Celebrate First Tee – The Lowcountry Week!
Category: Mentoring
A Champion On and Off the Course: Trudy Backus’ Dedication to First Tee – The Lowcountry
It’s a beautiful day at First Tee – The Lowcountry’s Gumtree Road facility, and a young golfer, no older than seven, steps up to the tee. Keeping his instructor’s words in mind, he squares his shoulders, perfects his stance, and keeps his head down. Then, with all the energy that only a 7-year-old possesses, he whips his shoulders around in a wide arc, sending the ball flying—but also sending himself into a full 360-degree spin.
With saintlike patience, his instructor offers a gentle reminder:
“You swing the club, don’t let the club swing you.”
Building Character, One Swing at a Time
“That little guy will be a stellar athlete, you can tell already,” said his instructor, Trudy Backus, later on. “He will excel at a number of things, but he goes at things with abandon.”
As a volunteer coach at First Tee – The Lowcountry, Backus helps kids fine-tune their putting and chipping—admitting that her full swing is ‘a little inconsistent.’ But since she first volunteered in 2016, her role has extended far beyond golf instruction.
“What’s good about First Tee is we also talk to them about life values—courtesy, respect, responsibilities, sportsmanship, honesty—all of those kinds of things.”
Each session offers opportunities to recognize and reinforce these values, shaping young golfers into champions both on and off the course.
A Legacy of Mentorship
Backus fondly recalls a young girl she worked with from her first day at First Tee. Seven years later, that same girl stood as a standard bearer at the RBC Heritage presented by Boeing.
“She stuck with us for all those years, and I’m just very, very proud of her.”
And she’s not the only one. There are countless students Backus takes pride in, ever since she retired to South Carolina and dedicated herself to First Tee after a 41-year career in insurance.
“One cannot go there with either performance or behavioral expectations. One must go there just prepared to cheer the students’ successes.”
In doing so, Backus has found that students deeply appreciate the attention and the encouragement they receive to achieve their goals.
Recognizing a True Champion
At the Champions Banquet this past April, Backus received the Mike Davis Award, the highest volunteer honor within First Tee – The Lowcountry. But for her, the true reward has been the time spent giving back.
“I consider moving here the best decision of my life,” she said, “but volunteering here has made that best decision 100% better.”
Join Trudy Backus in Making a Difference
If you’re inspired by Trudy Backus’ story and want to make an impact, consider volunteering at First Tee – The Lowcountry!
📩 Contact: Executive Director Pat Zuk
📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Call: 843-686-2680
Meet a few locals who have made huge swings in making First Tee – The Lowcountry successful.
Since its inception 10 years ago, First Tee – The Lowcountry has been a testament to our community’s commitment to giving back. What started as an idea—an organization dedicated to teaching area youth the finer points of golf while instilling in them life skills and values—only became a reality thanks to the dedication of volunteers and advocates.
In its early days, First Tee depended on the generosity of those willing to turn vision into reality. They worked with town and community partners to build support and sought individual donors to establish funding. Today, that generosity continues, with community members seeing firsthand the profound impact First Tee has on local youth.
A Growing Commitment to Giving Back
That generosity has not only continued but has grown—thanks in part to two individuals who now call Palmetto Bluff home.
“Many communities in the area have supported First Tee – The Lowcountry,” says board member Joe Dattilo. “Recently, that support took a huge new turn.”
Late last year, First Tee – St. Augustine reached out to Dattilo with exciting news. They had a potential national trustee, a part-time Palmetto Bluff resident, who wanted to learn more about the Hilton Head Island chapter. Dattilo was asked to engage with him, provide background, and offer a tour of the facility.
That individual was Rick Van Benschoten, a longtime part-time resident from New York City. His commitment to serve as a national trustee for First Tee meant he could allocate up to half of his total donation to the local chapter.
“A friend of mine was starting the Puerto Rico chapter, so I had allocated some there, but then I realized I wanted to be involved on-site and meet the kids. That’s when this Hilton Head opportunity came up,” Van Benschoten said.
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Van Benschoten’s support didn’t stop there. He introduced John Bankhead, a fellow part-time Palmetto Bluff resident and longtime friend, to First Tee – The Lowcountry. Bankhead, also a newly named national trustee, needed little convincing to invest in the local chapter.
“I’ve been coming down here from Boston for 30 years to attend the Heritage, and I’ve had a home in Palmetto Bluff for 15 years,” Bankhead shared. “In a major city like Boston, there are plenty of donors to support these programs. I felt like I could reach more kids down here.”
Bankhead’s first priority? Setting up a college scholarship fund for First Tee students.
“That’s one of the things that drew me to it—working with youth and setting up scholarships,” he said. And at the First Tee Gala on April 16, Bankhead awarded the inaugural First Tee – The Lowcountry Secondary Education Scholarship to a deserving student.
“It seems like we all came together at the right time.”
A Deeper Involvement
After attending the gala and witnessing First Tee’s impact firsthand, Van Benschoten also directed a portion of his financial commitment to First Tee – The Lowcountry.
“You’re giving money, and that’s all they ask of a trustee. But I feel like you’re kind of cheating if you don’t give your time and get involved,” Van Benschoten said. “When you see these kids speak at a trustee event, it blows your mind how mature they are and how First Tee has helped them position themselves. It’s really inspiring.”
Thanks to their generosity and leadership, the future of First Tee – The Lowcountry looks even brighter, ensuring that more young people will benefit from the program’s mentorship, values, and opportunities for years to come.
A New Era for Junior Golf on Hilton Head Island
When the Hilton Head Island Junior Golf Association (HHIJGA) found itself without operational leadership earlier this year, it could have marked the end of an era for youth golf. The local chapter of the South Carolina Junior Golf Association (SCJGA) and the Hootie and the Blowfish Junior Golf Tour had been running youth golf tournaments for decades, serving as a launchpad for talented young golfers.
And were it not for one brilliant move, it could have all been over. Instead, the organization turned to a partner whose mission aligns perfectly with theirs: First Tee – The Lowcountry. Known for its commitment to developing young talent both on and off the course, First Tee stepped in to ensure that junior golf in the region would not only continue but thrive.
“Golf tournaments for kids—that’s right up our alley,” said First Tee Executive Director Pat Zuk. “Plus, this provides a great opportunity for our participants to be able to do things outside of the program.”
A Winning Partnership
Already, this partnership has proven to be mutually beneficial. First Tee – The Lowcountry has leveraged its expertise to keep HHIJGA moving forward, while the Junior Golf Association’s robust summer tournament schedule has provided First Tee students with a chance to test their skills in competitive play—when the weather has cooperated.
“It’s been a bit of a weather challenge. Our first event was rain-shortened after nine holes, our third event was heat-shortened, and our ninth event was right during Debby,” said Zuk. “But it’s been really fun. This has allowed our kids to play on a variety of courses, from Old South to the Country Club of Hilton Head. And one event was particularly special—a par three shootout on Colleton River’s par three course.”
While the majority of participants in these tournaments have come from the general public, First Tee is working to increase the involvement of its own students. “Right now, it’s probably about 15 percent First Tee kids, but this is just year one,” said Zuk. “That number will only grow as more of our kids participate.”
Success at the State Level
The impact of this partnership extends beyond Hilton Head. Two of First Tee’s standout participants, Daniel Morrell and his brother Paul, won their respective age groups at the statewide Tommy Cuthbert All-Star Tournament, which showcases the top junior golfers from across South Carolina.
“There’s a lot of competitive golf being played out there, and this is a great way for kids in our area to gain experience in a high-level tournament setting,” said Zuk. “It’s beneficial for those already competing, as well as those who want to see what competitive golf is all about.”
Thanks to First Tee – The Lowcountry’s leadership, the future of junior golf on Hilton Head Island is brighter than ever.
Mentors Make the Difference: Scholar Becky Jones Shares How Her Mentor Guides Her as she Navigates College
It’s National Mentorship Month! And we truly believe that mentors can make all the difference for kids as they face new challenges – from navigating middle or high school to eventually embarking on a career. That’s why we’re proud to pair every First Tee Scholar with a mentor to help them along their journey.
First Tee – Indiana alumna Becky Jones is a sophomore at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology where she is studying civil engineering. Her professional goal is to address pollution in her home region. “Especially around our area, we have a lot of environmental hazards that I’d like to fix,” she said.
As she works toward her future, Jones said, she knows she has at least one person in her corner: her mentor Dr. Roger May. May is senior technical manager in the Great Lakes region for TruGreen, a First Tee Trustee. Not only has May helped Jones on her academic journey, but “he knows me as a person,” she said.
“Especially as I’m going to college and being in a new environment and working with a lot of different people, he’s given me fantastic advice about things like teamwork, what to do when group members aren’t holding up their weight,” she said.
His guidance was especially helpful during Jones’ internship at a 66-turbine wind farm in Iowa. “I was in a very different environment than I’m used to, and while it was a wonderful experience, it did challenge me in a lot of ways,” she said. “It’s been incredible. I’m lucky First Tee connected me with him.”
May said mentoring Jones has helped him understand the challenges a college student faces in 2023. The pair talk for about one hour each month, and while mentoring isn’t a huge time commitment, it’s a great way to give back, May said.
“I thought back to the time when I was a freshman in college. I could have really used a mentor! This was a golden opportunity to pay it forward with experience and help a young person navigate the ups and downs of the college experience and give them career advice,” he said.
For the relationship to work well, mentors need to be non-judgmental, and mentees must be open about the challenges they’re facing, May said. “When everything clicks you form a trust that helps to keep the relationship and communication progressing,” he said.
As a First Tee scholar, Jones not only receives support from her mentor, but also financial assistance and access to professional development opportunities, including a recent winter workshop that brought together 40 First Tee alumni from across the country. She said First Tee has helped her gain confidence and expand her horizons.
“When you start playing golf as a kid, you’re just out there hitting a ball. You don’t think about all the etiquette you learn,” Jones said. “You learn about systems, being outside, appreciating nature, respecting authority, honesty. There’s just so many values that go throughout your entire life. Now as a Scholar I get to hear from all these phenomenal speakers who are giving me advice on aspects of my career and personal life, and I feel like I’ve grown more as a person in so many ways I can’t even describe.”