As part of a revival of a program aimed at helping young people through golf, The First Tee of Greater Wilmington is proceeding with plans to build a 3-hole short course, along with hitting nets and a classroom, at the Wilmington Municipal Golf Course on Oleander Drive.

A public-private partnership deal with the City of Wilmington, the course will be funded with a little more than $1 million in private donations and no tax dollars. Construction is currently under way, and the grand opening is scheduled for May 2 during the week of the Wells Fargo Championship. 

John Fought, the noted golf course architect who was responsible for restoring the Muni a few years ago, is overseeing The First Tee 3-hole short course project.

“With the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship at Eagle Point in May, we anticipate unsurpassed attention on golf and the positive impact it has on our community,” said Gordon Dalgleish, chairman of The First Tee of Greater Wilmington, in an announcement signaling that The First Tee is back locally and on track to make 2017 a year of growth.

The national First Tee formed in 1997 as a result of a partnership among the LGPA, the Masters Tournament, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, and the USGA, and has 180 chapters in the U.S.

“The First Tee is not about growing the game of golf, it is about investing in young people and using golf as a hook to engage them. The highly-acclaimed program focuses participants on NINE Core Values such as honesty, integrity, sportsmanship and judgment while developing the character attributes which are so essential in this ever more competitive culture,” Dalgleish said in the release.

Previously, The First Tee’s Wilmington efforts had struggled to gain much traction, but a newly formed Board of Directors consists of leaders of the Wilmington business and government community, including David Simmons, chairman and CEO of PPD, and District Attorney Ben David.

“We have established a diverse, engaged and thoughtful Board who will ensure long term sustainability this time around for The First Tee,” Dalgleish said.

The strategic plan for The First Tee of Greater Wilmington is to introduce 25,000 school age children to golf within the three-county area (New Hanover, Duplin and Pender counties) by 2019.

The First Tee of Greater Wilmington also has a new executive director, Randy Hofer, who was in a similar role with The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia since 2003. Hofer moved to Wilmington in 2014 and started the plan to move The First Tee of Cape Fear under Brunswick County to Wilmington.

“The success and expansion of The First Tee program for our community is now finally possible for thousands of our young people, due to the hard work and commitment of our Board of Directors,” Hofer said.

The local program is welcoming additional sponsors and volunteers and mentors, with more information available on the organization’s website.

“When the PGA Tour leaves town after the Wells Fargo Champion has been crowned, Wilmington shall have a significant community legacy which will positively impact our youth for years to come,” Dalgleish said.