Middle schoolers get ‘First Tee’ with PGA Tour program

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Students from each Wilson County middle school got to take a swing at learning foundational skills of golf at Willow Springs Golf Course on Thursday morning.

Wilson County Schools implemented the first PGA Tour First Tee Program through a $50,000 grant from the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson. Students switched between two stations, a putting green and a driving range, learning the fundamentals about golf’s technical skills and mechanics.

“The whole premise of it is for young kids to learn the game of golf who may be inclined and may not have the opportunity,” Wilson County Schools Special Projects Coordinator Renee Turner said. “It’s about character building and life lessons they learn while playing the game of golf. You learn honesty, integrity, manners. There’s so many things in the game of golf that’s expected or you’re not going to make it on the course.”

The morning on the course was the culmination of a semester of golf in physical education class.

“I really like it,” Elm City Middle School sixth grader William Hazboun said. “I think I really expected everything it was going to be. It’s a lot of fun.”

Ellee Gorman, a sixth grader at Elm City Middle School, was the most experienced golfer of the bunch. She said she’s bonded with her dad over playing golf for years and plays regularly.

“It’s a good experience for everybody to try something different for a change,” Ellee said. “I think it’s fun. It’s a sport you can play for your whole life, not just while you’re younger.”

Onaji Wiggins, a seventh grader at Darden Middle School, said he’s never played putt-putt, let alone golf.

“It’s something new to try,” Onaji said. “It’s fun. It’s cool. I learned how to putt and stuff and the difference between going up hill or down hill.”

Onaji said golf isn’t as hard as he thought it would be and with enough time, anyone could be a professional. He said he would like the opportunity to play again.

Turner said this first year “teeing off” couldn’t have happened without the help of the Healthcare Foundation and thanked Willow Springs for giving up a morning to let the kids play.

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