Golfers Combine to Play 3,100 Holes at First Tee Benefit

Participants of the 2012 golf marathon at Rockwood Golf Course

May 17, 2012

FORT WORTH, Texas—Local golfers played in a marathon golf tournament on May 11 at Rockwood Golf Course to benefit the programs of The First Tee of Fort Worth. Within the 12-hour time span, participants played more than 3,100 holes of non-stop golf and raised more than $81,000 from their supporters. The winning player played 207 holes. 

Golfers were encouraged throughout the day with a personal visit from LPGA player Angela Stanford and Jenny Gleason of the LPGA Futures Tour. 

“It’s exciting to have the support of players like Angela and Jenny to serve as ambassadors for the game on such a personal level. Their encouragement served as a great motivator for our players,” said Kevin Long, executive director for The First Tee of Fort Worth. 

The money raised through the annual marathon goes toward programming and outreach initiatives of The First Tee of Fort Worth.  Weekly programming is conducted at The Ben Hogan Learning Center at Rockwood Golf Course, where youth ages 5-18 participate in classes that integrate the skills and disciplines of golf with nine character-building life values. Outreach programs include The First Tee National School Program, which brings the same golf instruction and character education into local elementary schools free of charge. Recently, The First Tee launched The First Tee Nine Healthy Habits program which add healthy lifestyle choices into the current program curriculum.

The marathon style tournament is an annual event where participants receive pledges based on the number of holes they play. The average number of holes played is 125 per player or team. For this year’s marathon, the Angela Stanford Foundation served as the title sponsor.