First Tee's Success - Forbes Special Sections

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The
First Tee’s Success
Promises a Bright Future
Last June, Jack Nicklaus appeared before the U.S.
House of Representatives Committee on Education
and the Workforce in his role as an honorary cochairman
of The First Tee’s fundraising efforts. He spoke
eloquently about the role that the program — and the
game of golf — can have in shaping young peoples’ lives.

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“Golf is a wonderful vehicle for teaching life lessons,”
Nicklaus said. “But sometimes it is the people you meet in
the game of golf that guide you to the most important
lessons. Not every child gets the kind of grounding and
positive reinforcement at home and school that I was fortunate
to receive. And that is why programs like The First Tee are
so important.
“The First Tee uses the game of golf to teach youngsters
skills that enable them to incorporate positive values into
their behaviors,” Nicklaus added. “The First Tee is based upon
nine core values: honesty, responsibility, respect, judgment,
courtesy, perseverance, integrity, confidence and sportsmanship,
and our life skills
curriculum ensures
that every youngster
who comes to The
First Tee is taught
more than the game
of golf.
“At a time when we
need to do everything
we can to promote positive values in our children, particularly
thinking beyond themselves and caring for others, The First
Tee has adopted that mission and is doing it effectively.”
Nicklaus’ sentiments are echoed by the honorary chair,
former President George Bush.
“Those of us who share an enthusiasm and appreciation for
the game of golf recognize that it is truly unique in the sporting
world,” Bush said. “Not only is golf the sport of a lifetime, but
in many ways it is a lesson in life.
“Golf is unique in the lessons it teaches. It’s a game of
honor, integrity and good sportsmanship,” he added. “Golf is
governed by the players themselves, who, by sticking to the
spirit and disciplines of the game, gain the personal fulfillment
of pride, self-esteem and self-discipline.
“Wonderful efforts have been launched by golf organizations
and associations to introduce the game to broad spectrums of
the population, but affordable access has remained a problem
once someone, particularly a child, becomes excited about the
golf experience,” the former President concluded. “Never before
has this problem been addressed on such a broad spectrum as
through The First Tee.”
Seeking to Broaden Golf’s Appeal
The First Tee began as a 1997 initiative of the World Golf
Foundation. Its fundamental mission was to help welcome
kids from every socioeconomic background to golf. From
its inception, The First Tee has enjoyed considerable and
impressive support from every influential and important golf
organization in the
U.S.: the PGA
TOUR, United States
Golf Association, the
PGA of America, the
Ladies Professional
Golf Association and
the Augusta National
Golf Club. Each was a
Founding Partner, as was the Shell Oil Company (the founding
corporate partner).
On a grassroots level, The First Tee establishes and maintains
golf-learning facilities that give children places to learn the
game while being exposed to golf’s core values. It’s worth noting
that these learning centers are often the result of important
collaborations between The First Tee and local governments.
The First Tee’s mission statement says that the organization’s
role is “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.” To that end, beyond teaching youngsters the
fundamentals of playing the game, The First Tee Life Skills
Experience helps instill the core teachings of self-management,
interpersonal communication, goal setting, mentoring others
and conflict resolution.
LPGA star Paula Creamer gives advice
at a clinic for The First Tee sponsored
by The Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

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Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., Executive Director of The
First Tee, with some of The First Tee Scholars
during the PricewaterhouseCoopers Business Forum.
This commitment to personal development and selfimprovement
is what helps set The First Tee apart, because
those involved with it understand that while not every child
will become a champion golfer,
each participant will come away
from The First Tee with a better
chance at a richer, more rewarding
and successful life, as PGA
TOUR Commissioner Tim
Finchem explains.
“The First Tee is valuable in that
not only are young people taught
the game of golf, but they are also
taught the values that make golf
such a special sport and learn how
they can be applied to everyday
life,” says Finchem. “The real
importance of the program is that
each child who comes to a Chapter
of The First Tee has a meaningful
and quality experience. But it also
is essential that everyone involved
with The First Tee believes he or she
is making a difference by working
with these youths.”
Just as in a golf tournament,
success is reflected in the numbers
and the numbers don’t lie: by any measure, The First Tee
is growing.
A Story of Remarkable Growth
In 2001, there were 60,000 participants worldwide. At the
end of 2005, 217,000 young people had been introduced to
the game, bringing the total since the program’s inception
to 675,000. In addition, this year the number of The First Tee
learning facilities is expected to total over 274, with 24 under
Photo credit: Greg Schaler
Honorary Co-chairman of The First Tee
and National Trustee Jack Nicklaus with
the 2005 RBS Achievers of the Year.
development. Through the 2005-2006 school year, The First Tee
National School Program reached some 400,000 students in
900 schools.
While The First Tee’s progress has
been impressive, those involved in
the program realize the urgent need
for continued sustained growth. To
that end, the Phase III business plan
announced in February calls for an
ambitious agenda that includes
reaching the following goals by 2010:
• Introduce golf and The First
Tee Nine Core Values to 3.5
million young people
• Continue to deliver a consistent
Life Skills Experience at
each facility
• Grow The First Tee National
School Program to 140
communities nationwide
• Establish a Chapter in all 50
states and operate in 90% of
the top 100 markets.
Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., executive
director of The First Tee, believes
that with continued support there’s
an excellent chance of meeting or
even exceeding the goals of Phase III.
“Thanks to the continued support of the golf industry, our
corporate partners, national trustees and dedicated staff and
volunteers, The First Tee is flourishing in its effort to impact
the lives of young people and the communities they live in,”
says Barrow.
Indeed, The First Tee’s success can be directly tied to the
support it has received from corporations like the Royal Bank
of Scotland and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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Corporate Support Remains Crucial
To Success
As a National Trustee, RBS has instigated programs to support
The First Tee, including the RBS/The First Tee Mentor
Program and the RBS Achievers of the Year Awards. In addition,
it underwrites clinics conducted by Team RBS members Jack
Nicklaus, Luke Donald and Paula Creamer at various
Chapters of The First Tee.
“Our support of golf goes back over 100 years, and supporting
The First Tee works well with our ‘Make It Happen’ philosophy,”
says Fred Goodwin, group chief executive for Royal Bank of
Scotland Group. “We know from our own experience that
practical help can make a real difference to the lives of young
people, and through the programs we’ve developed, like the RBS
Achievers of the Year Award and the RBS/The First Tee Mentor
Program, we’re working to achieve that. We are also heavily
involved with communities through our Citizens Bank and
Charter One businesses. And as our activity in the U.S.
grows, so too will our commitment to the communities in
which we do business.”
PricewaterhouseCoopers, a powerhouse in the professional
services industry, has enjoyed a long involvement with The
First Tee. Each year since 2004, PricewaterhouseCoopers has
hosted The First Tee Scholars at their Executive Forum at the
TOUR’s premier championship, THE PLAYERS.
“At PricewaterhouseCoopers, we believe that helping our
youth expand their horizons and enjoy the opportunity to learn
and exercise new skills and strong values will undoubtedly inspire
them to explore new worlds and succeed — in the game of golf,
in business and, most importantly, in life,” says Dean Kern, U.S.
markets leader. “We’re proud to make such an important
investment and happily sponsor The First Tee program.”
A Program That Inspires Individuals
There are many inspiring stories that have come out of The
First Tee, but two of the best stem from the annual Wal-Mart
First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, which pairs participants with
players on the Champions Tour.
In 2004, Gary Player teamed with 17-year-old Preston
Schaub from Austin, Tex. Player, long known for his devotion
to physical fitness and proper nutrition, took a special interest
in this boy, urging him to lose weight and get in better shape.
The next year, it was a very proud — and 38 pounds lighter
— Preston Schaub who sought out Player at the tournament
and thanked him for all the encouragement.
But sometimes the lessons go both ways, as was the case for
Hale Irwin in 2005.
Irwin was paired with 18-year-old Jacques Gatera who, just
six years earlier, had lived with his family in a concentration
camp during the bloody civil war in the Democratic Republic
of Congo that has maimed or killed millions.
Inspired by his partner’s experience, the already ultracompetitive
Irwin kicked his game up a notch, making five
birdies on the last 11 holes, and Gatera was able to leave
Pebble Beach with a trophy and a wealth of good memories.
Irwin came away richer as well.
“Knowing his life story and his background, it makes some
of the problems I’ve had (with my game) seem insignificant,”
Irwin said. “It takes away some of that self-imposed pressure
and crying-in-your-beer feeling.”
As former President Bush said — and The First Tee continues
to prove — “Not only is golf a sport of a lifetime, but in many
ways it is a lesson in life.”
Web Directory
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
www.rbs.co.uk
PricewaterhouseCoopers
www.pwcglobal.com
Pfizer
www.pfizer.com
The First Tee teaches young people
golf and valuable life lessons.