The mission of The First Tee of Los Angeles is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. The program’s focus is to establish a lifelong interest in golf by engaging young people in a structured golf curriculum that promotes personal character development within a physical education setting.

Generously sponsored by the PGA TOUR’s Northern Trust Open event, The First Tee of LA delivers its program at a critical time when budget cuts have adversely affected physical education and after-school programs – especially to underserved youth in the Los Angeles area. Moreover, what makes The First Tee program unique is its focus on providing the next generation with critical life skills, values and character by imparting The First Tee’s Life Skills Experience™, Nine Core Values™ and Nine Healthy Habits—thereby providing the next generation with both the means and the drive to succeed in life.

The First Tee of LA achieves this mission by reaching out to youth, ages 6 to 18, especially in communities where golf is traditionally not found – and providing them with professional instruction, discounted access to golf courses and practice facilities and properly fitted equipment. The program is offered at its home facility of Whittier Narrows Golf Course—featuring 27 holes on tree-lined fairways and views of the San Gabriel Valley Mountains—and nine other affiliate sites in Los Angeles County. The program’s equipment is mobile and can be used indoors or outdoors at a golf course, school or park.