Category: Blog

Trip of a Lifetime: Past Pebble Beach Raffle Winners Share Memories & Photos

We recently had a chance to catch up with Michelle Lurie, whose family was the big winner of our Pebble Beach Raffle in 2015. Read on to hear all about their incredible trip that cost them just the price of a raffle ticket: $100.
Q: It must have been exciting to find out you had won the raffle in 2015! Had you ever won a big prize before?
 
A: The year we won, The First Tee of Howard County was celebrating its 15th year as a chapter, so the raffle drawing coincided with a special dinner program. [Our daughter] Logan, as a First Tee participant, was selected to draw the winning ticket. When she pulled it out, she looked frightened. It turned out to be her dad’s ticket [Howard Lurie], and she was shocked! We had never won a big prize before. What a night!
 
Q: Tell us what lucky foursome went on your Pebble Beach trip. A: The Lurie Family: Howard and I along with our very own First Tee participants, Harper and Logan, made up our foursome. Q: What was your initial reaction when you first arrived at the hotel at the start of the trip? A: Pulling onto the grounds of the Inn at Spanish Bay, we knew we were in for quite the experience. We could hear the Pacific Ocean in the distance.  We could see the golf course from practically every window in the lobby and hallways as we walked to our room. Even though it was summer, we used the fireplace in our room in the evenings. Q: Can you describe what it was like to play golf on a world-renowned golf course? How was it different from other courses you are used to playing? A: We arrived early for our tee time to take full advantage of the practice facilities (lots of practice greens and a huge range). We decided to take advantage of the caddie service — well worth it. They were so knowledgable about the layout of the course, its history and some trivia throughout the round. They even took some pictures of our foursome in action! Though they weren’t miracle workers — my score was still pretty high but who cares when the views of the Pacific were breathtaking! For the real golfers in our group, they loved the challenges each hole offered and the opportunity to play this amazing course! Q: In addition to golf, what other experiences did you partake in as part of the trip?  A: While at the resort, we got up early to take complimentary fitness classes and to work out in the gym. After golf, we sat on the couches that flanked one of the many outdoor firepits while we waited for the bagpiper to play at sunset. We intended to swim each evening in the heated pool, but after dinners, we came back to enjoy drinks by the roaring firepits. It was so serene and relaxing. We had dinner in the town of Carmel by the Sea and rode back on the scenic 17 Mile Drive-stopping at every pull over to admire the views and the pines along the coast — including the Lone Cypress. Another night we had an incredible dinner in a converted fire station in Monterey. We passed on the Monterey Aquarium the last day to explore the coastal beaches and the redwoods all the way up the coast to Santa Cruz. We had intended to go south to Big Sur, but there was a wildfire that diverted us north. Q: Any other details you’d like to share about the trip? A: In addition to world class accommodations, golf outings and amazing dining, we had lots of other experiences on the “other coast.” It was the best vacation we ever experienced for $100.  Even if we never won, the money raised by this raffle fundraiser benefits a great program, The First Tee of Howard County.  Go ahead, take a chance — you could be the next winner! Purchase your 2017 Pebble Beach Raffle tickets here.

Meet & Greet with Ace-level Participant Takumi Fukuzawa

Takumi with his sister Megumi, a fellow Ace-level player at The First Tee of Howard County
This month, we’re catching up with Ace-level participant Takumi Fukuzawa, a rising sophomore at Centennial High School, where he plays on the golf team. Read on to hear about why The First Tee has been important to Takumi, and if you missed our feature last month with his sister, Megumi, check it out here!
Q: How long have you been a participant with The First Tee of Howard County?
A: I joined The First Tee when I was 10 years old, and have been in the program for about five years.
Q: Why did you first get involved with The First Tee?
A: I first got started with golf at an after school club at elementary school, and I quickly found a passion for golf. When I found out about The First Tee program, I joined right away and continued because every class was exciting. Q: What level are you currently playing at with The First Tee? A: I am currently in the Ace level in The First Tee. Q: Did playing with The First Tee motivate you to also get involved with your school’s golf team? A: Being in The First Tee motivated me to join the Centennial High School golf team. I have been on the team for a year as a freshman and my experience there was amazing. I met many new people along the way.
Takumi playing in his first match as part of Centennial High School’s team
Q: What has been your favorite experience with The First Tee? A: Since I joined The First Tee, I’ve met so many coaches and friends, but my favorite experience is having the opportunity to mentor classes. When I mentor the younger golfers, they have fun and are energetic, and that is what makes mentoring such a great experience. Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from participating in The First Tee? A: The biggest lesson I learned in The First Tee is the importance of giving back. I learned this through mentoring because by mentoring, I saw the work coaches had to do for the kids to have fun, and the coaches have also taught me. Now as an Ace-level student, I want to help the coaches so they have less to worry about and can let the kids have as much fun as I did. Q: How do you see your experience with The First Tee impacting your future? A: My experience with The First Tee will definitely will help me achieve my goals in the future because I learned things such as the goal ladder, which brings me to my goal step by step. Achieving my goals using the goal ladder will help me have a brighter future. Q: What would you tell other students who are considering getting involved? A: I would tell students who are considering The First Tee to give it a try because golf is a great sport to learn and has many things to teach, such as the Nine Core Values. In high school, balancing extracurriculars and studying got harder, so I had to choose between golf and baseball. However, in the end, I chose to play golf because it taught me so much and The First Tee was there to offer me more things to learn.

Meet & Greet with Ace-level Participant Megumi Fukuzawa

This month, we’re catching up with Ace-level participant Megumi Fukuzawa, a rising junior at Centennial High School, where she plays on the varsity golf team. Read on to hear about why The First Tee has been important to Megumi, and stayed tuned next month to hear from her brother, Takumi!
Megumi with her brother Takumi, a fellow Ace-level player at The First Tee of Howard County 
Q: How long have you been a participant with The First Tee of Howard County?
A: I began with The First Tee two years ago in the summer before my freshman year of high school.
Q: Why did you first get involved with The First Tee?
A: My younger brother was already in The First Tee, and whenever his coaches saw me, they would always encourage me to try golf. Watching my brother and hearing his coaches encouraging me to play got me to join The First Tee. Q: What level are you currently playing at with The First Tee? A: I am currently in the Ace level in The First Tee. Q: Did playing with The First Tee motivate you to also get involved with your school’s golf team? A: The First Tee gave me the courage and confidence to try out for the golf team at Centennial High School. In the fall, I will be a junior and I will be playing for the third year on the varsity team. I am extremely proud of how far I have come in the past two years. Last season, I was able to earn my spot on the second team of the All County Girls Golf Team.
Megumi with Nelly Korda at the Kingsmill LPGA Championship
Q: What has been your favorite experience with The First Tee? A: Recently, I went to go watch the Kingsmill LPGA Championship with The First Tee, and I was given the opportunity to walk inside the ropes for the whole day with Nelly Korda and Brittany Altomare. It was such an unforgettable and special day, and I am so grateful. Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from participating in The First Tee? A: The biggest lesson I have learned from participating in The First Tee is giving back. The First Tee has made a great impact on my life both inside and outside of golf, and I feel that it is important to give that same experience to others both inside and outside of The First Tee. The First Tee has motivated me to become involved in community service clubs at school, and I am currently in six clubs. I also mentor two First Tee classes on the weekends, and watching the kids enjoying golf and being enthusiastic about going to class is really special to me. Q: How do you see your experience with The First Tee impacting your future? A: The Ace level focuses on four things: community service, career, college, and golf. Through this, Ace level golfers are able to build onto their golf skills and “people skills”. The First Tee is preparing me to be college and career ready, and this is really important since junior year is getting closer. Q: What would you tell other students who are considering getting involved? A: I would tell other students who are considering getting involved that it is never too late to join The First Tee and play golf. As an older starter in golf compared to others who may have started years ago, it may be nerve-wracking, difficult, and tedious at first, but know that perseverance is the ultimate key to success. I remember many times in the beginning when I doubted myself and wasn’t sure if I was ever going to improve, but my coaches and peers always supported me. Don’t be scared to get out and try something new; come to The First Tee!

Meet and Greet with Coach Stephanie Stoutenborough

The spring 2017 Allied Golf team before practice.
Did you know that The First Tee is a family affair for the Van Deusen family? Our executive director, Don Van Deusen, is also the proud father of our two Allied Golf coaches, Stephanie Stoutenborough and Brian Van Deusen. This month, we’re catching up with Stephanie, a native and current resident of Columbia, about coaching this very special team. When she’s not coaching, the mother of two works as the business manager at River Hill High School.
Q: How and when did you first get involved with The First Tee?
A: I first started with The First Tee about 10 years ago as a coach for the PLAYer level.
Q: When did your interest in golf begin? Coaching?
A: I have been coaching varsity soccer at Atholton High School for 15 years.  I come from a family of coaches, between my dad, Don Van Deusen, and brother, Brian.  Once the Allied Golf Program started in Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS) in 2009-2010, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
Q: Tell me about The First Tee’s Allied team.   
A: Allied Sports is a totally inclusive program for high school students that gives students with special needs an equal opportunity to participate in interscholastic sports along-side their non-disabled peers.
Q: What type of background prepared you to be a coach of the Allied team?
A: I worked in the Special Education department at River Hill for seven years before switching positions.
Q: What makes coaching this team rewarding?
A: The most rewarding thing about coaching Allied Golf is seeing the athletes smiles and their excitement when they hit a good shot or sink a putt.
Q: What are some of the biggest surprises you’ve encountered from coaching? Biggest lessons you’ve learned? 
A: The best thing about Allied Golf is that we are giving athletes with various disabilities a chance to learn a sport they may never have thought they could compete in, and with the right coaching and resources, it is amazing to see what they can accomplish.
Q: How have you seen The First Tee benefit Allied participants? 
A: The First Tee paired with HCPSS in 2010 to help kick start the Allied Golf Program.  We use The First Tee Core Values to teach good sportsmanship, positive self-esteem, respect, honesty and responsibility.  The First Tee equipment, such as the snag equipment, gives us the resources we need to work with students of all levels and abilities.
Q: What would you tell parents considering enrolling their child on the Allied team?
A: This program has helped athletes of all ability levels to participate in competitive athletic activities. It allows students athletes with and without disabilities to appreciate the value and strengths of each other as individuals as well as athletes.

Meet & Greet with Dee Abrams

This month, we’re talking with Dee Abrams, mother to ACE-level participant and Howard High junior Alex Abrams. The Abrams family resides in Elkridge, and also includes Dee’s husband of 21 years, Clarence, and 20 year old daughter, Taylor. Read on to learn more about this First Tee parent’s perspective on how the program has impacted her daughter. If you missed last month’s interview with Alex Abrams, you can check it out here.
ACE-level participant Alex Abrams with her mother, Dee Abrams.
Q: How and when did you first hear about The First Tee? 
A: Our family first heard about The First Tee program in a school newsletter about 5 years ago at the time we were looking for extracurricular activities for our daughter.
Q: As a parent, what appealed to you about the program?
A: There were many things that were appealing about The First Tee program but what stood out the most was that the program provided an inexpensive way for our daughter to learn the game of golf as she advanced through each educational level of the program.
Q: What has been the most surprising impact of the program on your family? 
A: The biggest surprise is not only did our daughter fall in love with golf but now the entire family has some type of interest in the sport.  Alex wants to play golf in college and is working hard to earn a college scholarship, her sister has participated in the Allied Golf program and we all spend time watching golf on TV as a family.
Q: How have you seen The First Tee benefit Alex as she’s moved up levels? 
A: The First Tee program has benefited Alex by improving her golf game as she progressed up to the ACE level and strengthening her confidence in herself along the way.  First Tee has played a big role in Alex being able to make her High School Golf team as a freshman and her being a key member of the team that has won multiple county championships.
Q: What would you tell another parent considering enrolling their child in The First Tee? 
A: I would recommend The First Tee organization to other parents as not just a quality program that will teach their child the game of golf but also a place that will emphasize important values that will build their child’s character.
Q: How do you believe parents can be most effective in supporting The First Tee? 
A: The biggest support parents could give would be to make sure that their child takes full advantage of all of the different opportunities that The First Program provides.  There are quite a few different events and making sure that their children are active participates helps make each event a success.
Q: Any advice for the program staff or board about how the program can be improved? 
A: I would recommend adding more opportunities for parents to get involved in either volunteering or having more golf activities where parents who play golf could bond and create memories with their children.    

Meet & Greet with Alex Abrams

This month, we’re talking with ACE-level participant and Howard High junior Alex Abrams. Read on to learn more about this young star, and look forward to next month’s issue, where we’ll share an interview with Alex’s mother, Deneen Abrams.
ACE-level participant Alex Abrams with her mother, Deneen Abrams.
Q: How long have you been a participant with The First Tee of Howard County, and what made you first get involved?
A: I began with The First Tee  six years ago. My mom encouraged me to experience different sports, and discovered that The First Tee was a way for kids to become involved with the game of golf. I’m currently playing at the ACE-level.
Q: Did playing with The First Tee motivate you to also get involved with your school’s golf team? 
A: Yes, The First Tee introduced me to the sport and helped me get to a point where I was confident enough to try out for the golf team at Howard High school. I am now in my junior year and have been on the varsity team for three years. My proudest accomplishment as a part of the team was having an undefeated season and becoming county champions. I am also proud of my placement at the District V Championship; this year, I came in second place.
Q: What has been your favorite experience with The First Tee?
A: Helping with the annual golf tournament at The First Tee has been my favorite experience. I enjoy getting to meet people that care about the program as much as I do.
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from participating in The First Tee?
A: I have learned patience from being in The First Tee. It takes time for your skills to get to a point in which you are able to pass the level certification tests, so I had to be more patient with myself and practice more so that I would be able to pass.
Q: How do you see your experience with The First Tee impacting your future?
A: The First Tee has provided me with a network of people that care about my well-being and are in my corner. They also have provided me with tools like the Nine Core Values and the Nine Healthy Habits, which will be useful in college but also life in general.
Q: What would you tell other girls who are considering getting involved?
A: I would definitely recommend to start playing golf. When I first started, I thought golf would be a sport that no one my age played. The First Tee helped me realize that other girls my age were involved, too. As I continued to become more competitive, I joined more tournaments where I have met and become friends with some amazing female golfers. So to any girl considering getting involved in golf, I say go for it and have fun!

Q&A with Isabel Trojillo

For Ace-level player Isabel Trojillo, The First Tee of Howard County has been much more than just a golf program. Read our recent Q&A with the junior at Centennial High School to hear in her own words how the program has impacted her since joining at age ten.
Q: Why did you first get involved with The First Tee?
A: When I was 10 years old, I grew an interest in golf and started learning and playing the game. My parents and I wanted to take it a step further and looked for programs to improve my understanding and skills, and along came The First Tee.
Q: Did playing with The First Tee motivate you to also get involved with your school’s golf team?
A: The First Tee had a huge influence on me joining Centennial’s golf team, which is something I am extremely grateful for. My greatest accomplishments for my high school career were consistently qualifying for the county and district tournaments each year. During my most recent season, my coach assigned me as the team captain, which I was very humbled and honored by. I placed third at the county and district level, and qualified to play at the state tournament. After two grueling days of cold and windy golf, I was among the only two girls from Howard County to make the cut to play in the final day. It was a very memorable experience, one that I was take and learn from as I enter my senior year. Because of my progressing achievements throughout the following years, I am proudest of my growth as a player and leader for Centennial’s golf team.
Q: What has been your favorite experience with The First Tee?
A: During the summer of 2016, The First Tee gave me an opportunity to apply for the Life Skills Academy in Minnesota. My application was accepted and I was incredibly excited and thankful for this chance. I had the time of my life during my week in the program, and I can honestly say that is my favorite experience with The First Tee. I was able to develop friendships, most of which I still keep up with today, but more importantly I learned valuable lessons that will benefit my future.
I also loved how The First Tee allowed me to mentor young golfers. It was exciting to see their eyes light up because of the fun they were having. They brought me back to memories of when I started and it’s incredible to see things come full circle.
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from participating in The First Tee’s program?
A: The Nine Core Values has had the most influence in my life. It taught me not only to play the game with etiquette, but also how to carry myself as a person and how to be the best citizen I can be. Overall, it taught me how to respect the game of golf, others and myself.
Q: How do you see your experience with The First Tee impacting your future?
A: There are many things to take away from this program, but I think the most important one is how The First Tee is able to shape their students to be respectable and dependable. Lessons like these prepare us not only to become great golfers, but also to have proper etiquette and overcome challenges. By using STAR and the 4R’s, I believe we are conditioned for whatever may come in the future.
Q: What would you tell other young girls who are considering getting involved?
A: I would definitely recommend young girls to become involved in the program. I met my best friends through The First Tee, and over the course of five years we’ve seen each other grow as players and individuals. We currently play against and with each other for our high schools; it is an experience like no other. Also, during the 2016 season, the top six girls who placed at the county tournament were all from The First Tee. It is important for the game of golf to be recognized and to appeal to more young girls because of the valuable life lessons it teaches and because it is simply fun. Therefore, I encourage more girls to join this amazing program because it trains them to become better golfers and individuals. It also has the capability of bringing people together in understanding the game and applying the lessons they teach in real-life situations.