Seasonal Tournament Archives - First Tee

Kids & Coaches Tournament

(Kids & Coaches Tournament) This past Saturday, March 1st, First Tee – Silicon Valley hosted the ‘Kids and Coaches Tournament’ to kick off our 2025 Spring season. With an outstanding turnout of 36 participants—18 players and 18 coaches—this exciting event took place at Rancho del Pueblo golf course. It was a fantastic opportunity for our young golfers to showcase the skills and sportsmanship they’ve been developing through our program.

More than just a tournament, this event allowed participants to not only refine their golf skills but also, to strengthen invaluable life skills such as confidence, teamwork, and perseverance. We had two divisions for this tournament, 11 and under and 12 and over. We also had two course contests, with hole number 2 being the closest to the pin and hole number 4 being the long drive competition.

11 and Under Division:

The competition in the 11 and Under division was nothing short of thrilling, with the top spots being decided by just a few points. In an impressive display of skill and teamwork, Damien and Coach Shawn clinched 1st place with a score of 29. But the battle for the top spots didn’t end there. Brooks and Coach Matthew, alongside Jameson and Coach Joey, tied for 2nd place with a score of 30, just one stroke behind the leaders. Moises, Coach Jim, and Coach Michael rounded out the top three, securing 3rd place with a score of 31. Their determination and grit were evident throughout the tournament.

The 12 and Over Division:

The 12 and Over division of the tournament proved to be just as exciting. Chloe and Coach Annie emerging as the champions of the division with an impressive score of 28, the lowest of the entire tournament! In second place, Findlay and Coach Bob finished with a score of 32. Their strong performance kept them in the hunt for the top spot throughout the competition. Securing a spot on the podium, Neil and Coach Dick turned in a score of 34. Their effort was commendable, capping off a thrilling competition.

Congratulations to our course contest winners!

Closest to the Pin (Hole #2) – Adeline V.

Longest Drive (Hole #4 – 11 and younger) – Damien G.

Longest Drive (Hole #4 – 12 and older) – Elena M.

The First Tee of Silicon Valley is truly thankful for the incredible support and enthusiasm shown by everyone involved in our tournament. To our coaches, your participation and commitment are the driving forces behind our success—this event wouldn’t have been possible without you. To the parents, your continued dedication, week after week, in bringing your children to our events and classes means the world to us. And to our amazing participants, we are inspired by the growth you’ve already shown and are excited to watch you continue to thrive. We look forward to seeing each of you in our upcoming seasons!

Published: 03-07-25

Annual College Day Tournament

On November 9^th, First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) hosted its Annual College Day Tournament where our 36 participants paired up with a collegiate player from Santa Clara or Stanford in a triple format tournament. For the second straight year, we invited 6 participants from the First Tee – Greater Sacramento to join us in our friendly competition. Thank you so much FTGS for making the trip!

Each middle school participant partnered with a player from Santa Clara women’s team while the high school participants partnered with the men’s team from Santa Clara and Stanford. All of our players put their life skills to the test by demonstrating it towards the college players. FTSV participant, James Carlo, in particular, displayed a proper First Tee greeting by removing his hat and shaking hands with Santa Clara’s coach John McCord.

Kayden and Varnika teamed up with Stanford’s Jay Leng and shared their experience:

“Being able to play with Jay at the College Play Day was such a great experience because it showed me how a college player like Jay approached the game and showed his passion for golf. Which gave an insight on the skill and commitment required to play at the college level. It showed me that it’s possible to continue sports after high school and it’s achievable.”

“Playing in the College Day Tournament was an awesome experience. I got to play with Jay, a college golfer from Stanford, and it was super inspiring—it definitely motivated me to keep working hard pursuing my passion for golf.”

In a very tight competition, we awarded medals to the top 3 teams for middle school and high school. Thank you everyone for playing with honesty, integrity, and having a ton of fun!

Annual College Day Tournament Results

1st Place

6^th-8^th Grade: Suri Lau (FTSV) and Ami Im (Santa Clara) score of 27

9^th – 12^th Grade: Paavni B. (FTGS) and TK Chantananuwat (Stanford) score of 26

2nd Place

6^th-8^th Grade: Jesse Jang (FTSV) and Chloe Lam (Santa Clara) score of 29

9^th – 12^th Grade: Kristen Tang. (FTSV) and Calder Overfelt (Santa Clara) score of 27

3rd Place

6^th-8^th Grade: Caroline Yuan (FTSV) and Brianna Park (Santa Clara) score of 30

9^th – 12^th Grade: Sophia Tang. (FTSV) and Matt Robles (Santa Clara) score of 27

Closest to the Pin

Jayden Aguinaga (FTSV) and Brian Ma (Stanford)

Straight Drive

Kaiden Wong (FTSV) and Nathan Wang (Stanford)

Next tournament will be March,1^st 2025

For information about these tournaments and more, visit Our Opportunities page or contact Manny Gallardo – [email protected].

Tag Team Tournament Recap

Thank you to the 36 First Tee – Silicon Valley participants who took part in our annual Tag Team tournament on Saturday May 11^th at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course. Participants from FTSV teamed up with players from each of the four grade levels for the highly anticipated “Par Wars” Golf Tournament. The essence of the tournament lay not only in the pursuit of victory, but also in the spirit of collaboration and unity that permeated the event. As FTSV participants joined forces with their younger counterparts, a sense of mentorship and mutual respect blossomed, creating a dynamic synergy that propelled teams towards success.

Tag Team Highlights

One of the day’s highlights was the closest to the pin contest on hole 1, where precision and nerve were put to the test. In a display of skill and determination, Joshua Jang from grades 9-12 and James Carlo Vergara from grades 2-4 rose to the challenge, their shots landing with pinpoint accuracy to claim the coveted awards.

As the tournament reached its peak, excitement filled the air, ending in a thrilling conclusion that saw victory bestowed upon deserving teams. In third place, with a total team score of 159, Ella Julian, Jorge Pachuca, Joey Jang, and Bryanna Perez showcased their talent and teamwork, earning well-deserved recognition for their efforts. Earning second place honors with a total team score of 158 were Lorenzo Choto, Antonio Perez, Jesse Jang, and Erik Chavez, whose stellar performance and unwavering resolve propelled them to the podium.

Yet, with a total team score of 141 it was James Carlo Vergara, Benjamin Hughes, Fernando Flores, and Coach Phoenix who emerged as the ultimate victors, their exceptional skill and teamwork propelling them to first place glory. Their triumph symbolizes the power of collaboration and determination, serving as a shining example of what can be achieved when individuals come together as a team.

The Results

Another great thanks to CourseCo for donating a foursome at Deep Cliff as a raffle prize. The winner was James Carlo Vergara!

As we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners of the Tag Team Golf Tournament, let us also recognize the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie that defined the event. In a game where success is measured not only by scores, but also by the bonds forged and memories made, every participant is a winner in their own right. We announced that we had a secret agent scouting the field. Coach Stefan was tasked with finding a participant displaying the best golf etiquette, sportsmanship, and integrity during tournament play. While winning is a great goal, we must never lose ourselves and who we want to be in the heat of competition. Two participants stood out the most and were awarded the sportsmanship award. Congratulations to Adam Rosas and Jared Ibarra for their display of our First Tee – Silicon Valley values and life skills that we instill in every participant that joins our family!

Published: 06-04-2024

Kids and Coaches Seasonal Tournament

This past Saturday, February 24th, First Tee – Silicon Valley hosted our highly anticipated ‘Kids and Coaches Tournament’ of the Spring 2024 season. With a great turnout of twenty total players, ten participants and ten coaches, we were able to have an alternate shot tournament where each team was able to play 9 holes. Within the back loop of Rancho del Pueblo, these awesome participants were able to display the golf skills and etiquette they have been learning within our program. This was an opportunity for them to better those skills by placing themselves in a competitive environment where they are forced to focus on their pace of play and the improvement of their own game. From playing the 9 hole-round to participating in the challenges we held in between, Program Coordinator for South San Jose, Tanner Riley, was able to organize a fun experience for everybody involved.

Winners!

Playing through holes 3 through 7, the tournament came to a close finish with the top 3 winners being just points away from one another. With 37 total strokes; Ella Julian (4th grade) was able to place third with her partner, Coach Teri Kent. Closing with a total of 36 strokes, Thomas Do (3rd grade) and Coach Bob Dietz were able to secure second place. Finally, finishing with 35 total strokes, Riya Shah (2nd grade) and Coach Natalie Chen took the prize of bragging rights for this upcoming season by placing first!

Within this tournament, we were able to host small events where participants could focus on specific parts of their game. In the “closest to the pin” challenge, Damian Gutierrez (4th grade) was able to show off his precision on hole 7 by getting it just 26 yards away from the pin on his first shot. In the “longest drive” contest on hole #4, Jonathan Cholula was able to show off his long drive skills by hitting well over our 110-yard marker. Another great thanks to CourseCo for donating a certificate to FTSV for a foursome at Deep Cliff as a raffle prize. The winner was Christine Koh!

First Tee of Silicon Valley is beyond grateful for everyone’s efforts of making it out and being a part of our tournament. Coaches, we could not have done it without your participation and commitment to our program. Parents, our organization is forever grateful for the dedication you all continue to make week in and week out by bringing your children to these events. To our wonderful participants, we admire the growth you all have made and continue to make and we look forward to seeing you all again in our upcoming seasons!

The next event is scheduled for May 11^th. Contact Tanner at Tanner@ftsv.org for more information.

Adult vs. Junior Spring Tournament

Our 2024 Spring off-season provided opportunities for our participants to exhibit their life and golf skills as they continue to grow with our program. This year, on February 24^th, we were fortunate enough to have families come join us at Gavilan College Golf Course for an Adult + Junior Tournament. With Coach Manny’s wonderful coordination, we hosted a mentor-based duos competition with an alternate shot format.

Under the warm Gilroy sun overseeing the hillside, our golfers were able to make some memories that highlighted the values we teach at First Tee – Silicon Valley. From motivating each other after every shot to celebrating the small successes they each had, this tournament was full of positive reinforcement.

While every participant demonstrated their talents, we were able to celebrate some really great performances.

Overall Winner:

Asher and Derek Andersen

1st Place Winners:

Ben and Brent Hughes
Victor Kotlyar and Phoenix Jarrell-Desch

2nd Place Winners:

Allen Xiang Hao and Yuan Hao
Austin Andersen and Eric Wible
Leonardo Villegas Luiz and Michael Faraday

3rd Place Winners:

Wyatt and Brent Doiguchi
Henry and Vince Gutierrez
Adam and Robert Rosa
Tristan Hipolito and Beverly Llamas

We also saw some great pin point precision in our in-tournament challenges. The winners of our long drive competitions included: Victor Kotlyar for the 2^nd and 5^th graders, Ben Hughes for 6^th through 7^th graders, Tristan Hipolito for the 8^th grade and up, and Coach Phoenix for the adults. The closest to the pin winners included: Ben Hughes for his kids section tee shot 10.6ft from the pin and Brent Hughes for his adults section tee shot 7ft from the pin.

First Tee of Silicon Valley could not be more grateful for the success of the Adults + Junior Tournament. With everyone’s great energy, awesome golf etiquette, and overall attendance, we were able to host one of the most rewarding events of the year. As an organization that creates opportunities, we appreciate the effort everyone made throughout this tournament. We saw new golfers arise within the adults, and participants find new bonds with their adults – exactly what this tournament was all about.

We are beyond appreciative of all the coaches who came out to fill in as partners and helped us make this event possible. Thank you to our parents who came out to play. Your presence made a positive effect on the kids. To our wonderful spectators and supporters, we cannot be more happy to have such a great support system for our program and kids.

The next event is scheduled for May 11^th. Contact Manny at [email protected] for more information.

PUBLISHED: 03-13-2024

FTSV Kids vs. Parents Tournament

Thank you to the all the First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) kids and parents who took part in our first-ever Kids vs Parents tournament on November 11^th at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course. FTSV kids competed against their parents in this 9-hole stroke play contest. The kids played a scramble format, while the parents played an alternate shot format. It was great to see all of the kids working together as well as the parents throughout the round. We used a Ryder Cup-style scoring – each match was worth one point, with matches ending in a tie worth ½ point to each side. The kids controlled the tournament by winning 8 out of the 10 matches for a final score of 8-2. The low round of the tournament was a 29 turned in by Ben and Liliana Hughes.

We had two course contests – hole #1 was closest-to-the-pin and hole #4 was longest drive. Congrats to our winners from each level:

Parents Long Drive: Mark Johnson

Parents Closest-to-the-Pin: Nate Kassel

Kids Long Drive: Ben Hughes

Kids Closest-to-the-Pin: Beatrice de la Rosa

There were plenty of highlights during the tournament, but the hole that stood out the most was hole #2 where we gave the kids an advantage by allowing them to use a nerf bow and arrow to put their tee shot as close to the pin as possible. The parents also got to have some fun on hole #6 by spinning the random club wheel to determine what they will hit their tee shot with. We look forward to hosting this tournament again and implementing more gimmicky play ideas.

The tournament concluded with a pizza party, awards, and a raffle. It was great seeing families meeting one another and FTSV participants making new friends. Congratulations to all of our participants for competing with respect, integrity, and sportsmanship.

Join us for the next Tournament

Save the date for our next round of tournaments on February 24^th, 2024. Contact Tanner Riley at [email protected] or call (650)-887-7048 for more information. We will release our next event flyer around mid-January. Stay tuned!

FTSV Hosted College Day Tournament

On November 11^th, First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) hosted its annual College Day Tournament where our participants partnered up with a member from the Stanford men’s team, Santa Clara men’s team, or Santa Clara women’s team in a fun, supportive, and competitive environment. Additionally, we invited 6 participants from First Tee – Greater Sacramento to join in the fun.

The players were grouped by age competing in a multi-formatted competition. Course contests such as closest-to-the-pin and long drive were included as well. All of our participants displayed honesty, integrity, and other FTSV life skills impressing the collegiate players. Our participants made the most out this experience by asking for advice about balancing life and higher education.

“Golfing with Meva Schmit from Santa Clara during the college day tournament was such a surreal experience that provided me with a glimpse of how a highly skilled and experienced college golfer approached each and every golf shot. Meva shared with me tips on how she tackled her short game and we delved into deep conversations of balancing sports and academics. Her experience provided me with a unique perspective on how I can personally develop my golf game beyond high school. I am super grateful for the chance to play golf with a college player!” – Natalie