Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – BallenIsles Country Club General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Ryan Walls and Director of Golf Jeff Fitzherbert played a combined 250 holes of golf on Monday, November 2nd to raise funds for the First Tee of the Palm Beaches. Walls and Fitzherbert were participating in the 5th Annual 100 Hole Challenge held at Jupiter Country Club and raised more than $15,000 for the First Tee through BallenIsles’ member donations and pledges.
The two played 125 holes each, over eight and a half hours, covering approximately 18 miles, while playing three balls on every hole but one. Walls, used seven Callaway golf balls (lost four), went through one Callaway glove and remarkably, made it around using only one tee.
“It was a fun, windy day. I got to hang out with the best pro in town and play golf, literally all day,” said Walls. “But importantly, a huge thank you to our incredibly supportive members who helped us surpass our initial goal of donations. A big thank you to the leadership of Carl Mistretta, Executive Director of First Tee, who does so much to give back to our local golf community. He is such a contributor and I am so thrilled knowing good things will come to kids in our area because of Carl’s work. Also, to the staff and members of Jupiter Country Club who allowed us access to the golf course all day (and we didn’t have to rake the bunkers after ourselves). A lot of people in our community pulled together for an important cause.”
“Ryan and I had played, combined, maybe 50 holes of golf this year prior to this event,” said Fitzherbert. “We really enjoyed playing and supporting children and veterans of the First Tee of the Palm Beaches. It’s an important and meaningful program for many kids and families in our region. Thank you to all who have, and who will be donating to this worthwhile cause.”
While their 100 Hole Challenge is complete, Walls and Fitzherbert hope to continue to collect donations for the First Tee of the Palm Beaches through mid-November as the fundraising website is still accepting contributions.
“I’d also like to thank our sponsors – Tylenol, Callaway, Theragun Massager and Biofreeze,” Walls quipped.
For more information on the First Tee of the Palm Beaches and their 100 Hole Challenge, visit www.firstteefloridagoldcoast.org/palm-beaches. For more information on BallenIsles Country Club, visit www.BallenIsles.org.
ABOUT BALLENISLES COUNTRY CLUB
In 1963 legendary Florida developer John D. MacArthur and the PGA of America teamed up with golf course architects Dick Wilson and Joe Lee to design a championship-caliber golf facility. Over the next ten years, BallenIsles, then called PGA National Golf Club, hosted numerous major tournaments like the PGA Championship and PGA Seniors Championship and was home for the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. The Club was also the host site for the original PGA TOUR Qualifying School and held the inaugural PGA Merchandise Show. When the MacArthur/PGA of America agreement expired in 1973, the Club was renamed the JDM Country Club for John D. MacArthur. For the next 15 years, the prestigious local country club hosted many celebrities and professional golfers and staged many events on the three golf courses on the property. In 1988, the three golf courses and surrounding property were sold by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and renamed BallenIsles Country Club. A multi-year and multimillion dollar plan to develop a private country club community was unveiled. Since the early 2000’s, BallenIsles Country Club has been consistently ranked as one of the Top 100 Clubs in America.
A $35 million clubhouse renovation was completed in November 2018, featuring 115,000 square feet of luxurious space; three championship courses with 54 holes of golf; a world-class 23-court tennis complex including an exhibition tennis court and pickleball courts; and a state-of-the-art Sports Complex with a full service Cosmo & Company salon and spa, fitness center, Pilates & spin studios and resort-style swimming pool. For more information visit www.BallenIsles.org
About Troon
BallenIsles Country Club is professionally managed by Troon Privé, the private club operating division of Troon. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf management company providing services at 440-plus locations around the globe, including managing 470-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. Troon’s award-winning food and beverage division operates and manages more than 490-plus food and beverage operations located at golf resorts, private clubs, daily fee golf courses and recreational facilities. With properties located in 40-plus states and 30-plus countries, Troon’s family of brands includes Troon Golf, Troon Privé, Troon International, Honours Golf, OB Sports, Green Golf Partners, CADDIEMASTER, True Club Solutions, Cliff Drysdale Tennis and RealFood Hospitality, Strategy and Design. There are currently 67 Troon-affiliated properties featuring 87 golf courses on national and international “Top 100” rankings. Troon-affiliated properties include Quintero Golf Club in Peoria, Ariz.; Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, Fla; Belfair in Bluffton, South Carolina; Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club in Puerto Rico; and Costa Navarino in Greece. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com.
Media Contacts:
Rob Myers
Troon
480.477.0506
rmyers@troon.com
Becky Collison
BallenIsles Country Club
Director of Marketing & Communication
561.249.5818
bcollison@Ballenisles.org
