meet Alice

I started with First Tee when I was eight years old, not knowing a single thing about golf. My first time touching a club was at the First Tee of Augusta during summer camp. I immediately fell in love with the sport, so I give a lot of credit to the supportive community at First Tee for helping me find my passion. At the time, Augusta’s facility included a 6-hole course where I was able to fully experience the game of golf by playing real holes. My parents didn’t know the rules of golf, so having a course to learn on, not just the driving range, meant that I was able to learn how to repair my ball mark on the green, fill in divots on the fairway, and maintain pace of play. The best part, though, was learning in the classroom from a team of dedicated coaches. All of my coaches were extremely encouraging, which I felt was crucial to a young kid learning a sport for the first time. What I learned in the classroom went beyond what I needed to know for golf... I learned how to reflect and regulate my emotions on the course, which then helped me face uncertainty in school and in my personal life.

I moved to Charleston as a very shy seventh grader and struggled with finding my place in school. Connecting with First Tee - Greater Charleston helped me with that. I still remember giggling with my classmates on the back of the golf cart at Patriot’s Point. These friendships helped me build the confidence to start creating friendships outside of First Tee.

First Tee – Greater Charleston is like a home to me. Even as an alum, they continue to be there for me.

I hope you will consider supporting their campaign to build a Learning Center and Kids Course so we can nurture more young minds through the on-course experiences and mentorship that had such a meaningful impact on me.