Blog

First Tee Seattle was able to introduce and teach nearly 1,000 youth in person at golf courses in 2020, which has been a huge accomplishment and highlight for our community. However, due to a cancelled spring session, smaller class sizes, and limited capacity, many more young people were not able to...

Golf is the best sport for having fun and learning crucial life skills.  Period.  That’s it.  That’s my article…What?  You want me to explain myself?  OK.  I will give it my best shot!!! I started playing golf at age 15 in sunny San Diego, where I played 2 years of junior golf. From ther...

We asked Coach Chris Villasenor to share his relationship with Honesty, and honestly, we felt like you’d want to take a look! One of the Nine Core Values of the First Tee is Honesty. We often frame this around our behavior on the course: are we counting the right number of strokes, are we foll...

Dealing With Challenges by Coach Val Patrick I consider myself an upbeat, confident, patient and positive person, and I am the “glass is half full” personality.  What I have learned over the years about challenges is that they come to us and through us – through many streams and i...

Coach Ben Bergner has been a rock star with The First Tee of Greater Seattle since 2013! Get to know him as he shares how he got his start in the game of golf, his insight, experience and advice for young players! “I really like golf and I like to have fun with whatever I …...

For teenagers, caddying is one of the best opportunities to apply yourself, learn, and even earn an income. And for a select few, it can actually lead to a full college scholarship through the Western Golf Association. But it takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance. We are proud to announce th...

In the summer of 2012, Austin Picinich attended his first class with The First Tee of Greater Seattle. He was just 7 years old, bright-eyed and eager to learn about the game of golf. Over the years, Austin applied himself and worked his way through the different levels of the program. Now age 14 and...

12 year old Jay Sakagami arrived early on Sunday for the Fall Week 9 Championship at Jefferson Park. He checked in, warmed up on the driving range, rolled a few on the putting green, and after announcements and a review of the rules and format, Jay teed off at 8:30am. Conditions were chilly and damp...

Elvin Gladney has been an active participant with The First Tee of Greater Seattle since 2012 and is currently a full time student at South Seattle College studying Automotive Technology. Elvin has overcome challenges in his life including the loss of his father and diagnosis of high functioning Aut...

The First Tee of Greater Seattle teaches golf and life skills to 1,500 local youth on Seattle’s municipal golf courses each year, and more than 2,000 county-wide. Without the four Seattle facilities (Jefferson Park, Jackson Park, West Seattle GC and Interbay), that kind of impact is not possib...