The First Tee of The Palm Beaches, Stuart

As one of 15 chapters in Florida and nearly 200 worldwide, The First Tee of The Palm Beaches uses the game of golf to instill in local children positive life skills and a love of physical activity. The organization recognizes that life between the ages of 5 and 17 can be full of new experiences and difficult challenges—one might call them hazards—and organizes its on-course curriculum to help teach Nine Core Values that can be carried throughout life.

The list includes things like honesty, which covers telling the truth about scores; integrity, which teaches that players should never move their ball even if no one is looking; and perseverance, which instructs youngsters to never give up even if that means diving after a ball into a water hazard. The organization brings kids together—nearly 350 on a given week—for summer camps and after-school sessions at the Michael B. Finnegan Golf Learning Center, where they have access to a par 3 course, short-game practice areas, and a driving range, all presided over by PGA- and LPGA-certified instructors.