Local Golf Outing Benefits International Development Organization
(L-R) Shirley Strobel, Joan Allen, Greg McKelvey, of Kittanning Country Club, and Marc Field, of the First Tee of Pittsburgh with a donation for $2,350 from the golf outing to benefit the program. (submitted photo)
by Jonathan Weaver
A May golf tournament in memory of Chuck Alex, long time PGA teaching professional at Kittanning Country Club, who passed away in September 2014, raised $2,350 to benefit the First Tee of Pittsburgh.
The First Tee program provides young people with character-building and life skills lessons using golf as the platform. Through the First Tee, young people discover how skills essential to success on a golf course can also help them flourish in life, according to First Tee Pittsburgh Executive Director Marc Field.
“The significant thing to understand about First Tee is it’s more than golf – First Tee uses golf instruction as a platform to teach kids life skills, core values and healthy habits, including the game,” Field said. “Our goal is to teach them these things so they can be successful both on and off the golf course.”
Chuck Alex, a Kittanning and Worthington resident, was a longtime member of the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA). He served as the golf professional at the following Clubs during his career - Kittanning Country Club, Deer Run Golf Club of Pittsburgh and Armco Country Club of Slippery Rock.
Alex passed away on September 6, 2014 at the age of 73 in Butler Memorial Hospital following a prolonged illness.
Kittanning Country Club General Manager Greg McKelvey praised the organizing committee of Joan Allen of Pittsburgh and Shirley Strobel of Worthington for lining up the event.
“The tournament was a celebration of Chuck’s life with friends, former students
and colleagues participating from far and near,” McKelvey said “Chuck’s whole life was devoted to playing and teaching golf and we could think of no better charity than the First Tee to carry out his ideals of helping kids learn through the game of golf.
The community was very generous through sponsorships to make the event a success.”
Field – director of the program since 2008 - estimated about 100 children will benefit from the donation received at the end of May.
“A kid who comes from a family that earns less than $50,000 per year pays $25 for seven hour-and-a-half sessions. Their donation will provide programs for almost 100 kids,” Field said.
“It really is great - a very generous donation.”
Field said there are currently seven million kids in First Tee programs internationally. First Tee Pittsburgh leases the Bob O`Connor Golf Course in Pittsburgh’s Schenley Park.
The Pittsburgh Chapter has benefitted local youth for 15 years. Field also began golfing with his father as a child and played socially and in high school.
There are 188 chapters nationally and four internationally, with the nine-chapter Pittsburgh chapter assisting in both school and outreach programs year-round because of indoor and outdoor facilities.
Under his tutelage, Janet Anderson played on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour starting in the late-1970′s – her signature win at the 1982 LPGA U.S. Women’s Open.
In a former interview with Family-Life TV “Sports Zone” Host John Buffone, Alex talked a lot about teaching students basic fundamentals – such as stance, grip and alignment.
“You’ve got to walk away from the first lesson with a good grip,” Alex said. “You can go out and watch players tomorrow, and I bet 70 percent will never follow through correctly.”
Alex played golf collegiately at Santa Monica Junior College, his apprenticeship as a PGA professional in Culver City, Calif.
Local News | jweaver July 9, 2015
