.

Since 2004, First Tee has been integrating the First Tee School Program into PE classes across the country. We’ve equipped educators at elementary and middle schools with our curriculum built around the game of golf, while positively impacting kids through both the game and its inherent ability to improve social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. We work with the school to identify funding opportunities, such as sponsors or donations.

This program aligns with national physical education standards developed by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) and is designed to allow physical educators the ability to adjust lessons to fit their specific teaching situations in terms of class size, time, and facility type.

What’s provided:

First Tee School Program gives physical educators all the tools to get started. We provide the training, equipment, and lesson plans that integrate life skills and values with the game of golf and motor skills. We have an online community for teachers and youth leaders delivering our program, providing access to the curriculum, resources, and connections with peers delivering the program around the country.

Ready to Get Started?

To learn more about implementing this program, contact John Page at [email protected]

PGA Jr. League brings friends, families, and communities together through golf. Open to boys and girls ages 10-17, our PGA Jr. League program creates fun-filled, team golf experiences your kids won’t forget with expert coaching from our PGA/LPGA Coaches!

For more information, click HERE