Beyond the Green: The Real Mission of First Tee – Greater Topeka

Welcome back to our August Tenant Spotlight series! Last week, we introduced you to First Tee – Greater Topeka, a proud member of the CRC family located at our CRC CARE Center @ Lundgren.

If you are just tuning in, you might initially think First Tee is simply a standard youth golf clinic. But as we dive deeper into their mission this week, the biggest and most important takeaway is this: First Tee is so much more than a golf program.

A Powerful Origin Story

First Tee is a national organization with more than 150 chapters across the country. Locally, the Topeka chapter began nearly ten years ago when a small group of visionary community members believed local children deserved the opportunity to experience everything First Tee has to offer.

Interestingly, what united this group wasn't simply a love for golf. Each of them had experienced firsthand how golf had changed their own lives—not because of a scorecard or a tournament, but because of the mentors, friendships, opportunities, and life lessons they found through the game. Many of those experiences began when they were young themselves, and they wanted today’s children to have that same chance to grow in confidence, character, and hope. After years of impact, First Tee – Greater Topeka was officially founded as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2020.

Clearing Up Misconceptions: The Real Focus

One of the biggest misconceptions about First Tee is that they are just a golf program.

While they serve young people ages 7 to 18 from throughout the Greater Topeka area—intentionally reaching youth who might not otherwise have access to the game—their true mission is helping young people become confident, caring, resilient, and responsible adults.

They achieve this by seamlessly integrating golf with a research-backed life skills curriculum. The golf course provides an incredible active learning environment where honesty, respect, perseverance, responsibility, and sportsmanship naturally come to life. As their team beautifully puts it:

"If a child leaves our program as a better person—even if they never play another round of golf—we consider that a success."

Staying Connected

Whether participants are picking up a golf club for the very first time or growing into confident young adults, First Tee is building a foundation for life.

Be sure to check back next week as we take you behind the scenes of their seasonal sessions and school partnerships! In the meantime, you can visit the official First Tee – Greater Topeka website, and be sure to follow our CRC Facebook page for more fun facts and updates throughout the week!