By: Jasmine West
First Tee Greater Detroit will bring golfers, business leaders and community supporters together June 29 at Wabeek Country Club for an annual fundraiser aimed at helping more young people gain access to golf, mentoring and leadership development.
The nonprofit’s Game Changers Golf Outing will support year-round programs that use golf to teach children how to communicate, lead, manage challenges and build confidence — skills organizers say are intended to follow participants well beyond the course.
The outing comes as First Tee Greater Detroit works to expand a program that reached more than 600 young people across 14 locations in 2025. That work was supported by 160 volunteers and included four indoor program sites established through corporate partnerships.
For the organization, golf is the entry point.
The larger work centers on giving children a structured environment where they can learn patience, accountability, decision-making and resilience.
The program combines golf instruction with lessons designed to help young people navigate school, relationships and, eventually, the workplace. First Tee Greater Detroit also brings portions of its curriculum into elementary school gym classes, allowing children to participate even when they may not have access to a traditional golf course.
Money raised through the outing will help the organization maintain free and reduced-cost programming for families who need financial assistance. Funds will also support volunteer coach training, leadership programming and a senior scholarship that helps former participants pay for post-secondary education.
First Tee Greater Detroit is also working toward the development of a learning center that would provide after-school programming focused on both golf skills and personal development.
That goal speaks directly to a longstanding challenge within golf: access.
The cost of equipment, instruction, course fees and transportation can place the sport beyond the reach of many families. First Tee’s model attempts to lower those barriers while introducing children to a game that can also connect them to educational, professional and social opportunities.
The June outing will be held at Wabeek Country Club in Bloomfield Township, on a course designed by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye. Organizers expect the setting to attract golfers and sponsors from across Metro Detroit while giving supporters a closer look at the work their contributions help fund.
The day will begin with check-in, breakfast and warm-ups from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Golfers will be called to their carts at 9:45 a.m., followed by a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Lunch will be served during play, and the outing will conclude with an awards ceremony and dinner reception beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Donna Joseph Kemp, Al Owens and Trina Scott are serving as co-chairs for this year’s event.
The golf outing is one of First Tee Greater Detroit’s primary fundraisers, helping the organization provide dependable programming for children and families throughout the region. Sponsorship support will be directed toward program development, financial aid, school partnerships, volunteer training, scholarships and plans for the future learning center.
For families served by the organization, that support can mean a child receives consistent coaching, has a safe place to go after school or discovers a sport that might otherwise have remained unfamiliar and inaccessible.
It can also mean learning how to recover after a poor shot, remain focused under pressure and approach the next challenge with confidence — lessons that matter on a golf course, but carry greater weight away from it.
The First Tee Greater Detroit Game Changers Golf Outing will take place Monday, June 29, at Wabeek Country Club in Bloomfield Township.
Tickets and sponsorship packages are available through First Tee Greater Detroit’s website. Additional information is available by contacting Carl Bentley at 313-510-0010 or carl@firstteegreaterdetroit.org.
