(3rd Annual Participants vs Parents Tournament Published 11/26/25) The 3rd annual Participants vs Parents Tournament delivered everything we hoped for and more—a fun, spirited competition packed with energy, laughter, and just enough friendly rivalry to keep everyone on their toes. Despite stormy forecasts earlier in the week, the golf gods were clearly on our side, holding back the rain for a beautiful, competition-ready day at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course.
The morning kicked off with warmups on the driving range and putting green, where both kids and parents shared smiles and encouragement before stepping into competitive mode. With the Participants holding a 2–0 record over the Parents from the last two tournaments, there was anticipation, determination, and a whole lot of playful pressure.
A New Format for 2025
This year featured a new twist: Stableford scoring, with different point systems for Participants and Parents:
PARTICIPANTS
PARENTS
Eagle = 4
Eagle = 3
Birdie = 3
Birdie = 2
Par = 2
Par = 1
Bogey = 1
Bogey = 0
Double Bogey = 0
Double Bogey = -1
The format added strategy, suspense, and a fresh dynamic to every hole. The fun kicked in right from the start: closest to the pin on hole #2 & longest drive on hole #4. The excitement didn’t stop there—special challenge holes made sure everyone stayed on their game: hole #6: parents spun a wheel to determine a random club for their tee shot. Hole #8: kids could swap their tee shot with one parent’s or guardian’s—strategy at its finest.
This year’s competition brought out some outstanding individual performances from the winners:
Closest to the Pin
Parents:Matt
Participants:AJ
Longest Drive
Parents:Brent
Participants:Johnny
Though the Participants came in as two-time defending champs, the Parents arrived ready to rewrite the story. And rewrite it they did! With impressive teamwork, clutch shots, and maybe a little motivation from that -1 double-bogey penalty, the Parents secured a thrilling 11–8 upset victory—their first win in the tournament’s three-year history. The day wrapped up with an awards ceremony, slices of well-earned pizza, and plenty of smiles across all ages. As always, the real win was the community spirit on display. A huge thank-you goes out to all Participants, Parents, and families who make this annual event something truly special.
SAVE THE DATE
We’re already excited for next year’s showdown. Mark your calendars: November 14th, 2026!
(FTSV Girls Golf Play Day Published 11/26/25) First Tee – Silicon Valley hosted its Girls Golf Play Day on November 15th at Rancho Del Pueblo. Twenty of our participants enjoyed a fun, collaborative day enjoying a variety of activities. The theme of the day was Snoopy and the Peanuts team!
Working as a Team
Coach Gracie challenged the players to a team building activity where they needed to work together by chipping towards hoops without “waking” Snoopy and Woodstock from their winter nap. For the girls to complete their goal, they needed to be masters of collaboration, have open communication, and show confidence in their chipping skills.
The Dryvebox Experience
Thanks to the Dryvebox team, our girls were introduced to a high-tech simulator where they were able to hit full swings into a detailed screen and see their results based on their swing plane and club head speed. Our girls enjoyed the fun and goofy game modes while learning a bit about their swing mechanics.
Visiting Snoopy’s House
Our group of golfers took part in a fun maze on the putting green. The team was tasked with navigating through the hurdles of this puzzle to reach Snoopy’s house. This was a challenging endeavor for our participants. Many worked as a team to help identify and avoid the dead ends of the maze. A big thanks to Coach Khaton and Alonso for creating such an in-depth and elaborate puzzle to putt through!
Range Time with Coach Angelina
The final activity concluded with a mini golf clinic with one of our amazing coaches – Coach Angelina. Our participants were able to work with and ask questions of Angelina, a former junior tournament competitor. Each participant was given a short lesson that catered to their specific golf swing.
Pizza Time!
The day concluded with our participants enjoying pizza while playing Jenga and taking photos together. Our events are important as our youth experience a day of empowerment, collaboration, and goal setting while building positive self-esteem. Thank you to all of our Coaches and our ACE Junior Council for preparing the activities, managing the Girls Golf budget, and for creating an amazing and safe environment. Thank you to the Dryvebox team, and thank you to all our participants for attending and having an amazing time! We look forward to seeing you at our next Girl’s Golf event on February 28th.
(2025 FTSV College Day Tournament Published 11/26/25) On Saturday, November 15th, First Tee – Silicon Valley hosted our annual College Day Tournament, where 33 participants paired up with a collegiate golfer from three schools in the region for an alternate shot tournament. We were so excited for such a great turn out and continued our tradition of inviting 6 participants from First Tee – Greater Sacramento. We also we welcomed a new college team – Menlo College Men’s! Thank you to all the players from FTGS, Menlo Men’s, Stanford Men’s, and Santa Clara Men’s and Women’s, as well as all our FTSV participants, for joining us!
This tournament offers our participants a chance to learn from their college golfer partner and receive mentorship, advice, and encouragement. There was a feeling of positivity and gratitude all around, from the junior players and college players alike.
Not only did everyone involved demonstrate the life skills and character traits that First Tee is all about, but there was some awesome golf out there as well. In a tight competition, we had 2 scores under par, another 2 scores at even par, and some great performances in the individual course contests too.
FTSV College Day Tournament
2025 FTSV College Day Tournament Winners
Closest to the Pin (Hole 2): Yoodham (Stanley) Ko – 10ft
Straightest Drive (Hole 4): Kanoa Vierra – 1ft, 6in from center
Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all the participants. An extra thanks to FTGS, Stanford, Santa Clara, and Menlo as well. We can’t wait until next year!
Our College Day tournament next year will be November 14th, 2026. Please save the date!
To participate in this tournament, and our other pre-season tournaments throughout the year one must be an active FTSV participant. Click here to join our program, and click here to learn about our pre-season tournaments.
(FTSV Parents/Guardians Participate in FREE Golf Clinic Published:11/13/2025) On Saturday, November 8th, First Tee – Silicon Valley held a free golf clinic for FTSV parents/guardians at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course. Thank you so much to all who attended! We hope that everyone had fun, learned helpful golf techniques, and gained confidence to play with your child(ren).
During the clinic, FTSV staff members demonstrated how we structure our classes and curriculum. We introduced our Golf Cue curriculum and offered all parents/guardians individual golf tips. Afterwards, parents put their new skills to the test with fun games just like it’s done in our participant classes.
FTSV believes that when parents/guardians understand and are involved in their participants’ golf journey, everyone has more fun and sees improvement more quickly. Our goal is to provide the resources and guidance so that the parents/guardians feel motivated to join their kid(s) and play together as a family.
Starting any sport can feel intimidating. With golf, there are terms and jargon that can be challenging, so we created a resource document and a video that details what you need to know to get range balls, set a tee time, and everything else you need to know when playing on a golf course.
We encourage parents/guardians to practice during their kid’s class. If you don’t have clubs, please come ask us, or ask to borrow/check out clubs at the pro-shop. Our coaches and staff are available and happy to provide additional information about playing/practicing golf.
Golf is a game you can enjoy your whole life. From everyone at FTSV, we hope to see you out at the course.
(FTSV Appreciates Our Coaches Punished: 11/13/2025) First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) held a coach appreciation event on Saturday, November 8th, with games, prizes, and dinner.
The event brought together adult coaches from our three program locations – Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto, Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course in San Jose, and Gavilan College Golf Course in Gilroy. The night was a great and fun bonding/celebratory event. Games were played, raffle prizes were awarded, and food and drinks were provided throughout. More importantly it was a great to have everyone together, strengthening our coaching community. We have around 250 coaches (volunteer and paid). With how big our territory is, it is important for us to bring our coaches together – whether that is through our quarterly trainings or big celebratory events like this one.
“We are HUGELY thankful for all of our coaches, who give back to kids and teens with their time and their wisdom from life experiences. They are the connectors between the kids and teens and all our life skills curriculum, so their role is critically important. Then, when we multiply this by our high number of coaches, we increase the chances that all our participants will benefit from high-quality mentoring. Thank you, Coaches!” said George Maxe, FTSV President & CEO.
Being a coach in First Tee – Silicon Valley is an incredibly impactful thing to do.
Character building is a long-game, a never-ending process, that is developed through mentorship and experiences. Simply by spending their time coaching and guiding others, our coaches are changing lives for the better.
The world is always in need of high character individuals, and being a coach provides the opportunity to help build high character leaders for the future.
Additionally, not only are coaches impacting others, they are building a community for themselves full of hard working, kind, growth-minded people who want to spend their free time doing something for others.
Interested in becoming a coach? Please visit our VOLUNTEER PAGE.
(Change the Game for MORE Kids! Meet Nicolas Hernandez Lopez Published: 11/12/2025) Nicolas has been involved with FTSV for the past 10 years as a participant, a volunteer coach, and a Junior Council member. He is consistently pushing himself to become more involved and finding ways to give back. As a coach, Nico is patient and kind, making class fun, impactful, and exciting for the young participants. As a participant, Nico engages in and applies our life skill into the activities. He also goes out of his way to make sure other participants are included. Additionally, he has been part of a group that helped plan community events and games for our chapter.
Nico’s enthusiasm and dedication extends beyond the golf course. He excels in a variety of pursuits, putting to work the skills of setting and achieving goals that he’s learned from First Tee – Silicon Valley. Not only has he become the fastest swimmer on his swim team, Nico also turned a dream into reality by starring in his own weekly podcast at school.
He explains, “Setting goals is like laying out a path to improve and achieve anything you want. When I set a goal, I can easily visualize my progress. It boosts my mental well-being and helps me move forward. Through my time with First Tee – Silicon Valey, I feel like I’ve not only gotten better at golf but also grown as a person. I’ve learned how to set short-term and long-term goals as steps to achieve my final goal along with my coaches and friends.”
Nico Attending National Opportunities
This year Nico was selected by a national panel of judges to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. at the University of Minnesota. There he engaged in conversations and interactive workshops paired with introspective activities on self-awareness, inclusivity, and community building. Later in the year he was also selected to attend the Innovators Forum held in Florida. The Innovators Forum equips and empowers First Tee teens to develop a meaningful service project in their communities focused on education, human rights, or environmental sustainability.
Both events are part of the national opportunities provided by First Tee headquarters designed to inspire and encourage high school students on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities. Nico’s FTSV engagement and high character helped him be one of few from around the country to attend these opportunities. We are so proud of him.
Mentoring is Priceless.
Think about the mentor who made a difference in your life. That kind of guidance—listening, encouragement, and wisdom—shapes kids forever. Over the years, First Tee – Silicon Valley has provided this transformative mentorship to more than 100,000 young people. Your steady, monthly support ensures every child in our program has a mentor by their side.
Kids Need Us Now More Than Ever.
Social pressures, loneliness, mental health challenges, family struggles, and inequities across Silicon Valley weigh heavily on today’s youth. At FTSV, we provide a safe, supportive, and inclusive community where kids are free to be themselves and discover their inner strength.
Long-Term Impact That Lasts a Lifetime.
We’re proud of the results of our youth development program.
100% of our long-term participants graduate high school.
100% go on to college.
100% gain life skills that make them caring, responsible citizens.
75% of our high school participants give back as junior mentors.
This kind of consistency is possible only when our supporters are consistent too. That’s why monthly pledges are so vital!
Be Part of the Change and Change the Game for MORE Kids in 2026!
As we look to 2026, we need your help to build on this momentum. A monthly pledge is the most powerful way you can support our kids & teens. Your commitment provides the stability and resources necessary to help thousands of youth grow into resilient, confident, and compassionate leaders.
(Origins of #GivingTuesday Published: 11/7/2025) Origins of GivingTuesday: When did Giving Tuesday Start? According to the national GivingTuesday organization, “GivingTuesday was born and incubated at the 92nd Street Y and its Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact in New York City. GivingTuesday is now an independent nonprofit and a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.”
2025 #GivingTuesday: December 2nd – GivingTuesday happens annually on the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving Holiday.
The fundamental idea and vision of the GivingTuesday concept is Generosity. The #GivingTuesday organization says “Generosity is uplifting, generative, equalizing, and connecting.” Furthermore, “Generosity is Giving Tuesday’s universal rallying cry and the foundation of our strategies.”
This #GivingTuesday, First Tee – Silicon Valley needs help from YOU to Change the Game for MORE Kids & Teens!
Our Kids Face Heavy Stuff. The pressures of social media, loneliness, mental health struggles, family dynamics, peer and family judgment, inequities of living in Silicon Valley and devastating world events are all adversely affecting youth. FTSV creates a supportive, safe, and positive environment where kids are empowered to be themselves, and feel included!
We are committed to providing affordable access to all youth – no matter their financial hardship or background. We need support from the community to grow affordable access for our youth development golf and life skills program at our 3 golf course locations. Help us provide an 8-week session to 200 additional participants.
There are many ways to help First Tee – Silicon Valley Change the Game for MORE Kids & Teens. The most convenient way to help MORE Kids & Teens is to make a pledge. $40 a month for high-quality mentorship teaching our character-building life lessons that have proven to make a difference.
(FTSV and Community Outreach Published 11/7/2025) The fall season means back-to school nights, school-wide harvest celebrations, and community resource fairs. FTSV has been dedicated to attending these events and being part of the community that we serve, especially East San Jose. In September, we attended the back-to-school district event at Aptitud Academy at Goss and the National Night Out at the Mayfair Community Center. In October, we attended the Alum Rock Unified School District Parent University resource fair, and in November, we will be attending the SOMOS Mayfair Harvest Festival.
At each event we get to meet and greet with parents and participants, build relationships with other community resource groups and leaders, and showcase our program. We strive to show everyone that our program is affordable, accessible, and welcoming to everyone. We thank our community and school supporters for inviting us to their events.
Beginning on November 6, we will begin hosting 15 school field trips at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course where students will be taking a 1-hour lesson from our staff. For many of the participants, this will be their first time at a golf course.
Community resource fairs are so critical for a connected and supported community. Often resources exist but are not taken advantage of due to lack of exposure. We thank the community and school leaders for their efforts in building these resource fairs and advocating on our behalf.
If you have a fair or event that we should be attending, please contact [email protected].
(Inspire Youth Through Volunteerism Published: 11/7/2025) At First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV), we believe in the power of people who care — people who want to shape brighter futures for our youth. Our mission goes beyond golf; it’s about teaching kids and teens life lessons that build confidence, communication skills, integrity, and perseverance.
By volunteering as a coach or mentor, you’ll play a vital role in guiding participants toward success—on and off the course. Together, our team of dedicated volunteers and staff foster a supportive, encouraging environment where every youth has the opportunity to grow into a strong, compassionate leader. And with just a few hours of your time, you can create impact that lasts a lifetime.
Why Volunteers Matter
FTSV’s success depends on the enthusiasm and commitment of our community. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on volunteers who are eager to make a real difference in the lives of youth. Our mentors and coaches bring our curriculum to life — helping kids and teens learn essential life skills through engaging activities that make learning fun.
To ensure each participant gets the attention and support they deserve, we maintain a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio. That means every volunteer plays a critical role in making our programs meaningful and effective. And while you’re helping young people build character and confidence, you’ll also find yourself developing new leadership, communication, and coaching skills — all while becoming part of a community with a shared purpose.
The Power of Giving Back
Volunteering isn’t just about giving your time — it’s about being part of something larger than yourself. When you give back to your community, you not only change lives but enrich your own. Research shows that helping others can elevate your mood, strengthen your sense of purpose, and bring deep personal fulfillment.
As the saying goes, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” At First Tee – Silicon Valley, that change begins with you. By volunteering, you help create a future where young people have the tools, confidence, and support to thrive. Whether you can offer a few hours a month or more, every bit of your time contributes to something extraordinary.
Get Involved
Thank you for considering how you can support First Tee – Silicon Valley. If you’re ready to get started, visit OUR VOLUNTEER PAGE to learn more and apply today. Together, we can continue building a stronger, more inspired generation — one young person at a time.
(FTSV 2025 ACE Classes Published: 11/7/2025) First Tee – Silicon Valley recently wrapped up another one of our four 8-week Ace classes throughout the year.
This past fall season FTSV delivered the Ace – Education Class to 24 FTSV high school participants who:
Explored the different post high school educational opportunities,
Performed research on college offerings including student life experiences, academic offerings, and campus support,
Reviewed specific details on the college application process,
Worked on effective personal statement writing techniques & approaches,
Explored ways to pay for college including details on grants & scholarships,
Engaged in budgeting techniques, and
Learned about saving options and loan/interest details.
The class material was presented through small and large group activities. The last Ace class of the season is often a Jeopardy competition where participants work together in groups to compete against each other and test their knowledge of the class material.
This upcoming winter we will be delivering our Ace – Give Back class that covers the following:
Transferable work and self-management skills, learned through volunteering,
Going above and beyond framework,
Interviewing strategies,
Professional correspondence,
Developing self-confidence,
Volunteer opportunity exploration, and
Group norms and dynamics for collaboration.
Amazon Web Services will host one of the eight classes at the PGA TOUR Superstore in Cupertino. The agenda for that class will be to explore uses of technology in sports and hold a career panel with a review of internship and scholarship opportunities.
The goal of our Ace classes is to bridge the life skills that we learn throughout First Tee to the next steps of participants’ upcoming adult life. Additionally, we aim to equip our high schoolers with specific tools, including work skills, to succeed post high school.
In addition to the two Ace classes mentioned above, we also hold Ace – Career in the spring and Ace – Golf in the summer. Any high schooler is encouraged to join our Ace classes on Fridays from 4:30pm-6pm this winter. For the Career and Education classes, any high schooler 10th grade and above may join the classes.
(FTSV Winter Season – Registration Open 11/5 – 11/24 Published: 11/7/2025) Registration for our winter season is NOW OPEN here, Starting on Wednesday, November 5th at 11am and will close on Monday, November 24th at 11:59pm. The 8-week winter season begins the week of December 2nd and ends February 7th with no classes December 23rd through January 3rd.
Register today and take part in engaging and fun life skill and golf skill classes at either Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course in San Jose, Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto, or Gavilan College Golf Course in Gilroy.
The winter schedule is now posted here. See you at the course!
Classes are grouped by grade group, so invite a friend and take a winter class together!
Financial aid is available. We make our programs accessible to youth of different backgrounds and perspectives and affordable to families experiencing financial hardship.
Each week our participants experience one of our 6 Life Skills and 6 Golf Cues. Our life skill curriculum covers showing respect, pursuing goals, making good choices, building a positive self-identity, overcoming challenges, and collaborating with others. In our “self-identity” lesson for 9th and 12th graders, we focus on finding ways to apply our strengths to make a positive difference to those around us and to our community. Everyone has skills and personality traits that can be used to help others. Those skills can include being a good listener, a connector, or a motivator. In addition to the high schoolers experiencing that lesson, we encourage them to volunteer coach so they can apply what they are learning to help our younger students.
In 2025 we have over 135 and counting high school volunteer coaches, most of whom are currently taking FTSV classes. In our quarterly coach trainings, we provide additional guidance on how to strengthen their listening and communication skills. Our hope is they realize their strengths and continue to build more tools necessary to help and empower others.
Over 98% of our surveyed class participants said they felt their coaches cared about them and over 91% said their coaches did a good job helping them with their life skills. We believe those stats are in part because of the environment our coaches help provide, and their personal strengths being applied with care. We look forward to having returning and new participants team up and join us for the upcoming winter season. We encourage youth 2nd grade up to 12th grade to join our program and ask that you help spread the word.
(FTSV Board & Coach Spotlight: Ron Hallagan – Published 10/27/25) First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) owes so much of our success to our many wonderful Board Directors, Ambassadors, and Coaches who are the backbone of our youth golf programs. This month’s Spotlight highlights one of our standout Board Ambassadors and Coaches, Ron Hallagan. Over the last 15 years, Ron has given his time, talent and treasure for FTSV – all in the spirit of joy and gratitude.
When asked why he has been so committed to helping FTSV Ron said,
What I am grateful for are people like Victor, George, Judy, Chris and Manny and so many more. Their commitment and loyalty to First Tee has inspired me to want to do more. My relationship with First Tee has been such a Blessing!”
Ron is truly an amazing hands-on volunteer that we wish we could clone.
During Ron’s volunteer service he has worn several different hats, many simultaneously – Board Director (2011-2022), Secretary/Officer (2014-2022), Board Ambassador (2023-Current), Coach, Strategic Thought Partner, School Program Advocate, Engaged Annual Fundraiser, Personal Major Donor, and FT Trustee.
Ron has generously given hundreds of hours a year of his time to FTSV, but he has given much more than his time. He has provided FTSV with the same consulting services he provided his clients at EY for 33 years. Ron understands our business on all levels, so he is a tremendous resource, including when we established our new 501(c)3 in 2014.
Ron is definitely on our Go-To Team!
Commitment to Staff – George Maxe, President & CEO
Ron is an “attached processor,” as folks like to say here in Silicon Valley, as a trusted advisor and focused encourager. He has a wealth of management expertise from spending his entire career with EY as a business consultant that he shares in a respectful and professional way. First and foremost, he appreciates the dedication and hard work of staff who ultimately must run our business day in and day out. Ron collaborates with me as CEO providing thoughtful input and helping hands when the job simply needs time and energy to get done – always with healthy boundaries including even when he was one of our long-time Board Officers. At the same time, Ron is a cheerleader for FTSV as a whole as well as for our individual staff. He clearly believes in our cause to mentor youth, build character, instill a sense of service, treat everyone with respect, and lend a helping hand. It’s common to receive a text, call, email or in-person side comment from Ron that is an energizing boost. Ron is one of the most generous and gratitude-filled individuals who I have ever known. His commitment to me and our staff has been priceless.
Commitment to Mission – Victor M. Arrañaga, Jr. – Chairman of Board
During Ron’s tenure as FTSV Executive Board Director and Ambassador, he has continued to embrace the values of First Tee by developing strategic plans, providing personal financial resources, and has increased outreach and support for programs that target marginalized communities. Ron’s engaging personality and work ethic has made a positive impact on program participants, board, staff, and volunteers to raise their game in our chapters efforts to transform lives and giving kids and teens a brighter future.
Commitment to Fundraising – Judy Deaton – Development Director
Ron is a highly engaged Board Member always checking in to ensure that we reach our revenue budget. He develops a personal plan to reach both his goals. Ron puts in the time to send personalized solicitations to connect his network to stories about our participants/chapter and invites his network to attend our events. I have served as the Development Director since September 2017 and Ron has been my strategic partner for our annual development goals and plan no matter his role on the board. Fundraising doesn’t feel like sales to Ron, because he believes in our mission and truly cares about the welfare and sustainability of our chapter. He is a role model for our other board members setting the bar on how they can champion our fundraising efforts.
Commitment to Participants – Chris Moreno Hunt – Program Director
Ron has a passion for youth development and believes in the power of mentoring. He has been an exemplary role model to the students he coaches and to the coaches he works with.
Ron goes above and beyond in his coaching duties. When we coached ALR (Ask-Listen-Respond) he came up with a conversation game for those waiting in line, which incorporated ALR and improved team dynamics. He is a critical thinker who always provides great alternatives to games, and suggestions for how we can better communicate our life skills or incorporate them into the games. He knows how to adapt his coaching to fit the needs of each participant and is eager to learn from his fellow coaches.
Lastly, he coaches with passion and enthusiasm, which rubs off on those around him. I can tell he loves to coach and make connections. Recently, he helped us at a community day where we had over 500 families at our golf course playing games. It can be a hectic experience as many are first time golfers. Ron not only taught the families and kept it safe, but also made sure everyone was included by checking in and having conversations with each family at his station. He is able to connect with everyone, and makes learning fun. We are so lucky to have him as a coach.
His contributions to our classes go beyond coaching. He led the launch of our school program with San Jose Catholic Schools, created a partnership with Cristo Rey High School where students were bused to the golf course for our classes, mentored our teens at our Ace-Career Classes, and funded FT’s Make Your Mark Scholarship Awards. As of today, two of our participants have won the scholarship made available by Ron. Thank you Ron!
