In less than three weeks, a series of First Tee Hawaii summer golf camps start for kids who have little history with the game, or lots, state-of-the-art sticks, or no equipment at all.

The First Tee program, introduced to more than 10 million kids across the U.S. the last 20 years, also provides a “life skills” aspect in addition to golf instruction. Its nine “core values” and “healthy habits” might be worth offering to adults as well.

The camps, held at 11 sites on three islands beginning June 14, are designed to attract kids to First Tee of Hawaii’s year-round programs. The local chapter, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, has 500 participants between the ages of 5-17.

Its goal is to have 900 by the end of the year, with many of them sticking around long enough, and becoming accomplished enough, to eventually play junior events.

“Participants of these tournaments need to be tournament ready and have all the golf skills, rules knowledge, and golf etiquette taught to them before playing in their first event,” says executive director Kellan Anderson. “I believe The First Tee of Hawaii is a perfect way to learn all of these things along with getting valuable life skills engraved into them at an early age. We hope that our participants stay with The First Tee of Hawaii and also play in state junior tournaments until they graduate and move on to college.”

First Tee’s 2016 “Participants of the Year” were fifth-grader Bryson Akagi, a 4.0 student at Hanalani Schools, and Moanalua freshman Rozelle Cayetano. She started First Tee at age 8 and has been a junior leader the last few years.

“I started because I thought it was great to learn a different sport,” says Cayetano, also an outside hitter for PAC (Passion Attracts Commitment) volleyball. “I felt like staying with it because I thought golf was a fun sport to play and the life skills made me think about what I want to do in the future.”

That would now be studying sports medicine in college so she can “help people get better so they can play sports and do whatever they’d like.”

Strong on the life skills element, Cayetano started mentoring because her impact on younger kids was gratifying and “being around children makes you feel better.” She appreciates all First Tee’s “core values,” but her emphasis has gravitated toward “confidence” because of how it impacts achievement.

That doesn’t surprise her coach at Hickam.

“Rozelle definitely has a lot of confidence, both as a junior leader and as a player on the course,” says Pat Zitz, son of First Tee Hawaii founder Ken Zitz. “She is a terrific example for all the other participants.”

First Tee, backed by groups including the PGA Tour, LPGA, USGA, the Annika Foundation and Shell Oil, says its core values “represent some of the many inherently positive values connected with the game of golf.” Instruction in values like “honesty, integrity, responsibility, perseverance and judgment” is interspersed with golf lessons, along with healthy habits such as “energy, family and community.”

Golf skills are tested and each level — PLAYer, Par, Birdie, Eagle, and Ace, with 5- and 6-year olds starting as Little Linksters — has more demanding requirements. Evaluation of life skills, core values and healthy habits include a written test. In class, participants must show they can apply lessons in “real life situations.”

“The First Tee of Hawaii is a youth development organization and we gauge our success not on how far a participant can drive the ball or how low he or she can shoot, but how well they can retain our life-skills curriculum and apply it to their daily lives and become better successful citizens in our community,” Anderson says. “We all would love to have a participant get on the PGA or LPGA tour, but it would be more rewarding to see he or she graduate from high school and move on to college where they can apply what they have learned from our program.”

It sounds serious, but mostly it is fun. That is also the focus of summer camps, which run three to five days. Cost is $75-$125, with equipment, hat, T-shirt, food and learning material included.

Summer Camp locations are:

>> Oahu: Bay View, Hawaii Country Club, Hawaii Kai, Hickam AFB Par 3, Hoakalei and Makaha Valley.

>> Maui: Maui Nui and The Dunes at Maui Lani.

>> Island of Hawaii: Kamehameha Park Golf Learning Center, Kona Country Club and Waikoloa Village.

For more information, visit thefirstteehawaii.org or contact Kellan Anderson at 808-202-6456 or kanderson@thefirstteehawaii.org.

Program recognitions

Walter Baker III, a 26-year Army veteran who moved to Hawaii two years ago, was First Tee’s Coach of the Year. He helps at Hoakalei and Hawaii Country Club and also worked for First Tee in Savannah (Ga.) and Prince William County (Va.).

Peggy Ciriako, tournament director at recently re-opened Kona Country Club, is volunteer of the year. She has worked with the Hawaii Island programs — more than 200 kids — the past four years and also volunteers for American Red Cross, Hospice of Kona and Manna Homeless Feeding.

LOCAL ACES

*—double eagle

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