Welcome to The First Tee

Welcome to The First Tee The First Tee is a fun-filled program where you ll learn all about the great game of golf. You ll learn how to swing the club, the Rules of the game, and how to act on the golf course. But you ll learn a lot more than how to play. You ll find out that golf is a lot like life. Sometimes you get a good bounce and sometimes your ball rolls into the rough. What golf teaches is that whatever happens in the game or in life you have to stay positive, believe in yourself, and do your best to achieve your goals. But most of all, you re here to have fun. You ll meet new people and make new friends. So, tee it up and enjoy the program!! Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Executive Director of The First Tee

MY FIRST TEE YARDAGE BOOK My name is (Print your full name) I go to School I am in grade I joined The First Tee program on (Write in today s date) 1

Personal Par 6 5 YOUR CARD! Staying Cool: The 4Rs Meeting New People 3 4 Three Tips for Fun 2 Rules 1 Welcome GO FOR IT! 2

THE FIRST TEE GUIDELINES This is your place to enjoy yourself while learning to play golf. And you ll have more fun and learn more if you: Get to know everyone Participate in all the activities Show respect and support each other 3

PAR LEVEL GOLF SKILLS WHAT YOU WILL LEARN How to hold a club How to stand when preparing to swing How to swing the golf club How to putt What golf club to use for a shot How to play quickly and safely Some basic Rules of the game How to behave on the golf course 4

PAR LEVEL LIFE SKILLS WHAT YOU WILL LEARN How to introduce yourself Why rules and respect are important in golf and in life How to get more fun out of learning something new What to do when you get angry or frustrated How to find your Personal Par 5

THE RULES OF THE GAME Like all sports, golf has rules that players have to follow. And golfers are expected to be polite and help take care of the golf course when they play. The way you behave on the golf course is called etiquette. Showing respect for yourself, for others, and for the course is a big part of The First Tee program. 6

THE FIRST TEE CODE OF CONDUCT RESPECT FOR MYSELF I will dress neatly in a clean shirt tucked into pants or shorts, and I will wear golf shoes or athletic shoes I will try my best and keep a positive attitude when I play or practice I will eat right, get enough sleep, and take care of myself so I can stay healthy RESPECT FOR OTHERS I will be friendly, courteous, and helpful I will follow instructions and safety rules I will have fun without being loud and rowdy I will be honest and be a good sport, whether I win or lose RESPECT FOR MY SURROUNDINGS I will keep the golf course and practice areas clean and in as good or better shape than I found them I will clean and take care of my golf clubs I will be careful not to damage anything that belongs to others 7

MEETING SOMEONE NEW When you meet someone for the first time, make sure you: Face the other person Smile and look him or her in the eye Give a firm handshake State your name clearly If you need to, ask a question or state what you want Go through the same steps when you meet new people at The First Tee, at your school, or in your neighborhood. 8

THREE TIPS FOR HAVING MORE FUN Learning can be fun, whether it s about golf or a new subject at school. Here are three tips you can use to get more fun out of learning: BE PATIENT: Keep trying BE POSITIVE: Enjoy what you are doing ASK FOR HELP: You can learn from others 9

STAYING COOL If you get angry or upset when you play golf, use the 4Rs to control yourself and stay cool. The 4Rs are: REPLAY: Think about what happened and what you did. RELAX: READY: REDO: Take a deep breath. Think about what you need to do next time. Try it again or imagine how to do it better. The 4Rs can also help when you are having a problem at home or at school. 10

SHOOTING PAR Most golf courses tell you how many strokes it should take a very good golfer to get the ball in the hole. Short holes should take 3 strokes. Longer ones should take 4 or 5 strokes. The number of strokes it should take is called PAR. Only the best golfers can shoot PAR most of the time. Putt or Chip for Par Hole # 1 2 3 Total Par 2 3 4 9 Your score: Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Your Personal Par 11

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL PAR? How many strokes does it take YOU to play a hole? That number is your Personal Par for the hole. How many strokes does it usually take YOU to play a round of golf? That number is your Personal Par for the round of golf. Personal Par is a measure of how YOU perform in golf, at home, or in school. When you practice or play, see if you can match or improve on your Personal Par. 12

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Use these questions when interviewing your partner at The First Tee: What is your name? Do you have a nickname? What school do you go to? What grade are you in? When did you join The First Tee program? Have you played golf before? What other sports do you play? 15

LEARNING A NEW RULE Here s what I learned about the Rules of Golf or golf etiquette: Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: 16

YOUR NAME IS THE GAME Write the letters of your first and last names down the two columns. Next to each letter, write a golf term that starts with that letter. For example, if your name starts with B you could write Ball. The list of golf words at the back of this book may help you. Be sure you know what the word means. First Name Golf Term Last Name Golf Term 17

SAYING HELLO OFF THE COURSE Introduce yourself to two new people outside of The First Tee before your next session. Write down their names, who they are, and where you met them. PERSON 1 Name: Who they are: Where I met them: PERSON 2 Name: Who they are: Where I met them: 18

OPEN-ENDED AND CLOSED QUESTIONS Closed questions can be answered in one or two words, like yes or no. Openended questions get the other person talking. Put a check mark in the box next to the open-ended questions. Do you enjoy The First Tee program? What are some things you have learned at The First Tee program? What is your tee time? What is your school like? How could I improve my putting? Do you play basketball? What things do you like about golf? How many brothers and sisters do you have? 19

USING THE TIPS AT HOME OR SCHOOL Remember the Three Tips? 1. Be patient. 2. Be Positive. 3. Ask for Help. Remember how to check your attitude using paper clips? Try using one of these ideas at home or at school. I used tip number: OR I used paper clips to check my attitude. This is when and how I did it: These were the results (did they help?): 20

USING THE 4RS AT THE FIRST TEE Remember the 4Rs? Replay Relax Ready Redo Try using the 4Rs when you practice or play at The First Tee. I used the 4Rs: When How 21

USING THE 4RS AT HOME OR SCHOOL Remember the 4Rs? Replay Relax Ready Redo Try using the 4Rs at home or at school. I used the 4Rs: When Where How 22

JOY CARD PERSONAL PAR Instead of the number of strokes, use happy or sad faces to show how satisfied you were with the way you played each hole. Hole # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Example Hole # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Your score 23

PERSONAL PAR SCORECARD Hole # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Your score: Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Your Personal Par 24

PERSONAL PAR AT HOME OR SCHOOL Think of an activity that you do at home or at school (chores, school assignments, helping family members, etc.). Then figure out your Personal Par for that activity. Activity: The number of times I do this activity in a week or month: (My Personal Par) Ask yourself if you want to improve on this or not. 25

LIST OF GOLF TERMS

Aim and Alignment: The way you line up your body and the club towards a target. Approach shot: A shot that you play to get your ball onto the putting green. Ball marker: A coin or small round disk that you use to show you where to replace a ball that has been picked up on the green. Ball-mark: The little hollow spot that a ball makes when it lands on the green. You use a small tool to fix the mark. Birdie: A score in golf that is one stroke under par on a hole. Bogey: A score in golf that is one stroke over par on a hole. Bunker: A hollow area on the golf course that is filled with sand. Caddie: A person who carries a golfer s bag and gives advice about the golf course and how to play it. 28

Chip shot: A short low shot that you want to land on the green and roll toward the hole. Divot: A chunk of grass and dirt chopped out of the ground by the golf club during a swing. Always put the divot back and tap it down. Dog-leg hole: This is a hole where the fairway bends around a corner. Drive: A long shot played from the teeing ground. Eagle: A score in golf that is two strokes under par on a hole. Etiquette: Correct behavior and courtesy on the golf course. Fairway: On a hole, the grass between the tee and the green. Fairway grass is usually cut so it s not very deep. Flagstick: A pole with a flag on it that is centered in the hole. 29

Fore!: A warning shouted to alert other players that you are about to hit the ball or have hit a ball that is headed toward them. Green: The part of the golf course around the hole where the grass is cut the shortest. Grip: How you place your hands and hold the club. Hazards: Places on the golf course that create challenges for golfers. These include sand bunkers and lakes or ponds, for example. Hole: 1) The small hole or cup cut into the green 2) The part of a golf course consisting of a teeing ground, putting green, and the area in between. Also, if you hole your ball, you have hit it into the hole on the green. Lie: The spot where the ball is sitting. Out of bounds: The area of a golf course that is outside the official playing area. 30

Golf courses use white wooden stakes or paint a white line on the ground to mark the out of bounds. Par: The score an expert golfer would be expected to make on a given hole. Penalty stroke: A stroke added to the score of a golfer under the Rules of Golf. Pitch shot: A high shot played to the putting green, having little or no roll. Putt: A shot played on the green in which you try to roll the ball to the hole. Putter: A golf club that is used on the green to roll the ball to the hole. Range: A place where golfers can practice hitting balls. Rough: The area of long grass around tees, fairways, and greens. Scorecard: A card provided by the golf course so that golfers can keep track of their strokes. 31

Short game: The part of golf played near or on the green, including putting, chipping, and pitching. Stance: The position of the feet when you are getting ready to hit the ball. Stroke: When you swing at the ball and try to hit it, you have made a stroke. (A swing and miss is counted as a stroke.) You add up the number of strokes you take to get your score. Tee: A small wooden peg put in the teeing ground to hold up the golf ball for your first shot on a hole. Tee or Teeing ground: A marked piece of ground where you are supposed to hit your first shot on a hole. Water hazard: A body of water on the golf course like a lake or stream. If you hit your ball into a water hazard, you have to add penalty strokes to your score. Yardage book: A small map of a golf course and all the holes. 32

CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING THE PAR LEVEL!! This is to certify that (write your full name above) has met the following requirements for the Par level of The First Tee program: Completed golf instruction lessons Completed life skills lessons Passed the PAR-level Rules test Passed the PAR-level life skills and golf skills test Completed one full round at a First Tee course (Instructor s Signature) Date: