On Grand Strand Golf: Area First Tee expanding its influence with new program director

The First Tee of the Grand Strand is growing and expanding its impact on youth in the area.

The golf and youth development organization has a new program director, has increased its participation numbers and volunteer force, and has increased its presence in Horry County elementary schools this school year.

Patrick O’Brien, a May 2014 Coastal Carolina graduate with a degree in Recreation and Sport Management, will replace the retiring Tommy Gaither as The First Tee of the Grand Strand’s program director on Oct. 1.

The First Tee’s National Schools Program, which is already firmly entrenched in all 11 Georgetown County elementary schools, has been added to the curriculum this year of a handful of Horry County schools’ physical education classes to now be in 14 of the county’s 27 elementary schools. It has increased after school-program participation from about 40 students last fall to 120 this fall, and has 150 active volunteers.

O’Brien wants to give area youth the golf opportunities he had growing up in Simsbury, Conn. His parents were members at different times of Tower Ridge Country Club, where he was mentored by head pro Dave Dell and assistant Sean Kinsella, and Wampanoag Country Club, and in summers and on weekends he was often dropped off at the courses for the day.

O’Brien, who turned 25 Sunday, volunteered for a couple months as a Saturday instructor with the First Tee of Brunswick County as part of a principles of coaching class at CCU. He was the lead coach at Eagle Nest Golf Club’s after-school program this past spring, a position he still holds for the fall season that began Sept. 12, and works the bag drop at Barefoot Resort’s Dye Club.

He was also a seven-month intern with the PGA of America’s Northern Texas Section based in Dallas from January through August 2014 and ran the section’s junior series for ages 7-17.

“I realized working with kids was something I really enjoyed doing,” O’Brien said. “They’re the base of the game and that’s how we’re going to grow golf. It’s something I found I had a passion for and was something I really wanted to do.

“The First Tee is something I’m passionate about because it gives kids an opportunity to play golf but is also a character-building organization.”

O’Brien plans to increase First Tee programs. “Our main goal is to try to get more kids involved and grow our programs, and add more tournaments and golf-oriented activities,” said O’Brien, who mentioned miniature golf and night golf outings as possibilities. “I want to create more tournaments and more fun opportunities for kids.”

His hire will allow First Tee of the Grand Strand executive director Rich Abraham to focus on the organization’s business aspects.

“Patrick has a great golf background, has a plus-1 handicap, and he’s young and engaging with the young kids,” Abraham said. “He’s got great business skills. His background is awesome for what we need to run the program from start to finish and allow me to focus on the business side and fundraising. We’re going to make a great team.”

The First Tee has expanded into fourth and fifth grades at elementary schools with the support of Horry County Schools PE Coordinator Buddy George, who said First Tee instruction meets several state standards for PE motor skills and movement patterns. First Tee instruction also stresses nine core values.

George would like to eventually have it in every county elementary school.

“The curriculum is certainly beneficial for us. I’m excited about the program and we’re moving as fast as we can,” George said. “The core values and teaching that in the classroom is also important. I think the expansion will happen, but I can’t guarantee in two years we’ll be in all 27 schools.”

Schools use Starting New At Golf (SNAG) equipment, featuring large-headed plastic clubheads and tennis-like balls. The First Tee program is taught once or twice a week in PE classes over nine to 12 weeks, and PE teachers can include it in one or two semesters.

Seven top-performing fifth-grade boys and seven girls from each of 10 elementary schools will be involved in a Champions Challenge skills competition next spring at Whispering Pines Golf Club.

“I think once we do the Champions Challenge and the kids get a chance to compete … then we make videos of that and show it to other PE teachers and encourage participation in The First Tee more, I’m sure at some point in time we’ll pick up more schools,” George said.

Gaither, 68, was retired from college and high school basketball coaching when he took The First Tee job three years ago and is going back into retirement. His wife, Judy, assisted him with a lot of the duties.

“It growing got to be a lot more work than when we took it on,” Gaither said. “We’re ready to get back to traveling like we did before and seeing [seven] grand kids. We’re looking forward to getting back into retirement.

“… We will miss working with kids more than anything, and the volunteers were great to give their time. It’s an education we really believe in through the game of golf, which is a lifelong sport. We were able to see kids blossom into productive citizens. That’s the reward of The First Tee, I think.”

Club-maker Craig Sobol has recently cut down about 35 sets of clubs for First Tee use, and Brigadoon Golf donated 25 kids golf bags.

“With all of those positives we have two needs right now: We need more volunteers in our programs across the board, and the other thing we need is donations,” Abraham said. “With more kids and volunteers our expenses go up.”

The First Tee has a pair of fundraisers in the next two months. A Falling Leaves Scramble will be held at the private Reserve Club on Oct. 26. A $125 entry fee includes golf, food, prizes, raffle tickets and a $20 PGA Tour Superstore gift certificate. Visit www.tftgs-tour.org for information or to enter.

An Italian Winemaker’s Benefit Dinner at The Surf Golf & Beach Club starts at $75 per person and includes a four-course Italian dinner and wine supplied by winemaker Maurizio Rosso of Gigi Rosso Italian wines. Call Abraham at 843-325-6787 or email npaquilts@gmail.com.

Cole plays with Haas

Neither Jackson Cole of Pawleys Island nor West Brunswick High senior Landon Patterson of Shallotte, N.C., made the cut to Sunday’s final round of the Champions Tour’s Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.

But both golfers undoubtedly had an unforgettable experience. Cole played two rounds with nine-time PGA Tour winner and 2015 U.S. Presidents Cup Team captain Jay Haas, while Patterson played with eight-time PGA Tour winner and major champion Steve Jones.

“It was absolutely unbelievable. At first I was just staring at people,” Cole said. “I couldn’t have hoped for a better week. It was a real good experience and I think I learned a lot.”

Cole and Haas combined to shoot a best-ball 5-under 69-69–138, and Cole missed the cut to the final round by three shots. While there was no cut for the pros, the top 23 pro-junior duos of the 81 in the tournament advanced to Sunday’s’ final round.

Though Cole occasionally picked up when Haas was clearly going to have the best score on a hole, he believes he shot about a 76 Friday on Pebble Beach.

“I took it all in during the practice round, where I was and everything, so when the tournament started Friday I was really focused and played well,” Cole said. “I heard I had a lot of TV time and I hit some nice shots.”

Cole had played once previously with Haas, in June 2014 at The Reserve Club, and Haas has nicknamed him “Homie” in reference to him being home schooled.

Patterson and Jones missed the cut to Sunday by five strokes at 2-under 69-72–141.

Haas shot a 2-under 213 to tie for 17th and Jones, the 1996 U.S. Open champion, tied for 38th at 1-over 216.

Cole and Patterson were among the 81 teenagers involved in The First Tee who were selected to participate in the tournament played on both Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course.

Opperman in Mid-Am

Tee Opperman of Pawleys Island will be playing in the first two rounds of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship on Saturday and Sunday in the hopes of advancing to the match play portion of the tournament beginning Monday.

The first two stroke-play rounds are being held on the 6,853-yard, par-72 John’s Island Club West Course and 6,949-yard, par-71 North Course in Vero Beach, Fla. The 264-player field will be reduced to the low 64 scorers for six rounds of match play on the West Course.

The quarterfinals and semifinals are slated for Oct. 7 and the 36-hole final is Thursday Oct. 8. The Mid-Am winner earns a spot in the 2016 Masters.

Opperman tees off at 7:52 a.m. Saturday and 12:42 p.m. Sunday and is paired with Brian Williams of New York and Bradley Shaw of Santa Monica, Calif. Opperman qualified for the Mid-Am by making a hole-in-one on the second hole of a playoff in a regional qualifier Sept. 14 at the Country Club of Lexington.

Junior tournaments scheduled

The Junior Tour Academy of Myrtle Beach, a program of the Myrtle Beach Junior Golf Foundation, has started a fall tournament schedule for players ages 5-17 with beginner to intermediate skill levels.

The tournaments are set up for the academy’s students in the Woods and Hagen classes but are open to all players.

There are six nine-hole events remaining this fall at 3 or 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and they have either stroke play or two-player scramble formats. They are Saturday at Midway Par 3, Oct. 10 at River Oaks Golf Club, Oct. 18 at Indigo Creek, Nov. 7 at Midway Par 3, Nov. 15 at Whispering Pines and Nov. 21 at River Oaks.

Entry fees are $30 per player. Caddies are allowed and required for players under 10.

Dresser demo day

The Steve Dresser Golf Academy at True Blue Golf Club in Pawleys Island is hosting a Demo Day from 2-5 p.m. Tuesday on its range featuring new Titleist hybrids and 716 irons; TaylorMade woods, hybrids, M1 drivers and PSi irons; Ping irons and Geomax irons. Prices will be reduced on select products.

Washington ties for 12th

Anne Washington of Myrtle Beach tied for 12th in the 17th Carolinas Women’s Senior Amateur Championship, shooting an 85-77–162 at Hendersonville Country Club in Hendersonville, N.C.

Pat Brogden of Garner, N.C. survived a three hole sudden death playoff against Patty Moore of Charlotte, N.C. and Angela Stewart of Greenville, N.C. to successfully defend her title after the three players tied at 147.

This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 4:18 PM with the headline "On Grand Strand Golf: Area First Tee expanding its influence with new program director."