First Tee of Tucson reaches 50,000 kids in southern Arizona


By John Davis


city can nurture a whole generation through a simple, yet educational, game. From humble beginnings


I


in 2006 and through the support of nearly every facet of the Tucson community, its First Tee program has touched the lives of thousands of kids, who learn life skills through golf. The program recently


expanded to its seventh green-grass facility and, through its outreach efforts, is exposing as many as 50,000 kids a year to the game. “This program has been


a big step because, while we support all youth sports in Tucson and southern Arizona,


it makes perfect sense that we do our part to support the game of golf,” said Judy McDermott, executive director of the Tucson Conquistadores, the civic organization that has run numerous PGA


22 | AZ GOLF Insider | ANNUAL 2018


Tour-sanctioned events. “So much of what First


Tee does is development in all phases of life. There are many good junior golf programs that do a great job of teaching kids the game.


f it takes a village to raise a child, the Tucson First Tee program stands as evidence that a major


Kids fill the range at Randolph Park (shown here), one of seven First Tee of Tucson sites. The First Tee of Tucson has exposed the game to as many as 50,000 kids in southern Arizona.


Teaching life skills along with that is what sets this program apart, and we see the results in the kids we work with.” The Conquistadores are


the driving force and funding source behind the program. In 2008, they partnered with First Tee and the city of Tucson in a $2.9 million renovation effort at Trini Alvarez-El Rio Golf Course, creating a 4,000-square- foot clubhouse and learning center for the program. There, kids can spend as much time on a computer as on the driving range. El Rio, now owned by


the city, began as a private club in the 1930s and was


www.azgolf.org


FIRST TEE OF TUCSON


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