The First Tee

The First Tee and Walmart
Turning birdies into eagles

Do you know about The First Tee? It’s a youth development program that uses the game of golf as a way to reach young people and teach them valuable life lessons. The First Tee offers educational programs and training facilities that make a real difference in young people’s lives – promoting character development and core values like honesty, integrity, and responsibility.

Walmart joined forces with The First Tee in 2004.

We’re the title sponsor of the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, presented by Nature Valley. This Champions Tour event is the culmination of two selection events conducted by The First Tee with support and sponsorship from Walmart. It pairs qualifying participants from The First Tee with the great champions of golf. The event takes place every Labor Day weekend on California’s famed Monterey Peninsula.

The First Tee has reached over 2.8 million young people with its community-based network of 207 Chapters and over 700 golf-learning facilities in 48 states and 4 international locations.

What Separates The First Tee from Other Youth Initiatives?

The feature that separates The First Tee from other youth initiatives and junior golf programs is the Life Skills Experience. Participants learn many valuable lessons including the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, how to make decisions by thinking about the possible consequences, how to define and set goals, and how to transfer the positive values of golf to everyday life.

Although this partnership uses golf as the platform, the lessons learned continue to extend far beyond the game itself. Actual participation in the game of golf is not necessarily a prerequisite for interaction between the facilities of The First Tee and Walmart stores. Rather, it’s the values golf represents:

Confidence
Perseverance
Respect
Honesty
Integrity
Sportsmanship
Responsibility
Courtesy
Judgment

These values are introduced to young people at Chapters worldwide and to elementary school students through The First Tee National School Program. The program provides teachers with both equipment and a curriculum to teach basic golf skills and etiquette through regular physical education classes.

Local Walmart stores help local Chapters of The First Tee

The First Tee The program focuses on two key areas: community involvement and the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, presented by Nature Valley. Store managers are asked to make sure the associates from their stores/clubs are actively involved in the local community. One way they can get involved is by supporting a local First Tee Chapter. Volunteers are needed to help with fund-raising, to encourage participation, to teach life skills, and to monitor golf training.

National events

The Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, presented by Nature Valley
The sixth annual Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, presented by Nature Valley provides girls and boys ages 13 to 18 the opportunity to qualify to play alongside the great Champions and legends of golf. This event takes place September 4-6, 2009 (Visit thefirstteeopen.com). It’s the culmination of all the community involvement efforts of the local First Tee Chapters and Walmart. Seventy-eight junior golfers will earn their way into the tournament through:

Through The First Tee Participant Selection Process – Seventy juniors who are active participants at Chapters of The First Tee will qualify at one of two Participant Selection Process events.

July 7-11, 2009
The First Tee Participant Selection Process (Girls)
Wentworth by the Sea Country Club, Rye, NH
July 14-18, 2009
The First Tee Participant Selection Process (Boys)
Shadow Valley Country Club, Rogers, AR

Learn more about the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach by reading the online spectator guide.