Why Golf?

At First Tee – Tampa Bay, 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+

• 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

PLAYer JUNIOR GOLF GROUP LESSONS

Your child’s primary goal for the PLAYer Junior Golf Group Lessons is to pass the “PLAYer Team Certification” requirements to become eligible for First Tee – Tampa Bay Par & Birdie Golf Teams. See the “ PLAYer Team Certification” requirements by clicking HERE. If your child already meets the “ PLAYer Team Certification” requirements, he or she should enroll in First Tee – Tampa Bay’s Par Golf Team.

In the PLAYer Junior Golf Group Lessons, participants ages 5-18 receive golf instruction in classes with no larger than an six-to-one student/instructor ratio. The classes meet once per week for seven weeks, 60 minutes per class, during which time the participants are taught the fundamentals, rules and etiquette of golf along with a curriculum of life skills. All classes are led by a PGA professional or other qualified golf instructor. These sessions will be offered continuously throughout the year. Students who have their own golf clubs are encouraged to bring them to class; however, for any student who does not have equipment, First Tee – Tampa Bay will provide the appropriate clubs for each session. First Tee’s PLAYer level curriculum is covered in PLAYer Group Golf Lessons.   

Par & Birdie Junior GOLF TEAM

Playing on a First Tee – Tampa Bay Par & Birdie Junior Golf Team will give each member a chance to play rounds of golf in an organized setting, meet new people and hopefully make lifelong friendships. This program is a great way for children to learn the game by actually playing on the course. All First Tee – Tampa Bay Junior Golf Teams meet once/week. Each Junior Golf Team Member will practice their golf skills, learn the rules and etiquette of the game, and learn a First Tee Life Skill lesson prior to each match. First Tee’s Par and Birdie level curriculums are covered in “Team” Golf programs.

There are two different Junior Golf Teams that a child can register for:

Junior Par Junior Golf Team (ages 7-9, 10-12) –For all boys & girls ages 7-12, children will play up to 9 holes every Saturday for 7 weeks, usually at an executive course (Par 3s and 4s) or from modified length tee boxes. Child must be “ PLAYer Team Certified” to be eligible to participate. Parents are asked to stay to walk along with their child on the course. Highly skilled and experienced players ages 11-12 may be placed on the Senior Birdie Team at the discretion of The First Tee – Tampa Bay staff.

Senior Birdie Junior Golf Team (ages 13-15,16-18) – For all boys & girls ages 13-18, children will play 9 to 18 holes every Saturday for 7 weeks, usually at a regulation golf course. Child must be “ PLAYer Team Certified” to be eligible to participate. Parents may stay to walk along with their child on the course but it is not required. Less skilled and/or experienced players ages 13-14 may be placed on the Junior  Golf Par Team at the discretion of First Tee – Tampa Bay staff.  

SUMMER JUNIOR GOLF CAMP

Beginners and advanced junior golfers alike will work on their skills under the guidance of professional golf instructors and First Tee counselors. Emphasis will be on helping campers acquire and hone the skills needed to play great golf. Activities will include golf skill stations, contests, special events and on- course play. These camps will also focus on teaching First Tee Life Skills Experience, which also includes our Nine Core Values and Nine Healthy Habits. Snacks & Lunch will be provided by the camp. Campers do NOT need their own golf clubs, but they are welcome to bring them if they have them. 

The Players Club

Through The Players Club, high school junior golfers will build friendships, explore life skills, improve golf skills, and be given life impacting opportunities. Participants of The Players Club will also receive scholarships to help pay for local competitive playing events. 

The Players Club will meet on Friday’s. Meetings will include golf instruction, on course play, guest speakers, college prep classes, and life skill lessons. First Tee’s Eagle level curriculum is covered in Players Club. In addition to the instruction students will participate in community service projects, fun social events with their peers, play golf with Board Members and Special Friends of First Tee – Tampa Bay. The Players Club is a FREE program for students who are:

-In high school golfers grades 9-12 (boys & girls)
-Have on course golf experience
-Average double par or better for 18 holes

The J.E.W.E.L.s

J.E.W.E.L’s is an ALL GIRLS junior golf club!  For ages 7-18 and meets every other Tuesday evening. At the meeting the girls will work on their golf skills and participate in life skill activities that might include movie night, nail night, arts and crafts, cooking, just to name a few! Through the program we hope to teach more girls the game of golf, provide social opportunities to encourage lasting friendships, instill confidence in the girls, inspire them to live active lives, and most important HAVE FUN! 

Tournaments

The Junior Golf Tournament Series is for ages 7-18. It gives students the opportunity to take skills they have learned at practice and apply them on the golf course in a competitive environment.  Junior Golf Tournaments are one-day, 9-hole events for ages 12 and younger and two-day, 36-hole, Junior Golf Scoreboard Ranked events for ages 13 and older. 

P.E. Player

At select middle schools in Hillsborough County, 6th graders will be taught the PLAYer level curriculum in First Tee’s Life Skills Experience using both modified and standard golf equipment. Two First Tee instructors will go to each school for three consecutive weeks and work with the 6th grade students in the physical education classes (which students take daily). The First Tee instructor, along with the school’s P.E. staff, will teach the children all of the necessary requirements of the PLAYer level including golf fundamentals, rules, etiquette, pace of play and more. The ultimate goal of this program is to have each student pass the PLAYer level and be ready for next-step First Tee programs Group Golf Lessons and Golf Team.

OTHER FTTB PROGRAMS

First Tee – Tampa Bay conducts several other programs for children throughout the year. These all have separate enrollment procedures and are not available for open registration. For more specific information on any of these programs, call First Tee – Tampa Bay at 813-238-7320.

School Program – First Tee trains local physical education teachers on how to introduce the basics in golf skills to children in their yearly program. The curriculum is based on national physical education standards and emphasizes character-education through an introduction to First Tee’s Nine Core Values. Each child participates in at least four lessons. By the end of 2019, there were more than 74,000 children at 148 Hillsborough County elementary schools participating in this program. Following the School Program at their school, the students take home information describing upcoming future First Tee – Tampa Bay programs that are available in their area.

Afterschool PLAYer – Select afterschool youth programs come out to our main facility at Rogers Park where children will be taught the PLAYer level curriculum in The First Tee’s Life Skills Experience using standard golf equipment by a TFTTB instructor.

Travel Teams – This program is comprised of more advanced FTTB members who play in our weekly Teams program. These FTTB members will play 18 holes of golf at select sites throughout the area including some of the finer country clubs and golf courses. Each Travel Team match is made up of up to 12 FTTB youth members.  All players will have passed FTTB criteria for playing ability, golf rules and course etiquette, and an adult chaperone playing with each group would ensure speedy play. If you have a site that might be interested in hosting a Travel Team match, please call First Tee – Tampa Bay at 813-238-7320.

Junior League – An initiative of the PGA, the Junior League is a summer golf league for children 8-12 that somewhat models the baseball little league structure. FTTB forms local teams to play matches during the summer against other like teams in the area