OXFORD, PA – (March 16, 2006) – The First Tee of Suburban Philadelphia today announced a golf short game skills challenge to all families in the Suburban Philadelphia area. Teams of family members and friends will have the opportunity to compete to see who has the best sand shots, chips, pitches, and putts, while they are at the same time donating money to this local charity.
"This tournament is a season-long opportunity for golfers of all skill levels to show their stuff," said Gregg Russell, Executive Director of The First Tee of Suburban Philadelphia. "When it comes to their short game, all golfers are basically equal: it doesn’t matter if you are male or female, old or young. The short game is where you get to show your true golf abilities, because this part of the game of golf doesn’t require strength, it requires accuracy."
Each team member will pledge an amount of money that they will donate to The First Tee of Suburban Philadelphia based on each point earned. Points are earned based on proximity to the pin on each shot. Players can challenge themselves as many times as they like. Scores will be tallied and the best players from each golf facility will be invited to a championship tournament in October of this year.
So far, five golf facilities have agreed to participate in this fun series of events. Golfers can find a list of the participating facilities at www.parsforcharity.org/shortgame. This list will be updated continually when new golf facilities sign on and as dates are added.
The First Tee of Suburban Philadelphia is teaming with a local company in this effort. GolfChampâ?¢, Inc. will provide the databank of scoring so that each team can track how it does versus all other teams, and how each member of the team has fared. All those who participate will become members of GolfChamp’s ParsForCharityâ?¢ databank and will also be able to utilize their membership to track their 18-hole golf scores while pledging to any number of charities of their choice.
"We are happy to participate in this project with The First Tee of Suburban Philadelphia where golfers of all skill levels can challenge their family members, friends, and colleagues to see who can put the ball closest to the pin in a wide range of shots, explained David-Jose Peryer, Founder and Chief Executive of GolfChamp. "Our goal is to give golfers something tangible to play for, and the mission of The First Tee of Suburban Philadelphia, to teach valuable life skills to children while learning the great game of golf, is one that all golfers can understand and support."
The First Tee is a World Golf Foundation initiative whose mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. The Suburban Philadelphia chapter covers the counties of Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, and Delaware. It is headquartered at the Wyncote Golf Course in Oxford, Pennsylvania.
GolfChamp, Inc. gives golfers something tangible to play for by providing an online databank that tracks golf scores of individuals and teams, and provides for all golfers to pledge an amount of money per point earned to a charity of their choice. Points are earned based on hole-by-hole scoring and other algorithms, based on the type of challenge in which the golfer is participating.
Contact:
Gregg Russell
Executive Director
The First Tee of Suburban Philadelphia
(484) 645-2471 voice
Tee1dc@yahoo.com
Michele K. Masterfano
Chief Operating Officer
GolfChamp, Inc.
(610) 613-6684 voice
masterfanom@parsforcharity.org
