HYANNIS, Massachusetts – Long-time First Tee – Massachusetts participant David Jope beamed with pride as he watched a group of younger kids hitting golf shots in front of a newly constructed storage shed at Hyannis Golf Course. David had recently built the shed as his Eagle Scout project, bringing his passions for Scouting and First Tee together to serve the next generation of golfers following behind him.
David began his own First Tee journey in that same spot at Hyannis Golf Course more than seven years earlier. Coming to the program with no golf experience, he developed into a strong high school golfer and was twice invited to represent First Tee – Massachusetts at the Chubb Classic Champions Challenge in Naples, Florida. David was also a key contributor to the winning team at the inaugural First Tee – Massachusetts Chapter Championship earlier this year.
More important than his on-course success, David fully embraces and lives out all of the life skills and character values that First Tee instills in its participants. He is extremely respectful, responsible, and a caring member of his community. He has grown from a shy and reserved participant to a peer leader. David has also developed relationships with mentors and other participants that will benefit him throughout his life. In fact, he credits First Tee alumni Keira Joshi with helping him uncover self-confidence and helping him come further out of his shell as they participated in the Naples event together.
When it came time for David to select a project as he tried to earn his Eagle Scout designation, he knew he wanted to connect it to First Tee – Massachusetts and give back to another organization he cared so much about. Realizing that the existing storage shed at Hyannis Golf Course had fallen into disrepair, he knew that was how he could make an impact. David completed the project with the help of other scouts from his troop and his four brothers, including three older brothers who are Eagle Scouts and a younger brother who is on that same path.
The shed will be an invaluable resource for the First Tee coaches and participants at Hyannis Golf Course, housing equipment, training aids, and other materials will be used to deliver programs on a daily basis.
First Tee is a youth development organization that enables kids and teens to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of challenges on and off the golf course.
In 2003, Mass Golf joined the First Tee national network with the goal of bringing an affordable junior golf program to youth and communities that did not have them.
Since that time, Mass Golf has introduced eight new program locations, bringing the total to ten: Cyprian Keyes Golf Club (Boylston), D.W. Field Golf Course (Brockton), William J. Devine GC at Franklin Park (Boston), Hyannis Golf Course (Cape Cod), Cranberry Valley Golf Course (Harwich), Sagamore Spring Golf Club (Lynnfield), Fenway Golf Center (Springfield), KOHR Golf (Natick), The Links at Mass Golf (Norton), and The Ranch Golf Club (Southwick).
As part of the curriculum, the children progress through a series of golf lessons where they are introduced to the different aspects of a golf course including the green, tee, fairway, rough, bunkers, and water hazards. The participants are also introduced to the basic elements of the game of golf and the swing including distance and accuracy control, course management, how to score, pace of play, honor, and proper, grip, stance, and posture.
In addition to golf, the participants are introduced to the nine core values inherent to the game including honesty, integrity, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, sportsmanship, judgment, respect, and courtesy. The life skills experience was the platform used in getting the participants to become comfortable with introducing themselves to others, meeting new people, learning something new, setting goals, and dealing with conflict. The life skills learned are useful for the participants both on and off the golf course.
