In 2021, the leadership team of First Tee Greater Philadelphia, the regional branch of the national youth golfing and leadership nonprofit realized they had a problem. Their mission, to bring the sport (and lessons in life) to youth who were highly unlikely to have country club access, was serving only two students from Strawberry Mansion, a neighborhood in their target demographic. So, they fixed that.
In under two years — a blink of an eye in the nonprofit world — they launched Access to Golf, a free multi-week program that provides round-trip transportation, meals, mentorship, and lessons on life on the links at one of two First Tee-managed courses.
By 2024, Access to Golf had 371 participants ages 6 to 18, all from North and West Philadelphia — 325 students of color; 37 percent girls — including a respectable contingent from Strawberry Mansion…