First Tee of the Triad salutes 2012 award winners

The First Tee of the Triad hosted its inaugural awards ceremony at Sedgefield Country Club.  The First Tee of the Triad is the local chapter of the international movement to teach children life skills through golf.

During 2012, The First Tee of the Triad, the Piedmont Triad program more than doubled the number of participants to approximately 800 after impacting 378 in 2011.  The number of registered coaches increased from 48 in 2011 to 152 this year.  Through support from the Bryan Foundation, among others, the First Tee of the Triad’s in-school program reached students in Kindergarten through fifth grade at 41 schools in Guilford and Forsyth counties.

The First Tee of the Triad increased its facilities during 2012 as well growing from four at the beginning of the year to eight current locations.  Greensboro National, Jamestown Park, High Point’s Oak Hollow Golf Course and The Rick Murphy Golf Academy in Greensboro joined existing locations at Greensboro’s Gillespie Golf Course, Salem Glen Country Club and Tanglewood Park in Clemmons and Winston Lake Golf Club in Winston-Salem.  Additional facility additions in Alamance County are planned for 2013.

“The generosity and support of our community is remarkable,” CEO of The First Tee of the Triad, Mike Barber said.  “It is a special privilege for many of us to see firsthand the life-changing experiences created from the Triad presence of the The Bryan Foundation, the Wyndham Championship and the many other generous supporters of The First Tee’s mission.  We are thrilled with what we accomplished together in 2011, but we are even more excited to build on that success next year.”

Award winners from the 2012 First Tee of the Triad season were announced during the awards ceremony as Pettersson looked on and offered congratulations; the following children representing multiple Piedmont Triad communities were recognized for their achievements:

Scholar Awards; each with a grade point averages of 4.0 or better:

Joseph Ford

Mikayla PettyJohn

Mathew Guo

Sarah Eakes

Core Value Awards; each consistently displayed behavior that embodied The First Tee of the Triad core values:

Perseverance-Anthony Akins

Integrity-Taylor Townsend

Responsibility-Ross McKee

Sportsmanship-Luke Crouse

Judgment-Allison Dell

Confidence-Donovan Durham

Essay Awards; each wrote particularly moving essays illustrating how The First Tee of the Triad sponsor support impacts their daily lives:

Zack Bohlmann

Ethan Kim

Majesty Drumwright

Isaac Childrey

Mason Jenkins

With its 2012 season complete, The First Tee of the Triad is currently completing plans for its 2013 programs.  When those plans are complete, details and sign-up information will be available at www.thefirstteetriad.org.