PGA Of America, Jack Nicklaus Team To Award Grants Of $155,000 To 21 Chapters Of The First Tee

The PGA of America and golf legend Jack Nicklaus have partnered to award $155,000 in grants to support instruction at 21 Chapters of The First Tee, a program designed to create learning facilities and access to golf with a special emphasis on youngsters who otherwise may not have an opportunity to experience the game and its positive values.

PGA Teaching grants of $10,000 each were awarded to 10 First Tee Chapters, and 11 First Tee Chapters received $5,000 PGA/Nicklaus Teaching grants. The PGA of America and Jack Nicklaus began a partnership in 2001 to create a $2 million endowment to provide teaching grants to certified First Tee Chapters that use PGA members and apprentices for instruction. Nicklaus/PGA grants totaling $180,000 have been distributed to 28 chapters nationwide. Overall, PGA of America First Tee grants of $1,060,000, which includes the Nicklaus partnership, have been distributed to 64 individual chapters.

"The PGA of America and Jack Nicklaus have enjoyed an ongoing partnership to support The First Tee and further extend our common goal to grow participation in the game of golf," said PGA of America President M.G. Orender. "These grants have reached out to touch the lives of thousands of boys and girls throughout the country. At the same time, PGA Professionals supporting The First Tee have developed relationships to help enrich the lives of those who would otherwise not have the opportunity to enjoy golf."

The First Tee program uses The PGA's First Swing teaching curriculum, a benchmark program developed by The PGA Foundation in 1986, which teaches youngsters basic golf skills through games and other fun activities. Since its introduction, more than a million juniors in all 50 states and 10 countries have been exposed to the First Swing curriculum.

Founded in 1916, The PGA of America is a not-for-profit organization composed of more than 28,000 men and women professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.

PGA, Jack Nicklaus First Tee Grants

PGA of America Teaching Grants ($10,000 each)

• The City of Tulsa Park & Recreation Department, Tulsa, Okla.
• The First Tee of Columbus - Cooks Creek, Ashville, Ohio
• The First Tee of Aurora, Ill.
• Fore Hope, Galloway, Ohio
• The First Tee of Hennepin Parks, Plymouth, Minn.
• The First Tee of Minneapolis, Minn.
• The First Tee of Saline County, Salina, Kan.
• The First Tee of Smyrna,Tenn.
• The First Tee of St. Johns County, Elkton, Fla.
• The Northern Illinois Junior Golf Alliance of Waukegan, Ill.

PGA of America/Nicklaus Teaching Grants ($5,000 each)

• The First Tee of Akron, Ohio
• The First Tee of Augusta, Ga.
• The First Tee Central Coast, Santa Barbara, Calif.
• The First Tee of Chester and Delaware County, West Chester, Pa.
• The First Tee of Greater Seattle, Wash.
• The First Tee of Houston, Texas
• The First Tee of Knoxville - Beverly Park, Knoxville, Tenn.
• The First Tee of Knoxville - Concord Park, Knoxville, Tenn.
• The First Tee of Lawton, Okla.
• The First Tee of Memphis, Tenn.
• The First Tee of Metropolitan New York, Bronx, N.Y.