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Kiawah Offers Southern Hospitality For Mid-Ams ... And 'Young-Ams'

By Daniel Anthony McKegney

When the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship gets under way at The Kiawah Island Club in early October, 264 of the finest amateur golfers from across the country and beyond will vie for the U.S. Mid-Amateur title at Cassique and The River Course. Also that week, on the other side of the island at The Kiawah Island Resort’s Oak Point Course, a group of younger, less experienced but no less excited golfers will get their first taste of the game, courtesy of Kiawah and The First Tee of Greater Charleston.

	The First Tee of Greater Charleston has reached more than 750 participants so far in 2009.

A USGA-supported junior golf program that received chapter status in 2008, The First Tee of Greater Charleston has reached more than 750 participants so far this year. The organization’s goal is to positively impact the lives of local youth by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.

The chapter’s founding partners, The Kiawah Island Resort and Kiawah Island Real Estate, were instrumental in getting the program off the ground and will be vital to its future success. In addition to hosting junior golfers on Mondays this fall, The Kiawah Island Resort recently hosted The First Tee of Greater Charleston’s second annual Low Country Golf & Gala, the chapter’s largest fundraising event.

The First Tee of Greater Charleston hopes to reach 4,500 adolescents over the next three years by expanding The First Tee National Schools Program to 10 schools in the Charleston area. This initiative trains physical education teachers how to introduce children to golf and the game’s core values during regular gym classes. At the Lowcountry Golf & Gala, held in August, the chapter established sponsors for nine of the 10 area schools the initiative aims to reach.

Someday this young First Tee of Greater Charleston participant could be competing in USGA events like the U.S. Mid-Amateur that is being conducted this week at The Kiawah Island Club.

 “We are extremely pleased with the progress made so far by the chapter,” said Pat McKinney, a managing partner of Kiawah Development Partners who is a board member of The First Tee of Greater Charleston.

McKinney noted that the organization benefits from its broad-based board, which comprises successful individuals from a wide array of business backgrounds, as well as South Carolina Congressman James E. Clyburn, PGA Tour player D.J. Trahan and Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish fame.

A former USGA Executive Committee member, McKinney is elated to have the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in his backyard for what will be the first USGA championship hosted by The Kiawah Island Club.

"Our club's owners and members are delighted to have the privilege of hosting this prestigious amateur event," McKinney said. "In addition to providing outstanding golf venues, we expect to display a large measure of good, old-fashioned Southern hospitality."

The First Tee of Greater Charleston’s program director, Ben Grandy, is promoting the championship and encouraging participants and their families to attend the event. The U.S. Mid-Amateur serves as a great opportunity for young people to witness golf played at a high level and see first-hand all that goes into conducting a USGA national championship.

One aspect The First Tee of Greater Charleston participants and Mid-Amateur competitors have in common is that they play the game for fun. Grandy, McKinney and the entire chapter agree that more important than producing the next Steve Wilson, the defending champion, the goal of the Monday clinics at Kiawah’s Oak Point Course is to give these youngsters a chance to enjoy their time on the course and discover for themselves what this great game has to offer.

Daniel Anthony McKegney is a second-year Fellow in the USGA Grants Program. He can be reached at dmckegney@usga.org.